Ariane Titmus reveals the strict diet she must follow after health complications

Champion swimmer Ariane Titmus has revealed the struggles of a particular health battle she has been fighting for years throughout her career.

Champion swimmer Ariane Titmus has revealed a health battle she has been fighting for years throughout her career.

Titmus, 22, revealed she discovered parasite that caused her to lose 5kg in two weeks following the 2017 World Championships in Hungary.

But after consulting expert dietitians and eliminating food from her diet, she realised something else was hurting her performance.

“Gluten causes me issues,” Titmus said via The Mercury.

“The tiniest little bit in my diet causes a massive flare-up in my gut.”

Coeliac disease affects approximately one-in-70 Australians, making it one of the most common auto-immune diseases.

“Non-coeliac gluten-sensitivity is defined by feeling unwell after eating gluten or wheat-containing foods, however, a person feels better when they take it out of their diet,” Professor Jason Tye-Din, a gastroenterologist, said via the publication.

“In contrast, coeliac disease is caused by the immune system reacting adversely to gluten in the diet. It triggers an abnormal immune response that damages the bowel, and it can also affect other parts of the body with other symptoms and cause serious health problems.”

Champion swimmer Ariane Titmus has revealed a health battle she has been fighting for years throughout her career.

Titmus, 22, revealed she discovered parasite that caused her to lose 5kg in two weeks following the 2017 World Championships in Hungary.

Titmus said it has been hard keeping on top of her strict diet while travelling all over the world to compete in events.

She has been forced to keep a keen eye on all her meals, saying even the tiniest amount of gluten could lead her to underperforming.

“Many places where we train or race don’t accommodate people with gluten sensitivities,” she said.

“The Australian team managers and nutritionists have to buy me food to make sure I am eating the right foods, which sometimes can be limited.”

“I try to be as routine as possible with my diet in the lead-up to major events by eating the same thing, With every meal, I make sure that nothing’s going in that’s going to change my digestion.”

Titmus says she has been taking GluteGuard, a pill that can be taken before meals to ease the effects of gluten, should any be present in her meal at restaurants.

She was put onto the treatment by a fellow swimmer while travelling in France.

“One of the boys said that his mum takes it before meals if she’s going to a restaurant in case she accidentally eats gluten,” she says. “Knowing there’s a product that can help to manage your diet is very reassuring, not just if you’re competing or have a big event coming up, but also day-to-day activities as well.”

Recently, the Herald Sun reported that Titmus and Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen were an item after the pair were spotted together on Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington earlier this month.

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Originally published as Ariane Titmus reveals the strict diet she must follow after health complications