What Are Bubble Guts and How Can You Get Rid of Them?

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“It feels like bubbles popping in my stomach.” What are bubble guts?

In the bodybuilding world, your physique is everything. If you’re not working to develop your glutes, you’re busy honing your calves or defining your biceps. It’s a priority that you have large and well-defined muscles, so you’ll stick to strict meal regimens and even turn to HGH (human growth hormones) and other drugs that enhance your performance and size (PEDs). And occasionally, you might end up with bubble guts. 

What are bubble guts? Known as “bodybuilder belly,” “Pulamboism” and “roid gut” in certain circles, bubble guts cause distension of your stomach — usually just below the abdomen — kind of like the beer belly often seen worn by middle-aged men in bars. Other associated health-related conditions frequently accompany this enlargement. What causes bubble guts? Can anybody get them? If you’ve developed them, you’ll also want to know how to get rid of bubble guts.

What Causes Bubble Guts?

In short, most people in the bodybuilding industry believe excessive use of HGH and other anabolic steroids is the primary cause of the bubble gut condition. You might remember Dave Pulambo, a former amateur bodybuilder who finished second in the Super Heavyweight class of the 2003 NPC USA Championships. Pulambo, to whom the term “Pulamboism” is attributed, was known for his swollen midsection that contrasted with his otherwise defined and muscular physique. 

The year after his runner-up berth, Pulambo spent five months in federal prison after admitting to distributing HGH to other athletes, so the popular belief that his bubble guts condition at least partly stemmed from steroid use seems legitimate. The thing is, bubble guts are not limited to the weightlifting profession alone, and anybody can develop them, even if you’re not using anabolic steroids. Along with HGH and other steroids, what are other common causes of bubble guts?

HGH and Other Anabolic Steroids

With HGH and other anabolic steroid use, your muscle mass will increase, but the enhancement is mainly due to water retention. You’ll also shed some stomach fat as the HGH prompts the release of insulin-like growth factor-1 steroid (IGF-1) while metabolizing protein and fat and synthesizing the body’s amino acids. Your gains will increase with HTH, but you could end up with a bloated tummy as a side effect. Perhaps it’s better to put in the harder work and use weights that challenge your body by ‘training to failure’ to increase your gains instead?

Increased Insulin

Increased insulin in your system can cause bubble guts. Many bodybuilders increase their insulin intake to increase the amino acid flow into their muscles. Extra insulin in your body is akin to raising your calorie intake, so your body sends signals to your stomach to make space for the additional food, often causing swelling.

Trapped Air in Your Stomach

It’s common for people to swallow air when they’re eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum and yawning. This aerophagia often sees the air pass through your digestive tract without any problem, but when it traps in your tummy for a period and you cannot burp or pass it out, it becomes bubble guts.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a well-known gastrointestinal disorder that, when combined with other symptoms, could trigger bubble guts. Although most people don’t experience severe IBS, the symptoms don’t vary. Bloating, cramping, stomach pain and rumbling couple with constipation that can turn to diarrhea almost without warning. The contractions from diarrhea lead to a bubbly stomach sensation. 

Stomach Flu

Viruses, chemical toxins, drugs and parasites can all cause gastroenteritis, commonly known as stomach flu. The flu changes your digestive system for periods of up to two weeks, although most cases only last a day or two. Stomach flu causes contractions in the intestine, which gives the sensation of bubbles popping in your gut, often accompanied by heaving and bouts of nausea. 

Food Intolerance

You may only discover an intolerance to a specific food after you’ve gone through prolonged bouts of bubble guts. If you feel bloated and have an urgent need to pass gas, coupled with a churning, popping sensation in your belly, you may have an intolerance to the food you’ve been eating. Another telltale sign is if you break out in rashes and hives. Dairy products and many forms of carbohydrate intolerance are commonly instigators of food intolerance-driven bubble guts. 

Poor Food Choices and Overeating 

Processed and unhealthy food with low-quality calories can also contribute to bubble guts, especially in a digestive system already exposed to higher supplement use. Fast food, frozen dinners and pizza with high-calorie counts are prime examples. You might be conscientious and steer clear of these foods when building muscle mass — even whole-food, healthy eating can disturb your stomach’s metabolism if you eat too fast or too much, causing bubble gut symptoms. 

Inactivity

Everybody needs physical activity to burn off calories — otherwise, they store up inside your body as fat. To minimize your chances of having pulamboism, go for a walk after your meals. You can hit the gym later, but a quick and brisk stroll after lunch will do wonders for your physique. 

Stress

It’s no secret that stress is a prime contributor to all kinds of problems — poor sleep, headaches, fatigue, and, you guessed it, disrupting your stomach. Chronic stress can cause widespread changes in your gut, making your stomach susceptible to gastrointestinal disorders and even infection. It’s safe to assume these disorders could resemble the symptoms of bubble guts on occasion.

Bubble Guts Symptoms

The most common symptoms of bubble guts are:

• Rumbling — a ‘bubbly stomach’ feeling
• Extreme bloating
• Painful and frequent belching
• Intense belly pains and cramps
• Frequent diarrhea and constipation
• Reduced appetite
• Nausea

How Long Does Bubble Guts Last?

There is no defined time frame for the duration of bubble guts. The symptoms can last from a couple of hours to several days and even weeks, depending on factors like substance use and diet. Suppose you’re a bodybuilder consistently taking HGH or other anabolic steroids. In that case, you can expect to have prolonged bouts of bubble guts, but if you’ve eaten something your stomach doesn’t agree with, the symptoms could subside very quickly. 

The best way of controlling your risk of getting bubble guts is to reduce your body’s exposure to PEDs if you’re taking them or modify your diet to eliminate those foods and drinks that cause bubble guts symptoms. If you’re prone to regular pulamboism, it’s likely best to consult your doctor or a healthcare professional knowledgeable in sports medicine.

Bubble Guts is More Than a Bodybuilding Concern

Although the ailment is synonymous with the bodybuilding industry, with its other names closely associated with it, bubble guts don’t require HGH or other PEDs to affect you. Paying attention to the causes and taking steps to minimize your potential exposure will help you and your stomach to live in a more comfortable and relaxed manner.

Are you keen on bulking up but want to avoid PED use? Check out A Beginners Guide to Lifting: 5 Tips for what to do and Are There Disadvantages of Weight Training? What to Know for what to avoid.