Lucy Charles-Barclay, Britain's four-time world champion across a range of Ironman and triathlon disciplines, has come forward with an astonishing story of how coeliac disease nearly ruined her athletic career.
Before she received the diagnosis in 2024, Charles-Barclay had been struggling with stress fractures, joint pain and low energy for years - all without any explanation for the symptoms. The gruelling sequence of injuries had left doctors baffled.
In an effort to perform at the highest level, Charles-Barclay had turned to carbs as a primary source of energy. This was largely due to her love for pasta and other gluten-rich foods. She would carb-load heavily before races in the hope that it would give her more endurance. Unfortunately, what she didn't realize was that this was causing significant damage to her body.
She eventually discovered that consuming gluten was causing an autoimmune response, leading to inflammation in her body. The good news is that once Charles-Barclay received her diagnosis and started a gluten-free diet, she noticed dramatic improvements.
Her recovery took about a year before she could return to training fully. She now makes sure to fuel her body with entirely gluten-free options - including rice, chicken, boiled eggs for three days leading up to competition.
When racing, Lucy uses gluten-free gels and adds extra electrolytes from salt tablets to her water bottles. The addition of Red Bull provides the extra energy she needs during races.
Going into a challenging Ironman race in Qatar, Charles-Barclay is now more confident than ever that her new approach will give her an edge.
Before she received the diagnosis in 2024, Charles-Barclay had been struggling with stress fractures, joint pain and low energy for years - all without any explanation for the symptoms. The gruelling sequence of injuries had left doctors baffled.
In an effort to perform at the highest level, Charles-Barclay had turned to carbs as a primary source of energy. This was largely due to her love for pasta and other gluten-rich foods. She would carb-load heavily before races in the hope that it would give her more endurance. Unfortunately, what she didn't realize was that this was causing significant damage to her body.
She eventually discovered that consuming gluten was causing an autoimmune response, leading to inflammation in her body. The good news is that once Charles-Barclay received her diagnosis and started a gluten-free diet, she noticed dramatic improvements.
Her recovery took about a year before she could return to training fully. She now makes sure to fuel her body with entirely gluten-free options - including rice, chicken, boiled eggs for three days leading up to competition.
When racing, Lucy uses gluten-free gels and adds extra electrolytes from salt tablets to her water bottles. The addition of Red Bull provides the extra energy she needs during races.
Going into a challenging Ironman race in Qatar, Charles-Barclay is now more confident than ever that her new approach will give her an edge.
u guys can't believe how many athletes are suffering from undiagnosed health issues?? I mean lucy charles-barclay's story is literally insane 
she had no idea she was sabotaging her own body with gluten for years!!! and now she's talking about the dramatic improvements after going gluten-free 
it's just wild how much of a difference a simple diet change can make... like, i get that carbs are important for energy but seriously who needs to carb-load before races? 
anyway... imo lucy charles-barclay is literally an inspiration now - her dedication and willingness to try new things (and listen to her body) is something we can all learn from 
btw, i love how she's now fueling her body with gluten-free options before competition 
. And carbs? Forget about it! We thought pasta was the answer to every meal 
. And gluten? It was like a magic ingredient that made everything better ( Spoiler alert: it wasn't 
). But you know what? This girl's story is actually kinda inspiring... seeing her work through all that pain and come out on top is pretty amazing 
. Now if only we had those fancy gluten-free options back in the day 
, maybe our aches and pains would've been less severe... or who knows, maybe it wouldn't have affected us as much 
. Anyway, I wish Lucy all the best for her next competition 
!
just read about lucy charles-barclay's experience with coeliac disease and i'm like wow her story is so relatable... all those years of ignoring the pain and still managing to push through it... 
what if she didn't get diagnosed on time? would we ever know about her struggles? anyway, glad she found a solution that works for her. gluten-free life must be tough though 
. I mean, we've all been there, right? Trying to balance carbs, protein, and everything else to get that edge in sports. But it's awesome that Lucy found a solution that works for her 
.
and now shes gluten free 
i feel so bad for her cuz shes always been a total carb fiend pasta and all that jazz 
but its actually kinda genius how she figured it out 2 prioritize her health n performance 
On the bright side, at least she figured out her secret ingredient: gluten 
. I mean, she was basically running on fumes (literally) without even knowing why 
. It's crazy how coeliac disease can mess with your entire body and she's one of the lucky ones who got diagnosed before it was too late 
. It just goes to show that mental preparation and physical prep are key to success - but also don't underestimate the importance of listening to your body 
.
. And don't even get me started on the carb-loading thing - who thought that was a good idea? 
.
It just goes to show that everything has a reason behind it, even if it's not always what we think is the best option. 
I mean, can you believe how long it took for Lucy to figure out that gluten was messing with her body? It's crazy she didn't make the connection sooner, especially since carbs and pasta were basically her go-to fuel. And now she's using all these fancy gluten-free gels and electrolytes... is it really necessary? 