The Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract

Food is the carrier of nutrients, and it is the job of the GI tract to break down (i.e., digest) food into its nutrient components and bring these nutrients into the blood and lymph for delivery to cells (e.g., absorption and transport). We are amazingly efficient at digesting and absorbing nutrients and transporting the absorbed nutrients to body tissue- a process that begins when you place food in your mouth and continues through the stomach and intestines. On this trip through the GI tract, food is mechanically ripped apart, attacked by chemicals to aid in the release of nutrients, exposed to radical changes in acidity, and compacted for removal of what is left.

Mouth and Esophagus

Stomach

Gastric Emptying

Small Intestine

Large Intestine

GI Concerns for Athletes