Bryson has solved brain, stomach issues

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau says he has solved the brain and stomach issues that hindered him last November at the Masters as another trip to Augusta National looms.

DeChambeau, who spoke Friday ahead of next month’s Saudi International tournament, has changed his eating habits and worked on relaxing his mind since a disappointing share of 34th at the Masters after having captured his first major title at September’s US Open.

The 27-year-old American — known for bulking up his body and a power driving game that values distance over all else — complained at Augusta National of dizziness, mental disorientation, fatigue and feeling “dull and numb, just not fully aware of everything.”

So as I started to relax my brain a little bit and just get into a more comfortable situation and got on a really good sleep schedule routine, a lot of those symptoms went away.

“I got a couple MRI exams. Went to an inner ear doctor, eye tests, eye pressure, ear pressure, even did ultrasound on my heart, ultrasounds on my neck, to see the blood flow and how things were moving through the different areas of my body,” said DeChambeau. “And everything came back really, really well.”

DeChambeau, facing a return trip to the Masters for this year’s first major in April, said that the pressure of the physical challenge plus the stress and pressure of being and favorite and the strain of building a large physique led to brain issues.

“I’ve done a lot of brain training with Neuropeak, and the frontal lobe of my brain was working really, really hard and that’s kind of what gave me some weird symptoms, like crazy overworking,” DeChambeau said.

“It was a combination of a few things that escalated my brain overworking and ultimately just giving out.

“So as I started to relax my brain a little bit and just get into a more comfortable situation and got on a really good sleep schedule routine, a lot of those symptoms went away.”
DeChambeau has also fought stomach inflammation.

“When you’re trying to change anything, you’re always going to have something on the back end happen that may or may not be good for you,” he said. “As of right now it wasn’t really great for me and my stomach.

“What I’m trying to develop is a lot of power now. It’s going to come through eating well, eating right and feeding my body with the right sources to make sure this head stuff doesn’t ever come back.”

DeChambeau said the added attention and stress at Augusta National after his US Open victory contrbuted to his issues.

“I’m absolutely sure it was a part of it,” DeChambeau said. “We were trying to mess with the gut a little bit back then, putting in some probiotics… I started to feel really weird after that.”