BloatGlossaryView allBloat
Swelling of the abdomen by abnormal accumulation of gas from food fermentation in the rumen and often results in poor ruminating activity. is an over distention of the rumen with the gases of fermentation.

Intensively fed cattle typically have a high proportion of cereals in their diet, which quickly produces gas during digestion.³⁸ReferenceView allGalyean M. L. and Rivera J. D. 2003.
 ³⁹ReferenceView allWang Y., Majak W., McAllister T. A. 2012.

Cattle on these diets are not able to expel gas fast enough during rumination, due to the small quantity of long fiber in the diet.

The foamy substrate is comprised primarily of polysaccharidesGlossaryView allPolysaccharides
Succession of several sugars molecules. secreted by rumen bacteria and released from disrupted bacterial cells. This happens when large populations of bacteria die in a short period of time.

More efficient rumen fermentation means less energy is wasted as methane and also less protein is lost as ammonia.