Is permanent gut distention possible?

[big in vegas]

Yes, I think a certain amount of my abdominal volume could be internal core muscles developing. The last 3 years I've done a lot more dead lifting, bent over rows and squats and I don't use a belt so I rely on keeping my core tight internally to keep my back strong. Back in the days when my gut was a lot smaller I used a belt, but my back is a lot stronger these days.

I took 5 months off lifting this year and I lost a few inches on my gut. Perhaps the muscles shrank because I wasn't on a diet.

Yea, I don't think it's permanant as far as the worst staying around forever. I do think that you'll always have a gut after the distention, but I think if someone completely quit lifting, they'd notice a difference. But if someone is going to try to continuously try to get bigger, this will also get bigger. I think at some point it's gotta be the nature of the beast

 

[Jpotch]

I agree that it is some visceral fat and that its also core muscle. However consider that in the treatment of short bowel syndrome and in patients who undergo a small bowel resection part of the care for these people includes GH injections for 4 weeks at ~3IUs /day (varies slightly w body size).
These people experience poor nutrition due to diarrhea and lack of absorption in their intestines. The GH is given to them at this relatively moderate dose in order to thicken the intestinal walls allowing for better nutritional absorption.
This is fairly well described in some medical journals but i could only find one article online that briefly discusses this (emedicine.com search for treatment of short bowel syndrome).

 

[big in vegas]

That's some good info in that journal article