Asking For A Friend: Why do I always need to poo while running?
Asking For A Friend is the series where we answer the questions you don’t want to ask.
Picture this: you’re 20 minutes into your weekly long run, excited to polish off another week of successfully sticking to your plan. Then it hits you.
Your tummy does a somersault and you find yourself racking your brain for the nearest public loo.
Been there? You’re not alone. Apparently between 20 and 50% of runners experience what’s known as ‘runner’s trot,’ AKA the strong urge to poop during or right after a run.
‘For high intensity runners we know gastro-intestinal complaints are common,’ registered nutritionist and founder of Goodness Me Nutrition Anna Mapson tells Metro.co.uk.
‘One study found 93% of runners in an ultramarathon had some digestive issues, and 45% had serious symptoms.’
But even those who don’t have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or any other recurring issues with their gut can experience runner’s trot, so what is it about running that gets things moving so quickly?
The research seems to indicate high intensity exercise can lead to a more ‘leaky gut’,’ says Anna.
‘It’s thought that the blood rushing away from the digestive system and towards the skeletal muscles has an impact on the gut,’ she says.
She goes on to explain that some of the enzymes our bodies produce during exercise cause our gut to essentially loosen.
‘This leads to an increase in toxins, called Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), entering the blood,’ Anna explains.
Increased adrenaline may also speed up the need to empty our bowels, as could the regular movement of running, which causes our bowels to move around inside the body.
The good news is, needing to poop while running is completely normal, and there are some things you can do to try to combat runner’s trot.
How to avoid runners trot
- Your digestion may be more sensitive after eating, so try running in the morning on an empty stomach
- Alternatively, some people find their IBS is worse in the morning, and may be better with a run after work or at lunchtime
- Keep a food diary to see what you’ve been eating before you get the symptoms
- Check on any endurance products you use, like energy drinks or bars, because these can include artificial sweeteners which may irritate people with a sensitive digestion
- Build up your fitness slowly – you may need to reduce the intensity of exercise sessions a bit and build up incrementally
Anna Mapson, registered nutritionist and founder of Goodness Me Nutrition
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