Strategies for Runners Trots
Author: Dr. Mollie Brennan, Naturopathic Doctor
Gastrointestinal issues in runners can happen in any endurance sport. It is more prevalent in longer distance running. Signs are stomach pain, diarrhea, or the urge to have a bowel movement during or after your run.
Causes
In longer running sessions like 1/2 marathons to ultra marathons common causes are dehydration, or too much heat causing lack of blood flow to the intestines (think running on a hot day). The vibration that running causes can also affect your gut motility. The final reason is what you are eating, which is something that you have control over and can experiment with!
Strategies to try 3+ hours before the next run:
Avoid high fibre meals the night before and day of the run. ie. beans, legumes, popcorn, oatmeal. This could be done 1-3 days before a race depending on gut transit time.
Avoid high fructose foods as a single-item snack, ie. apples, dried fruit, fruit bars (Larabar). Fructose is the main carbohydrate in fruits, so try to combine fruit with another carb source like nuts, rice cakes, granola, etc. Confused about different carbohydrate sources? Book a naturopathic appointment!
Avoid NSAID pain medications as they can restrict blood flow in the digestive tract. These drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
Are you tired of running to the porta potty during your race? In the end, every body is different and experimenting before race day is key. Book a naturopathic appointment to come up with strategies specific to your needs.
Reference:
1) Scrivin R, Costa RJS, Pelly F, Lis D, Slater G. An exploratory study of the management strategies reported by endurance athletes with exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms. Front Nutr. 2022 Nov 9;9:1003445. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1003445.
