BALANCE

Gastric distress is no laughing matter; the threat of needing the loo while out and about can be a dealbreaker for runners. Here’s how to manage symptoms and run without worry

Words Laura Hilton

The anxiety about needing to poo while out on a run will be familiar to many readers. We’ve all had that sinking feeling at one time or another and wondered if we’ll get to a loo in time. And we all remember the unwanted media attention that came Paula Radcliffe’s way when she was caught short. Consequently, lots of us worry about what to eat or drink before a run, and try to plan routes where a toilet is never too far away. It’s also thought that between 30 and 50 per cent of runners experience symptoms of gastric distress (the posh term for runners’ trots), and for some the worry is so great that it puts them off taking part in events they would otherwise have entered.

Here’s our guide to runners’ trots and how to avoid them in the future.

Trots while trotting

There are several things known to contribute to runners’ trots. First of all, let’s think about the physiological triggers caused by running: the physical jolting when you run shakes the gut around and can wreak havoc on those with sensitive guts. Also, while running, your blood rushes to the parts of your body that are keeping it functioning - primarily the muscles of the lower body and the heart and lungs - and that means that energy is diverted away from the digestive system. As a result, the gut is no longer moving in the steady way it would during rest.

In ancient times, we ran to escape danger, such as sabre-toothed tigers and other immediate threats to our lives. At times like those, moving quickly was the no. 1 priority and our bodies pulled out all the stops to escape and save ourselves. Maybe there’s a link between pooing when we run because our bodies are trying to make us lighter so we can get away from danger faster.