The Sprightly Spud

According to my Instagram feed, every influencer and their pet tortoise has taken up running in 2024. Social media is stacked full of hacks, hints and tips to optimise your running journey. With people setting goals from their first 5km, to 7th ultramarathon, running is certainly in the spotlight this year. Despite this, there is one less glamorous element of this fantastic and inclusive fitness frenzy, that no one seems to be talking about…

Runner’s tummy.

Whether it presents as cramping, diarrhoea, lower abdominal pain or even vomiting, the affliction is an endurance athlete’s worst enemy.

I am, if I do say so myself, a weapon of aerobic fitness. My legs and lungs could run for days on end. My bowels, on the other hand, cannot make it 10km without forcing me to squat down on the side of the road.

This may seem overdramatic, but if you are lucky enough never have experienced this affliction, then you are unlikely to understand the urgency.

On countless occasions I have been happily plodding along, heart rate floating blissfully around 140bpm, when all of a sudden, upon hitting mile 5, I hear an ominous gurgle.

“It’s just wind,” I desperately mutter under my breath, but my manifestation proves futile. A mild ache becomes a veritable burning, and before I know it I’m waddling as fast as humanly possible to the closest pile of shrubs. Praying there is no passing traffic on its way, I explode.

Apologies for the graphic description, but this is an issue that needs a moment in the spotlight. If, like me, you suffer from runner’s tummy, you are not alone.

So what causes this unfortunate… looseness?

1. Food

Despite scouring multiple, seemingly reliable, internet sources, I wasn’t able to pin down one specific cause for the condition. The general consensus is that what, and when you eat prior to training, is likely to have an impact on whether, and how much, you suffer. Its common knowledge that pre run nutrition is an individual, and complicated situation. Time of day, personal taste preferences and the sturdiness of your guts all play a role in how you choose to fuel. Regardless, it is generally advisable to hit the carbs before you hit the treadmill but avoid heavy meals. If you’ve ever had a carvery shortly before a session, it would be mighty impressive if you didn’t at least get a stitch. For some runners, this basic rule may be enough to avoid being plagued by runner’s tummy, however for those of us with more sensitive bowels, it may be worth considering the composition of any pre training snack a bit more carefully…

The three hardest nutrients for the body to digest are fibre, fat and protein. These take longer to break down in the stomach, so when you are jogging along, tunes pumping in your ears, your lunch is bouncing up and down with you, hence why you may be experiencing some toilet trouble.

Furthermore, if the body is focussing on powering through five minute kms, it can’t divert as much blood to the stomach. This ‘Ischaemia’ results in an even slower digestive process, and more painful wind and bloating.

Consequently, although your instagram-worthy lunch of wholemeal toast, avocado, eggs and a colourful little salad may be extremely nutritious, the fats in the avocado, protein in the eggs, and fibre in the toast and veggies, may be putting you on a path to gastrointestinal distress.

Therefore, if your pre workout fuel is looking a bit too balanced, try swapping out the veggies for some white bread and honey, and save the lettuce for later.

Additionally, most sites recommend avoiding a main meal in the two hours before you run, and opting for a light snack (eg. A banana or a few sweets) to boost your glycogen stores in the 30 to 60 minutes before you head out.

2. Dehydration

“But I haven’t even eaten yet!”, wails the 6am runner in desperation. That may be the case, but have you had any water since yesterday?

The ‘Sports Dieticians of Australia’ suggest that dehydration can lead to increased risk of cramps, nausea and diarrhoea, as when you run, you sweat, and therefore lose fluids. Water is essential to normal bodily function, regulation of body temperature, and lubrication of joints. This makes it a vital component of any pre run ritual.

So, have a glass of that stuff from the tap before you head out – it could make your run a whole lot more enjoyable.

4. Coffee

I’m certainly guilty of stumbling straight down the stairs to the coffee machine as soon as I wake up. But, if you’re noticing an urgent need to poo whilst exercising, it could be worth switching up your routine a little…

Caffeine can be a brilliant tool in keeping things regular, providing a boost of energy, and providing an incentive to get out of bed. However, as well as stimulating the brain, coffee can stimulate the muscles in the colon too – hence the urgent need to poo. The net effect is that a decaf beverage, or allowing adequate time for things to ‘get moving’, between coffee time and run time, might help to prevent the trots.

Sorry.

5. Sports drinks

A source of highly concentrated, easily digestible carbs may seem like a fab just before heading out on a run, and whilst this is true, hypertonic drinks may do you more harm than good. Often containing more than 80 grams of carbs per litre, have a higher concentration of solutes than blood plasma. The consequence of this is that they draw water into the gut, leading to dehydration, diarrhoea and cramping. Fruit juices and energy drinks all fall into this hypertonic category, meaning refreshments like gatorade may be better reserved for a post workout pick-me-up.

Isotonic drinks (like Lucozade Sport), however, have around 6-8% concentration of carbs, putting them on par with blood plasma, so may be safe. This said, there may be another barrier in your quest for a suitable refreshment… Although ‘zero calorie’ isotonic drinks may seem like an ideal hydration strategy for the runner watching their intake, the sweeteners (such as sucralose and aspartame) they contain are notorious for triggering gut issues, even when not combined with the mechanical movement of jogging.

Interestingly, the energy gels that adorn the shelves of any sports store may prove equally as risky. Some endurance runners and triathletes swear by them, yet any that I’ve tried have triggered excruciating stomach pain, and a subsequent episode of somewhat dramatic diarrhoea. Its likely that this is due to them containing extremely concentrated sources of carbs, that my poor little tummy just couldn’t cope with.

Different brands of gels do have different compositions, so if you are searching for a convenient source of intra-workout fuel, then its worth shopping around. Some athletes are even able to tolerate gels containing caffeine, however trial and error lead me to a slightly less technical sugar source for my endurance races:

A good old pack of Fruitella.

Put simply, sports drinks and gels may seem like an ideal accompaniment to your training, but these cocktails of carbs, caffeine and artificial sweeteners could potentially lead to disaster.

6. Anxiety

No matter how much joy you find in running, a 32km long run on your training program is likely to precipitate at least some anxiety, and a few trips to the loo as a result.

The ‘gut – brain axis’, or the link between the brain and the bowels, could offer some explanation for your trotty botty. The hormones and chemicals released into the bloodstream when we feel nervous, interfere with the digestive tract, and may even damage the gut flora in the long term.

What’s more, if runner’s gut is a frequent occurrence on your outings, you may begin to feel worried about needing the toilet on your long runs. The result: a self – fulfilling poopy prophecy.

Intriguingly, the euphoric ‘runner’s high’ many of us experience after a jog, could be contributing to issues down below. The sensation is a result of cortisol production, which may also cause gut inflammation and – you guessed it – bloating, gas, pain and diarrhoea.

7. Prior conditions

Unfortunately, sufferers of conditions like Coeliac disease, crones, colitis, or IBS, are even more prone to runner’s tummy. The repetitive bouncing, dehydration, and diversion of blood from the digestive system, will likely prove even more problematic for anyone battling an existing condition.

To Summarise

Runner’s tummy is not an affliction to be overlooked. It can be painful, embarrassing, and may even lead to talented athletes quitting the sport. Regrettably, there isn’t one explanation for, or one solution to this grievance, yet taking small steps may help to alleviate at least some instances of the runs;

1. Stick to simple carbs

2. Try not to stress

3. Hydrate before you caffeinate

Most importantly, always remember that hot girls have stomach issues too.

Runner’s Gut