anyone else get 'runner's tummy'?

[mckenzie]

I'm at the end of my tether. It happens to me just about everytime I run, regardless of my pre-run routine.

I've kept my own food diary and I cant find a common denominator. I usually eat porridge for breakfast and make sure I don't have any fruit for breakfast on running days. I always 'go' before a run, sometimes twice but still, I will need to go at least once during a run, if not more. And sometimes the urgency to go is scary and I have, once or twice, been caught out .

I took some Imodium this morning to see if that would do the trick as i was planning a long run but two miles into it, I felt awful (coincidence or the Imodium??) and had to cut if short but I still need to use the 'toilet' while I was out.

My friends (the few who know all this) say i should write a book about local runs with toilet stops on them, those with plumbing and those without but .

Anyone have any tips of things that have worked for them?

TIA

Sorry, no tips but just wanted to say you are not alone!

When I was running (am currently 22 weeks pg so am not at the mo) this used to happen to me all the time. I had to frequently pop in to pubs on the way to (ahem) use the facilities. The urge would ease off if I stopeed running and walked.

Don't take immodium though. It will just make you feel awful, but it sounds like you know this already.

Does the time of day make any difference?

You have my sympathies.

I have had terrible problems with this in the past, have to be really careful what I eat and drink....especially as I run off road, a long way from the nearest loo

Certain lucozade sports drinks set me off, the ones with caffeine in. Also more than one coffee before my morning run sets me off. I have to 'go' before I run aswell.

I have a very fixed running routine of toast with marmite and 1 coffee, wait 2 hours and run. This seems to work best but there are still times when I have to speed up to get back quickly

I must admit doing a bit more cycling recently I've thought how lovely it is not to have to worry about my bowels. It's only running that causes the problem.

thanks for your posts sb and doyou. At the moment I only get to run first thing in the morning so i cant answer the question about timing. I'll try to fit in an evening run asap to see if it makes any difference. Like you sb, I used to be able to stop or slow right down and get the urge under control but too often lately, that has not been possible. Pushing it seems to make it worse too (kicking up a big hill or just a bit of fartlek for instance). I have two runs that I've signed up for this year and I really want to get this under control before then if i can otherwise I'll have to pull out .

Like you doyou, cycling and swimming have no effect on me at all - it's all the running (my favourite of the 3 of course!)

Hi there,

I used to get this on longer runs but don't seem to get it so much anymore. Not the ideal scenario, especially when you're several miles into an early morning run and nowhere is open or you're in the middle of Hyde Park. Doesn't seem to trouble me so much any more though which is very helpful.

I think what probably causes it is two things - food/ drink you're having ad physiology/ running technique.

These are purely my guesses incidentally but they kind of make sense (well to me at least!)

On food, different people will be sensitive to different things. Obviously, many fruits probably aren't ideal. Personally, porridge isn't (ahem) great for me in this context if I'm going running - the low GI from the oats means that it's slowly absorbed which is great for energy but not so great for me in terms of being able to digest it successfully. Plain brown toast with butter and bananas works for me. Bananas tend to have the opposite effect and are obviously useful in delivering energy whilst the toast delivers energy over a longer period.

On drinks, have always relied on Lucozade Sport but with drinks it's probably a question of trial and error. I'd be kind of inclined to avoid caffeine based drinks though as (a) they're more likely to irritate the stomach and (b) are designed for rapid fluid absorption/ high intensity exercise rather than longer runs.

On physiology, it feels like the problem kicks in due to the use of your core muscles (mainly stomach) in running - using these repeatedly, as you do in running, puts more pressure on them and seems to tense muscles in the general vicinity (just trying tensing your stomach muscles right now and see how your feel anywhere else!) The more you're using them, the more likely it is you'll feel the need to go to the toilet and which is why things like fartlek and hill running (in which you use the core muscles more) makes it worse.

Couple of things you could do off the top of my mind. Firstly, work on strengthening your core muscles outside of running (e.g. sit-ups, exercise ball etc). Secondly, try and adjust your running technique so you're using the core muscles less - e.g. kick through more, keep your feet gliding lower over the ground, try and mentally relax your core muscles unless you're driving your legs, like up a hill.

Not sure whether any of this is accurate of course, but seems to make sense and helped me a bit!

My DH had a recent issue of Men's Health - there was something in there about this I'm sure, just a mention. It was the issue which said 'lose your gut without the gym' on the cover. Don't know if it might be helpful?

it helped me (not doing long runs atm) to not eat anything for 2 hours before a long run and not drink anything one hour before. my guess is that at my most popular stretch every tenth dog pile was not actually from dogs...

Yes. Most times if I am out for more than an hour or so. But I run country routes so can dive behind a hedge.

thank you so much for all the extra posts .
Mousymouse - o tend to run at 9am straight after school drop off so I have usually eaten about 90 mins before running. I'll add eating even earlier to my list of things to try - thank you.
Soonose - I'll try and find that issue - thank you.
Cestlavie - I am going to try changing the porridge for toast and banana immediately. Re your other thoughts, very interesting. I have lower back problems (L3 and L4) and am currently having some individual pilates sessions to get my core as strong as possible to help my back. Perhaps once I have achieved greater core strength I will notice a difference. that's one huge incentive, you suggesting the link, to get me doing more pilates at home - thank you!

Many people have to move their bowels in thr morning, and it could simply be that that is your body's evacuation time. Be interesting to see whether evening runs have the same effect on you. Dh (he's the runner, not me) never starts a long run less than two hours after a meal, and alwYs tries to clear his system last thing before the run. Which is one reason why he doesn't do long runs in the morning. Even so, he has been caught short a few times. He takes water, energy gels and muesli bars along on the run. I think he prefers the muesli bars for fuel.

the thing is PC, I always 'go' before I set off for the run, sometimes twice.

I might try not eating at all beforehand but when I'm doing a 10-12 mile or so run, I'm not sure my body will be have enough energy to get me round comfortably. Guess I can but try!

wish me luck guys. I've swapped the porridge for toast (DS ate the last banana before I could grap it!) and I've eaten a good 2 and a half hours before I will run, in fact nearly three hours by the time I drop the dcs off and get going. And I did an extra session of pilates yesterday to help with the core strengthening.

Fingers crossed.

Let us know how you get on!

useless!! I went before I left home but had to use the hospital toilet which is barely 1 mile from my house! And go again twice more while we were out. The urgency wasn't quite the same though ( it was less urgent today) which is a positive.

If DH gets home at a reasonable time tonight I will try a short one tonight and see what happens then.

i have had this a few times when running but not every time. although most of the time if i am ok during the run, within 5 mins of being home i need to run to the loo with stomach pains.

i thought it might be something to do with my stomach muscles contracting or something?

Really common - most likely explanation I've read is that the motion of running aggravates the lining of the colon in a way that no other exercise does.

Bananas seem good for me and also (hate to say this) cutting out chocolate ....

I suffer from this issue too. Find running in the evening much better than in the morning. Immodium actually works very well for me, so I always take that for runs of more than >15 miles.

immodium here too. I also tend to run on an empty stomach - first thing in the morning. or on something white and stodgy - bagel is my favourite. I avoid caffeine like the plague. I also find, if I may so say, that chilling out about it helps. I used to get in a right fluster. but I'm kind of resigned to it now. if it happens it happens. I can find a loo, (or, like orm, a bush if needs be - I'm a rural runner) or just stop. it's not the end of the world and I'm not going to let it stop me running. I have heard that gps can prescribe something similar in effect to immodium - but different. However I'm also told that lots of gps are unaware of it - so you'd be best googling/researching and going to the gp armed with your suggestion. (sorry I can't remember what it's called)

I nearly gave up running due to this issue. Lets just say I can be quite reserved about going to the toilet, and the first time it struck and I had to poo in a hedge and I was mortified . As my mileage increased the problem did get worse particularly as my pace increased.

For me I have found the following:

running in the morning is much better than the evening and I have to go before I set off (no help to you though)

running regularly helps - if I run everyday the problem doesnt seem to occur as often. If I have a break of two days I know the next time I run I will have trouble.

I avoid tea/coffee before a run and dairy.

Apart from that there is often very little rhyme or reason to it. I have learned to put up with it and managed to train for and run the London Marathon this year (for which I did take Immodium which helped). Yes I have pooed in public more times than I care to think about, but it is quite liberating . I also live in a rural area which obviously helps. If you look at the Runners World forums there are plenty of people who suffer, so you are most definitely not alone.

I hope you manage to find your triggers - good luck x