Somewhere between the fiber-free energy bars, mid-race port-o-potty lines, and marathon signs that read, “One more mile until you can poop!” one thing becomes clear: Running gives you the runs.
But why? For one, it gets your blood flowing fast, says exercise physiologist Greg Justice, founder of AYC Health & Fitness in Kansas City. “By increasing your breathing and heart rate, running helps to stimulate the natural contraction of intestinal muscles that contract to efficiently help move stools out quickly.” What’s more, if you’re going on a long run, it does this for an extended period of time—after all, a quick sprint won’t give you the squirts.
When your body is in a hurry to get blood—and its oxygen—to the muscles that need it, it also reroutes blood away from your intestines, speeding up how quickly food makes its way through your gut and increasing your risk of diarrhea, according to Shawn Khodadadian, M.D., a gastroenterologist with Manhattan Gastroenterology in New York City. Plus, running changes the levels of digestion-promoting hormones circulating through your gut, further speeding things up.
Meanwhile, stress over your longest-ever long run or a competition can spur the release of cortisol and adrenaline, says Albert Matheny, R.D., an exercise physiologist, trainer, and nutrition coach at Soho Strength Lab in New York City. Enter, nervous stomach.
A photo posted by Stacy. Jax's mom. Runner. (@stacy_stace_stay) on Nov 11, 2013 at 4:05pm PST
RELATED: 101 Greatest Running Tips
All of that holds true for any endurance exercise: The longer your blood is pumping (and away from your heart), the longer your body is exposed to prime poo-producing conditions. But running in particular holds a special place in our bathrooms, says Justice. Why? Because it literally shakes the crap out of you.
“The two issues you’re dealing with while you’re running are gravity and changes in blood flow to the digestive system,” he says. “When you run, you’re jostling the lower intestines, which produces rapid movement of fecal material down the descending colon toward the rectum. The pounding motion has an effect on the descending colon that is much like hitting the bottom of a bottle of ketchup, forcing everything toward the exit.”
Before we leave you to reflect on that image, it is good to know that there are some ways to eliminate the need to eliminate during your runs.
Caffeine, dairy, high-fiber foods, and liquids all promote digestion, making nature more likely to call mid-run, says Justice. Now, while that’s no excuse to lay off the liquids—they are vital to fueling your runs and preventing dehydration—you may want to avoid big meals within three hours of a long run, says Khodadadian. And the night before a race, Justice recommends limiting or altogether cutting your intake of caffeine, dairy, and fiber. That's why, when you carbo-load, you should opt for simple carbs rather than fiber-filled complex ones like whole grains. If you are especially sensitive to these digestion-revving foods, you may want to taper your intake of them up to a week before race day. Matheny also suggests trying to go number two before heading out on any long runs.
A photo posted by tina (@fitnhappi) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:07am PST
RELATED: The 9 Must-Know Rules of Carbo-Loading
You also should pay attention to your race-day fuel plan. Many energy gel packs contain caffeine, which increases gut contractions to make you have to go, like, now, says Khodadadian. However, since caffeine can give you the extra oomph you need to fend off mid-run fatigue, you should play with how much you do or don’t consume before race day to find the right balance for your body.
Follow these tips, and your feet will hopefully be the only thing doing the running.
RELATED: 8 Reasons Why You Can't Poop—And How to Fix That
Powered by WPeMatico
No comments:
Post a Comment