Runner's diarrhea, intestinal problems and abdominal cramps - causes and prevention

Do you ever tend to "bounce" very often before the start or during training or a race? Then the culprit may not only be nervousness , but also an inappropriate composition of your pre-race or pre-training diet.

Runner's diarrhea - main causes

1. Improper pre-race diet: heavy and fatty food, especially with a lot of hard-to-digest protein, can cause intestinal problems before a race.
2. Sugar alcohols (polyols): sweeteners such as maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, etc., contained in “protein” foods, can have laxative effects, especially in people with more sensitive digestion. These include protein bars, protein “nut” spreads, or sports gels.
3. Artificial ingredients and sweeteners: Pre-race consumption of products with artificial sweeteners and ingredients, such as energy shots, magnesium shots or isotonic drinks, can cause intestinal discomfort, especially if a person is not used to these products. The caffeine in energy shots helps to release the hormone gastrin. Gastrin increases intestinal peristalsis, thus speeding up emptying. This, combined with exercise, which also stimulates peristalsis, may not be the most pleasant experience.

Recommendations for competitors

It is important not to experiment with new foods before the race and stick to a proven diet (eat as you would any other day). We recommend eating clean, minimally processed foods and avoiding artificial substitutes and sweeteners . If you have a really acute case of diarrhea - choose the product SmectaGo. Take one dose 30 minutes before the start and take the second with you to the track - if you are running a marathon or half marathon and use as needed. We can recommend based on our own experience.

If you ate a heavy , fatty meal the night before the race with a lot of hard-to-digest protein (e.g. red meat), then you may not be feeling light on the morning of the race, not to mention you probably didn't get a good night's sleep. However, if you've tried to stick to easily digestible foods the day before the race, as well as breakfast, you need to ask yourself what's causing your gut discomfort .

Source: www.canva.com

Runner's diarrhea before a race

Sugar alcohols may be the culprit. These are the so-called polyols that are used as sweeteners in many protein foods. These include maltitol , xylitol , sorbitol, and others. The back of the product packaging states by law that “excessive consumption may cause laxative effects.” However, some people may be more sensitive to their consumption than others, and only a small amount is needed to have an adverse effect.

Examples include protein nut spreads, protein bars, etc. In order to reduce energy value and costs, manufacturers replace nuts and other ingredients in a certain amount with, for example, malitol . If you indulge in a larger portion of such a spread, for example in your pre-race oatmeal, you may be unpleasantly surprised by the laxative effects . The same applies to various sports gels containing polyalcohols .

Have you ever wondered why there are such long lines at the toilets before a race?

In addition, many runners happily reach for so-called energy shots , magnesium shots , isotonic drinks , etc. before the start, which contain other artificial ingredients and sweeteners such as sucralose, acesulfam K, aspartame, etc. One thing is the fact that if you are not used to consuming these products for a long time, there is a greater likelihood that they simply will not suit you.

It is also necessary to put into perspective the fact that, for example, magnesium shots , energy shots , isotonic drinks and other similar products that you consume just before the start will not have any positive effect on your race result - they will only burden your stomach and in many cases cause the notorious running cramps in your stomach and force you to find the nearest toilet .

Many runners know that running speeds up bowel movements . The reasons why you can sweat a lot during a race due to bowel movements are often a combination of an inappropriate pre-race diet and exercise, which speeds up peristalsis. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to its correct composition and quantity. Never experiment before a race, have all foods, supplements and drinks tested from training beforehand.

Tips from experience:

1. If you are really going to run a race just for fun and you haven't trained with dietary supplements sufficiently in advance, we recommend skipping them altogether - you will save a lot of money and your digestion will thank you.
2. We recommend eating “clean” foods that are as little processed as possible. Avoid artificial sweeteners and fillers. On behalf of our team, we can recommend that you try some of our nut butters, which contain only natural ingredients. We have tested the consumption of our nut butters on race day - they are easily digestible and provide the necessary energy .

Resources:

1. Jeukendrup, A. E. (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine , 44(1), 25-33.
2. Burke, LM, & Maughan, RJ (Eds.). (2015). Sports Nutrition: More Than Just Calories - Triggers for Adaptation.
3. de Oliveira, EP, Burini, RC, & Jeukendrup, A. (2014). Gastrointestinal complaints during exercise: prevalence, etiology, and nutritional recommendations. Sports Medicine , 44(1), 79-85.