Controlling runners trots.Runner's trots or diarrhea on the run is a very common problem among long distance runners--30% to 60% have experienced it. Solving the problem can be a complex process of trial and error. Although what you eat and when you eat can clearly affect what happens when you run, it is important to realize that exercise, per se, stresses the gastrointestinal tract. Exercise may be the cause of both upper and lower GI symptoms such as nausea, bloating bloating Vox populi A lay term for post-prandial abdominal fullness or swelling , acid reflux, cramping, diarrhea, and even bleeding. If diarrhea on the run is a problem for you, here's a checklist of variables you can experiment with to try to tame your bowels. * Timing of your pre-exercise meal. Athletes are often advised to eat two to three hours prior to exercise to allow for adequate gastric emptying. * Type of food in your pre-exercise meal. Are you consuming too much fiber, fat, lactose, or fructose fructose (frŭk`tōs), levulose (lĕv`yəlōs'), or fruit sugar, simple sugar found in honey and in the fruit and other parts of plants. ? Would you tolerate a liquid pre-exercise meal better than solid foods? * Size of your pre-exercise meal. Experiment with changing the amount of food you consume prior to exercise. The volume of food can increase stool production. * Dehydration. Athletes are often hesitant to hydrate hydrate (hī`drāt), chemical compound that contains water. A common hydrate is the familiar blue vitriol, a crystalline form of cupric sulfate. Chemically, it is cupric sulfate pentahydrate, CuSO4·5H2O. before exercise because of worry about rest room breaks. Dehydration can increase the incidence of GI complaints. * Foods in your everyday diet. Identify what foods in your diet make the situation worse. Sometimes certain foods or can bother you more during a run. * Stress. Are you nervous about the race or run? Stress can worsen GI symptoms. * Sport beverages are not created equal. Make sure your beverage is a 6% carbohydrate solution for rapid absorption. Beverages with concentrations that exceed 8% take longer to be absorbed and can cause problems when consumed during exercise. In addition, fluids and other foods that contain simple carbs that are not digested well promote loose stools. Sorbitol sorbitol /sor·bi·tol/ (sor´bi-tol) a six-carbon sugar alcohol from a variety of fruits, found in lens deposits in diabetes mellitus. is an example of such a carbohydrate. It is common in apple juice and in some artificially sweetened sweet·en v. sweet·ened, sweet·en·ing, sweet·ens v.tr. 1. To make sweet or sweeter by adding sugar, honey, saccharin, or another sweet substance. 2. To make more pleasant or agreeable. gums. * Check with your doctor. You may have other health issues that are the cause of your GI symptoms such as hemorrhoids hemorrhoids (hĕm`əroidz) or piles, dilatations of the veins about the anus (external hemorrhoids) or those higher up inside it (internal hemorrhoids). , irritable bowel syndrome irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), condition characterized by frequently alternating constipation and diarrhea in the absence of any disease process. It is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, especially in the lower left quadrant, bloating, and flatulence. , or food allergies. Your physician will help identify other problems that may be causing your distress. (Sports Medicine, 1998, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 365-78) |
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