Gastrointestinal Issue During Runs

[TKD2014]

Hello,

I am relately new to running or at least very new to running in actual races. I ran quite a bit during my 20s but never ran in any races, for me it was more about keeping fit rather then for competition. Recently I joined Taekwondo and it has gotten me back into shape and I have picked up running again. I decided to run in my 1st race and ran in the 5K Army Run in Ottawa and finished with a time of 23:57 min.

I would like to continue training and have increased my daily runs to 8-10k. My runs are going well but my only consistent issue I have been having is my stomach (I.e. gastrointestinal issues). I have been doing some reading online and it seems like this is a common problem but more for long distance runners. Normally I run over my lunch hour and eat a snack mid morning (about 2 hrs) prior to my run. My snacks consist of fruit (banana or orange, or an apple).

I figure the issue must be diet and what I am eating prior to my runs. Does anybody have some advice on what I should be eating prior to running?

Thanks so much.

[Ken B]

I have talked to many people about this and have received many, many responses. For me, I use "Breakfast Essentials " powder mixed with chocolate milk at least 30 minutes before running. I personally cannot manage any solid food before long training runs or races. Good luck.

[RayMan.2]

I knew a guy back in my army days who chewed tobacco, and he would have intense GI problems on our morning runs. If you chew tobacco, cut that out.

Other factors that I know of are coffee. If you are having GI runs, perhaps have a coffee 1-2 hours before to "jump start" the whole problem and clean things out.

Hope things turn out okay!

[n_fraser]

When I train for a half or full, I get up early enough in the morning to have a coffee and um for things to "happen". That is the only solution for me.

Be careful what you eat the night before - I find anything really heavy, fatty, etc may make me more likely to have to #2 in the morning on a run.

[bnn]

Banana is probably fine but other fruits might not be the best option before a run. I dunno. I've always had this problem.. usually for me would set in at about the 30 min of running mark and then just "panic!". You could start a food journal and log what you ate (even what you eat the day before can cause issues as pointed out above) and how you felt on your run.

Doing races for me always made the GI issues worse as well because I have a nervous stomach. Sometimes I would have to go into a race without any solid foods for about 8 hours and also immodium is my friend.

[purdy65]

A lot of dealing with this comes with experience.

After so many races and training cycles, I know exactly what I can and can't eat - and that might not be the same as what you can tolerate. I know when I've violated that (which I never do before a race!), I adjust my pace/route. I have my 13K route which passes 3 Tims, 2 McDonalds, 1 Starbucks - you get the idea.

My pre-race rules:

No dairy 12 hours before race:
Lower fiber, easily digestible foods before races - pasta with plain sauce, white rice and grilled chicken are always good for me.

Eat early and not too much.

I have a few rules for regular training runs too:

I'm a morning runner - I don't eat after dinner - that is asking for trouble.
Coffee works!
Do a little loop to see how your stomach is settled. Once you feel it is OK, you can venture off on your main run.

Most of all, this is very common. It's a matter of learning the foods and timing that work.

[Jogger Barbie]

Like others have said, it's very much an individual thing that you will end up figuring out based on your own experience. FWIW, I have a very touchy digestive system, and some of the things that work for me are the same as Lisa: low fiber, no eating after dinner if I'm running in the morning. Even if it's "only" 10 km. For long runs, I get up early and have breakfast at least two hours before, and it's not much breakfast. If I'm running in the evening (around 6:30), I don't eat much during the day and I don't eat anything after about 2:30 except maybe a candy or a bit of chocolate. For races, I control my eating very strictly for several days before.

Also, I find that the faster the race or training run, the more likely that there will be GI issues. So maybe think about whether your issues are coinciding with your more intense workouts, and maybe step back a bit and then build up more intensity?

[TKD2014]

Fantastic, thank you so much for all the feedback. It is so good to hear that this is a fairly common issue.

Today, I ran shortly after noon (after going to the washroom) and only had breakfast in the morning (7:30 am - no snack before the run). I completed a 9.5K and it was great - my best run in weeks.

I didn't realize that what you had the day before may also impact the run the following day - so this is good to keep in mind. As well, it makes sense but I didn't know that the increase in intensity of a workout may cause GI issues.

Thank you again.

Oh yes - and the coffee does help as well.