The workout your gut ruins

You've carved out 45 minutes to exercise, made it out the door, and then your stomach demands an urgent toilet trip.

It happens to elite athletes too

Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk had a bowel accident mid-race at HYROX Beijing but kept competing and won.

Blood flow diverts from your gut

During hard exercise, blood moves away from your digestive system to working muscles. Add running impact, dehydration and nerves, and you get urgent bowel problems.

“When you're exercising hard, blood flow is diverted away from the gut towards the working muscles”

Don't just skip eating

Going into a workout on empty seems logical, but you need carbs to maximize glycogen stores. Choose carb sources you already know you tolerate.

“You also have to balance this against fuelling properly.”

Know your trigger foods

For people prone to diarrhea, reducing high-FODMAP foods for 48 hours before a race can help. FODMAPs are carbs that aren't fully absorbed and can cause urgency.

Sports gels aren't always gut-friendly

Running gels and electrolyte drinks can contain high-FODMAP ingredients or sugar alcohols. Just because it's marketed for sport doesn't mean your gut will tolerate it.

“Just because something is marketed for sport doesn't mean your gut will tolerate it.”

Practice your pre-workout routine

Nerves can alter gut motility and cause multiple pre-race toilet trips. Rehearse the same breakfast, timings and fluids during training to help your gut adapt.

“And we need to train the gut-brain axis as well as the muscles.”

When to see a doctor

Severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea need medical assessment. Endurance exercise can cause ischaemic colitis, where reduced blood flow inflames the colon.

Fuel smart, not less

The goal is to fuel your performance with enough carbs while choosing foods and drinks your gut has already proven it can handle.

“The goal is to fuel the performance without unnecessarily challenging the gut.”