What does anyone eat before running? Its like I eat laxatives..

IrishJack89

I have been running for the last number of months and no matter what I always seem to have to use the toilet half way into my run. I always do my jogging in the morning. I wonder is it because I eat alot of fruit and veg or is it the weetabix I have about an hour/hour and a half before my run? Is there anything I should eat instead?

nellocono

My friend suffers bad from this or at least used to. Try eating 3hours before ur run. Stay away from dairy as this causes rumblings. Dry toast works well. You may need to experiment with porridge tho it can be hit or miss...

Not sure about the fruit but id go without it before runs for a while and see how goes. Also avoid caffeine, either tea or coffee

tang1

Everyone is different, i have weetabix, banana & coffee normally before a race and have no issues. Have it good 2 hours before race. On normal training day its weetabix. Alot of people say avoid dairy but it doesn't affect me. Try few different things out till you find what works. Some people just have banana before a morning run and have no issues.

upthe19th

Had the same problem OP. Running couple of months too.

Do a lot of my running in the morning too. I used to go for the run with nothing all to eat and after eating after the run I would need to go badly. But as my sessions got longer, I felt I needed to get something into me before the run, same problem again. I was eating some weetabix mixed with some muesli. Sometimes I would take a gel and water if I did not have time but it made me feel sick sometimes.

I could only describe it as feeling like I had overloaded my stomach after fasting all night.

I started to have a banana and 2 slices of toast with honey, before the run and that solved the problem for me. I obviously needed something light that would not overload the stomach when I exerted myself.

I will be going back to the toast, honey and banana when I am recovered fully from surgery in another 2-3 weeks.

I hope this helps. I feel your pain. Good luck with it. Let us know if you find a solution.:)

henryporter

Only normally eat before the LSRs - two weetabix, cup of coffee and slice of toast does the trick. If I didn't have something I'd be absolutely shattered by the end of it.

RayCun

It takes about an hour for your digestive system to kick in in the morning, or for some people it's their first cup of coffee. Eat, wait, eliminate the problem, and then run.
(Or if its a shortish run, eat when you get back)

dahat

Coffee with a banana and the yesterdays paper work for me.........

Racing days are different,usualy nothing for 3 ish hours before it.......

IrishJack89

Ya I thought it might have been the fruit and protein shakes that I have before bed but maybe I shud try and go without the weetabix and see how it goes. Its an incredible annoyance though, makes the run far more difficult and unejoyable. My runs to date have never been anymore then 9km so I could probably go without the weetabix.

Pasta. Washed down with lots of water. At least 2 hours before. That means pasta for breakfast on occasion, but kinda use to it now! Eating a bowl of cold pasta in a hotel at 6 am before the DCM was a lonely experience. Have tried other breakfasts, eggs, toast...and then start thinking too much about whether I'll have enough, so have gone back to pasta. If I'm doing a lsr any evening, I'll have pasta that day. Probably a bit of overkill, but have settled into that routine.

marchino

Has anyone tried a Food allergy test (ie gluten intolerant ect.)?
I was like the op but my stomach has settled/ gotten use to the daily grind a bit more now.

However now and again i get the same problem during and after running and more regular lately.
Basically everthing i eat i have to go (between running).
Is this a case of an exceptional digestive system or an irritated bowel.?

Also Non stop fleming/clear sticky Mucus. everything i eat i cough/HACK UP and running aggrivates it?
REALLY UNATTRACTIVE TOO.
Have soya milk in my poridge and hunny and dont eat much cheese.
Anyone else have similar experiences as above and any soloutions/advise for these..??
Thanks.

RayCun

IrishJack89 wrote: »

Ya I thought it might have been the fruit and protein shakes that I have before bed

I'll bet they don't help. Fruit goes right through you.

The best thing to do is experiment. Try not eating before the run. Try eating that morning, but not having the shake the night before. Try eating something different for breakfast. Find what works for you.

aburke

Try running on an empty stomach.
I used to get bad stitches, so I stopped eating 4 hours before a run.
Unless you have zero fat reserves, you'll be fine.
I train in the mornings now, and just get up and head out the door.

I haven't done a marathon in a while now, but I used to get up at 3am to have porridge before a 9am run, but I don't even bother with that now. A good dinner, washed down with a coffee, does the trick for me.

theboyblunder

+1 Do a good bit in the mornings and always on empty.

Ive im going on an LSR id eat 3 hours before, and id have a coffee straight after breakfast too to help move things along

That will work

DustyBin

Did 15 miles early Saturday morning on half a glass of orange juice, took one gel after about 11 miles & probably didn't need it
Got breakfast when I came home, same every morning
Did 12 today same story except no gel
Might take a few bites of a banana or a slice of toast as the miles increase but that will be it
Bed to door about 10 mins - you don't need to eat much, and if you do keep it small so you don't have to hang around waiting for nature to take it's course

I find evening runs when I have to think about food much tougher to get through with stomach in one piece

rom

I take "slippery elm" from time to time. Just a table spoon in a cup of water stir a lot and down the hatch. Am finding the gluten in beer is bad for this.

walshb

IrishJack89 wrote: »

I have been running for the last number of months and no matter what I always seem to have to use the toilet half way into my run. I always do my jogging in the morning. I wonder is it because I eat alot of fruit and veg or is it the weetabix I have about an hour/hour and a half before my run? Is there anything I should eat instead?

I would say the dietary intake is very influential here. Fibre intense it seems, so no wonder you need to use the loo.

IrishJack89

Ya its all healthy I'm eatin, weetabix wud b my main source of fiber. I'll give a little 6km run a lash in the morning on an empty stomach and see how that pans out. Theres no way I'd b able 2 get up and wait 3 hours to run, I'd starve to death.

tunguska

I do my easy runs on an empty stomach. I read an article a while back about the lad who won the new york marathon in 2010 and how he does a lot of his running on empty. I'd post a link to the article but in light of recent developments Im gonna air on the side of caution. Anyway the theory is you run in a glycogen depleted state and train your body to burn fat. More relevant for marathon runners than 400m athletes. Although in doing speedwork you gotta have some juice in the tank and gels would be the way to go if you're having gastric problems.

IrishJack89

I ran 6k on empty this morning and had no problems, we might aim for 7k on saturday but a good start lol.

plodder

The other thing is, an empty stomach doesn't necessarily mean under-fuelled muscles. If you run in the mornings, but had a decent dinner the night before, you're probably fine. I think we're just conditioned to think it's a bad idea to exercise (or do anything) without having breakfast first thing.

tunguska

plodder wrote: »

The other thing is, an empty stomach doesn't necessarily mean under-fuelled muscles. If you run in the mornings, but had a decent dinner the night before, you're probably fine. I think we're just conditioned to think it's a bad idea to exercise (or do anything) without having breakfast first thing.

Yeah its very much a mental thing. When I tried it first I felt ropey but I think that was all in my head. Now I feel great running on empty, legs feel very light.

walshb

IrishJack89 wrote: »

Ya its all healthy I'm eatin, weetabix wud b my main source of fiber. I'll give a little 6km run a lash in the morning on an empty stomach and see how that pans out. Theres no way I'd b able 2 get up and wait 3 hours to run, I'd starve to death.

I usually run on an empty stomach if running in the morning. So, wake up, and 20 mins later I am on the road. You are right, no way I am waiting much longer than this. I find I mostly need to use the toilet within 45 mins of waking. If I do decide to eat, I will eat something light like cereal or fruit and will run 30 mins after this. Allow a wee bit of digestion.

jeffontour

I'm definitely moving away from having to have a breakfast before runs.

I do 6 or 7 easy km Monday through Friday on an empty stomach and the longest I've done with no breakfast was 5.5 hours last Sunday. Cup of coffee and out the door. If you're eating well in general and controling the intensity of the run so that it's not that hard you need very little during and immediately before the run.

It does take a leap in mindset however. But it's worth doing, especially if you were prone to getting up at all sorts of mad hours for porridge & pasta as some previous posters have said!

ultraman1

long in the morning...,have ur breakfast b4 you go to bed...

jeffontour

ultraman1 wrote: »

long in the morning...,have ur breakfast b4 you go to bed...

Good advice.

I remember you telling me of the horror you experienced at the Conn ultra when a well known runner had a bowel evacuation in your vicinity. I don't think he had his breakfast the night before, or if he did it must have been a curry and 12 pints.

SWL

How long does it take for your body to adjust to running on an empty stomach?
How long do the initial side effects (nausea, feeling ropey, light headed etc.) last?

jeffontour

SWL wrote: »

How long does it take for your body to adjust to running on an empty stomach?
How long do the initial side effects (nausea, feeling ropey, light headed etc.) last?

I think the key thing to do is ease into it, so only do so before easier efforts for shorter durations initially.

As you feel more comfortable increase the duration of runs and intensity as you can.