New Study on GI Complaints in Runners
Every runner is familiar with the various forms of gastrointestinal distress that sometimes occur during runs--especially races. The most common ones are nausea, sloshing, bloating, general discomfort and the need to find a toilet quick. But just how often do such problems occur?
Researchers from a Dutch hospital recently sought an answer to this question. They sent a questionnaire to participants in a recreational running event and received 1,281 responses. Nearly half (45 percent) of them reported experiencing at least one GI complaint during the run. More than one in 10 had a "serious" issue. Three runners were unable to complete the event due to GI distress. Runners who were not accustomed to drinking fluid while running were moe likely to encounter problems. Younger runners had more symptoms than older runners and women had more than men.
The authors of the study concluded that many of the types of problems reported were consistent with GI ischemia, or interruption of blood and oxygen supply to the GI track. They also observed evidence that some runners are more physiologically predisposed than others to GI distress during running. The study was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. |
