BM = BBM

Abide

Abide

Barefooters
May 13, 2010
3,327
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#1
Does a big meal = a big bowel movement in the morning for most people here?

I always run into a little problem and end up delaying my morning long runs to make sure I'm... good to go so to say, and was wondering if I should just eat a big meal at 6 the night before and not snack on anything else. Also I would assume it would come in handy for race day.

Any thoughts, advice or tips? Other than bring a roll of TP, the focus is on prevention rather than cleanup here.
 
#2
It is always a very good idea

It is always a very good idea to not eat big the night before the race.

You should be doing all your big eating days before the race/run and eat lightly the night prior the race/run to prevent the BBM you're talking about.

That is what Jeff Galloway says anyways.
 
#5
I love analyzing poo...  I

I love analyzing poo... :bigsmile:

I hate running when I have to poo, especially going downhill. My observation is that if I eat something along the lines of flax seeds/chia seeds/bran, etc. first thing in the morning, I "usually" have a "the big poo" within an hour. Coffee on an empty stomach, usually triggers it as well.
 
#6
I just learned the following

I just learned the following interesting fact, which is relevant for this discussion:

We don't feel hungry because our blood suger is low or our stomachs are empty. Rather, our bodies lower the blood sugar in anticipation of our usual mealtimes.

This means that at, say 12:30, you feel hungry because you always eat lunch at 12:30. Your body lowers your blood sugar beforehand (and releases leptin to the brain to trigger feeling hungry). It does so to minimize the insulin need in counteracting the "blood sugar flood" from the meal.

This is why when people fast, they have a couple of hard days, after which the body adjusts. Likewise, I know a former Olympic champion weight lifter who only eats one meal a day. He never feels hungry.

The above has been scientifically proven. Below is my speculation:

When I run an early morning race, I am faced with the dillemma: when do I eat? If the race starts at 8:00 am, well that is about my breakface time. But, if I eat less than 2 hours before a hard run, I get cramps (BM or not). Therefore, I usually have to get up at a ridiculously early hour, say 5:00 am, so that I can eat a small bowl of oatmeal and half a banana.

But, if the above science is true, then the strategy would seem to be: eat breakfast after the anticipated finish time (say 11:00) for the 1-2 weeks prior to the race. Then I can sleep in until 7:00 (or 7:59, depending on how fast I can make it to the start). My blood sugar will still be normal (since it thinks that I eat later). And, I could suck down some Goo just before the race for a bit of legal doping.

Added side-benefit: my bowels will stay quiet, too.

Cheers

Jamie
 
#7
I guess I just don't have to

I guess I just don't have to poo whenever I run. Usually I'm able to go before the run or I go after. Maybe I just haven't done long enough runs, but I've noticed over my 34 years as long as I'm busy I generally don't have to worry about number two. Number one on the other hand...... Not as bad as Mike or Jen, but I think that's just because I am willing to hold it. :bigsmile:
 
#8
We don't feel hungry because

We don't feel hungry because our blood sugar is low or our stomachs are empty. Rather, our bodies lower the blood sugar in anticipation of our usual mealtimes.

Paleo, yes, that fact makes sense, and I've heard that before. But wouldn't all three of these things contribute to hunger, together or separately?: blood sugar is low, stomachs are empty , and lower the blood sugar in anticipation. Not just the anticipation factor? I mean people who don't eat for a couple of days are hungry. People who don't eat for days on end are hungry. It's not just the anticipation of expecting food at that point. I would think the anticipation factor would play more for those of us who don't go hungry on a regular basis for periods of time.
 
#9
i eat my big meals from 8p

i eat my big meals from 8p on. i have no problems dropping a few times before i go out for a run. usually at least twice, sometimes three times. now i do many things that others won't even consider doing to make sure i'm regular and i still want to do more. :bigsmile:

now like Nick mentioned, i drink a lot of water so i sometimes have to find some trees.



oh, i have also trained for many years to run or workout before i eat breakfast.
 
#10
I'll tell you what. Don't eat

I'll tell you what. Don't eat an entire can of corn nuts. I did that once and it is like a brick that won't be molded. Pure pain.
 
#11
So I'm on day 3 of my new

So I'm on day 3 of my new diet of high fruits and veggies with small amounts of animal products and very little processed foods, if any. I've noticed a distinct change in my BM's. Not good, oh so not good. Lol! Hopefully it's just my body flushing itself out of all the bad toxins and what not. I almost had to come back early from my run today because of feeling like I had to. This is something that never happens to me. Ever. On a positive note I had a ton of energy when running today.
smile.png
 
#13
It is also recommended that

It is also recommended that your meal should be at least four hrs before your run/race.

Abide, is this how it goes? you post a question and forget about it? Don't you care about what our thoughts are on the matter? There is lots of poo talk here right now and I just had lunch---thanks Nick.
 
#14
No sorry I'm reading, just

No sorry I'm reading, just nothing more to contribute. I do think it is probably schedule related. Although I'm not sure how to get around that. Eating before or after isn't much of a problem, I can do either and feel the same. It's when mother nature calls, usually like the first, second and third miles. However if I wake up an hour or so before the run everything is cool, it's the wake up earlier than usual and go run 15 minutes later that's my problem.

No coffee? That's crazy talk Palouse.

I'm going to experiment the next couple of weeks, only one big meal around 6pm the night before and no snacks. I'll report back to see how that goes.

Oh and Nick welcome to the evacuation diet :)
 
#15
Abide wrote:Oh and Nick

Abide said:
Oh and Nick welcome to the evacuation diet :)
Click to expand...

Hahaha! That's exactly what this feels like too Abide! Hopefully I get over this part of it..... I'm loving the energy level for running.

Sorry for ruining your lunch Dama! Lol!
 
#16
That's the main reason why I

That's the main reason why I don't do morning runs. I hate it when mother nature calls.

I understand about the schedule my body likes to be regular around 6:30/6:45 AM.

Sometimes I run to work and it hasn't been a very good experience so far. I'll be on the middle of the run about 6:30 AM, sorry TMI.

Good luck with your experiment.
 
#18
No coffee IS crazy talk

No coffee IS crazy talk lol.

Nick -WTH is wrong with you eating fruits and veggies??? LOL. Yeah, the secret to energy really is all about pooing regularly! And don't let anyone/thing tell you otherwise, but if you aren't going AT LEAST once a day, you aren't going enough! And hey -don't be a small bladder hater. :) At least Mury goes more frequently than Mike and I.

Since people are creatures of habit, getting hungry at the same time every day makes sense, however, if I go more than 30 minutes without eating when I wake up, I turn into an angry psychopath -and I would NEVER try to run on an empty stomach cuz I would pass out.

In fact, Mike gets quite cranky after runs, but I do not. ;)
 
#19
Haha Jen!  I am trying to get

Haha Jen! I am trying to get off all the supplements and to live healthier. I am trying to make sure I am around for my kids you know, at least as much as I can control.
 
#20
NickW wrote:Haha Jen!  I am

NickW said:
Haha Jen! I am trying to get off all the supplements and to live healthier. I am trying to make sure I am around for my kids you know, at least as much as I can control.
Click to expand...



I would really like to get off some of my supplements too. If there was such a thing as a supplement-dealer (as opposed to drug-dealer) I could be that, with as many as I take! My problem is my twinkie/coffee addiction. Sigh.
 
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