Is pooping during stressful situations normal?

Detailed summary

It's completely common and normal to poop when you feel stressed, but experiencing all these things at once can be challenging and overwhelming especially if you’re competing,…

Welcome to Doctor's Corner, where medical experts from Makati Medical Center will answer health questions from readers! Got a question? Send them over to lifestyle@gmanews.tv.

Can't stop thinking of the Hyrox athlete who pooped during the competition. Why do elite athletes often soil themselves?

Elite athletes may experience what we call Runner’s Diarrhea, or the sudden and urgent need for a loose or watery bowel movement during or right after endurance exercise.

Athletes may also experience gas, acid reflux, nausea, and cramping, even without suffering from diarrhea.

Runner's Diarrhea happens not only to runners, but also to those who engage in multisport events like triathlon as well as other high-intensity and endurance activities like Hyrox, which combines running and functional workouts. This is why marathons and triathlons have portable toilets along race routes.

Runner’s Diarrhea occurs because engaging in intense or prolonged exercise can redistribute blood flow from the gut to the muscles, skin, heart, and lungs.

This can irritate intestinal lining, increase gut permeability, and disrupt fluid and nutrient absorption. Not to mention, pre-race anxiety or stress may also contribute to gastrointestinal distress.

It’s important to point out that athletes may experience exercise-induced diarrhea without losing complete control over their bowel movements. Most usually have time to run to the toilet and relieve themselves.

Depending on their hydration status, diet, and stress levels, they may suffer from fecal incontinence and soil themselves in the middle of an activity.

Opening of the article, excerpted from GMA News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.