If you’ve ever suffered from incontinence -- urinary or bowel leakage -- while running, know that 5 percent to 7 percent of men younger than 65 suffer from urinary incontinence, according to Dr. Margaret Stearn of Embarrassing Problems. Up to 40 percent of female runners experience urinary leakage when they run. Furthermore, between 20 percent and 50 percent of male and female distance runners suffer from “runner’s trots,” or bowel incontinence during training and racing.
Types
Incontinence refers to an inability to control your bathroom functions. When you feel like you have to go right away, you suffer from what experts call urgency, which may be related to prostate problems. Stress incontinence, on the other hand, refers to leakage when pressure from the muscles around your bladder squeeze out its contents. The harder you run, the greater stress you put on your bladder. Pain, cramping, diarrhea and flatulence during and after exercise are symptoms of fecal incontinence.
Causes
Stress incontinence in healthy males can stem from weak muscles around the bladder. The pubococcygeus muscle, which runs from your pubic bone to the base of your spine -- encircling both the urethra and rectum -- may be weak, allowing waste to escape with the impact of running. No one’s sure what causes “runner’s trots.” In addition to the jostling, your pre-run diet may cause a loose stool. Another theory presented by Time to Run is that reduced intestinal blood flow -- from increased flow to running muscles -- may cause stomach pain and cramping.
Prevention/Solution
Prescription drugs and surgery are one way to relieve male urinary incontinence, but strengthening the pelvic floor through Kegel exercises can also prevent leakage. To avoid protests from your colon during a run, don’t eat high-fiber foods or drink warm or caffeinated fluids within two hours before a run. These foods tend to stimulate bowel movements.
Warning
If you frequently feel the irresistible need to alter your route to urinate, you may be suffering from an enlarged prostate. Check with your doctor if you frequently have a sudden, urgent need to urinate, if you have trouble urinating or if your flow is interrupted.
Strategy
If incontinence is your frequent running partner, you can try a few strategies to avoid embarrassment. Wear dark-colored shorts made from wicking fabrics to hide wet spots and help them dry quickly. Also, begin your runs wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt so that you have something to tie around your waist if you have an accident. The body of the shirt covers your rear, and the sleeves can hang down in front of your crotch. If runner’s trots are the bane of your training, plan routes with several bathroom options along the way. If you are a trail runner, carry a travel pack of tissues in case you need to have a “bear in the woods” moment.
