Pre-run food and drink choices

One of the best pieces of running advice I’ve ever received was simple: ‘coffee, poo, coffee, poo’. In other words, wake up, have a cup of coffee, nip to the loo and come back for a second cup 30 minutes later to make sure that you’ve really flushed out your system.

We know that coffee can have a laxative effect and research suggests that it’s something of a gut health wonder drink – so not only do you decrease the risk of needing the loo on your run but you’re also boosting your gut health with gut-loving prebiotics.

If you’re eating highly fibrous or high-fat breakfasts, you might also want to change tack. The more fibre you consume, the more there is to… come back out.

Cardio poo: here’s why you might need to run for the loo halfway through a jog