15/09/2026
OPINION PIECE WRITTEN BY RAYMOND RAUTENBACH IN HIS CAPACITY AS PERSONAL TRAINER AND COACH
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR STOMACH WHEN YOU PUSH YOUR BODY TO THE LIMIT? 🏃♂️💩
The recent incident where an athlete unfortunately had a bowel accident during the race has created plenty of discussion online, but instead of laughing at the athlete, I think there is actually a really important lesson here for anyone who trains or competes at a high intensity.
Your gut is affected by extreme exercise.
When you push your body hard, especially during a , marathon, triathlon or intense endurance event, your body redirects blood flow towards the muscles, heart and lungs that are working overtime.
Your digestive system gets less blood flow.
At the same time, you’re dealing with:
🔥 Extremely high intensity
😰 Adrenaline and race-day nerves
💧 Changes in hydration
☕ Caffeine or pre-workout
🍝 Food sitting in the stomach
🏃♂️ Repeated running and impact
⚡ Your body’s stress response
Put all of that together and your digestive system can essentially say: “I can’t deal with this right now!” 😂 This is one reason what you eat before a race is so important.
You don’t want to arrive at the start line with a stomach full of food that is difficult to digest.
Generally, athletes do better with foods they have already tested in training — often a familiar, carbohydrate-focused meal that is relatively easy to digest, with enough time for the stomach to empty before racing, and this is crucial:
DON’T EXPERIMENT ON RACE DAY.
That new energy drink?
That massive pre-race breakfast?
That supplement you’ve never tried?
That “miracle” nutrition someone recommended?
Test it in training first.
Your gut can actually be trained just like your muscles can. Athletes need to practise not only their physical performance, but also their race-day nutrition and hydration strategy, and sometimes, despite doing everything right, when you push the human body to its absolute limits . . .
Your body simply takes over. 🤷♂️😂
So rather than judging the athlete, maybe we should see it as a reminder:
High isn’t just about how hard you can push your muscles — it’s also about understanding how your entire body responds under extreme stress.
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