Pooping for the win

In endurance events, it is not uncommon for elite athletes, some because of diets, body structure and training methods, to experience gastrointestinal problems that can lead to involuntary evacuation of gut contents during competition. Marathoners and professional cyclists, although not all, have these episodes.

They can be the fittest of the fit, but incontinence strikes in the middle of competition. Dr. Dana Zalkin, a gastroenterologist and a professor of medicine, explained why.

Endurance athletes' bodies are designed for optimum performance, but our digestive system is not built to function under extreme stress. The physiological response to maximized exertion temporarily disrupts digestive functions and blood flow which often results in involuntary pooping.