Running has plenty of fantastic health benefits, but it can also lead to some embarrassing and sensitive issues.
From diarrhea and back acne to leaky bladders and sore nipples, here are six of the most common embarrassing running problems, with tips on the best ways to avoid and treat them.
1. Runner’s Trots (diarrhea)
Running is good for maintaining regular bowel movements but, of course, sometimes it happens at inopportune moments. Many runners experience bouts of diarrhea, as well as cramping, flatulence and GI distress, during and after running. So, if you’ve ever dealt with it, you’re definitely not alone.
Why It Happens: The cause may be dietary in nature or due to lack of blood flow during digestion (since the blood is being pulled to your muscles). You may also have irritable bowel syndrome or lactose intolerance, the effects of which are enhanced by exercise. Dehydration and low electrolyte levels may also lead to diarrhea.
How to Prevent Runner’s Trots
This issue is more common in beginner runners, so it may disappear as you become more fit. Try these strategies and see if they make a difference:
- Avoid high-fiber foods (fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains) and coffee/tea before working out. Try to drink 64 oz of water every day. You’ll know you’re well-hydrated if your urine is a light yellow color.
- Consume a sports drink (like Gatorade) during long runs to maintain electrolyte levels.
- Choose foods that are naturally constipating, such as bananas, plain bagels, rice, oatmeal and pasta.
- Make sure you finish eating at least 90 minutes before running, so you give your body plenty of time to digest.
- Try to keep track of what you eat before your runs, so you can figure out possible triggers. For example, some people find that consuming dairy products can cause diarrhea.
- Plan your long runs along routes where you know bathrooms are accessible. If you face this problem on race day, don’t worry. Most races, especially longer ones such as marathons, offer plenty of port-a-potties at the start and along the race course. In most cases, you can find them near the water stops.
- If you try different tactics and nothing seems to work, you may want to consider a medical check-up for irritable bowel syndrome or another possible issue.
2. Leaky Bladder
Female runners sometimes have problems with urinary incontinence, especially if they’ve given birth. You’re running and you suddenly realize your running shorts are wet with urine. The leakage can be just a trickle or a stream. Men can leak urine too, but the problem is more common in women.
Why It Happens: When your pelvic and sphincter muscles are strong, they can handle the extra pressure from a cough, sneeze, exercise, or laugh. But when those muscles become stretched and weak – which often happens because of pregnancy and childbirth — that sudden pressure can push urine out of the bladder. The muscles can also weaken with age, although that’s not true for everyone.
How to Treat Leaky Bladder
An effective treatment for incontinence, Kegel exercises help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and don’t require any equipment. To locate the right muscles, try stopping your urine flow without using your stomach, leg, or butt muscles. When you’re able to slow or stop the stream of urine, you’ve located the right muscles.
Contract the muscles for 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 10 times. Try to do the pattern three to four times a day. After about six to eight weeks, you should notice that you have fewer leaks and more bladder control.
Extra body weight also puts extra pressure on your bladder. By losing weight, you may be able to relieve some of that pressure and regain your bladder control.
If you’ve tried these strategies and you’re still having problems with incontinence, talk to your doctor. Severe cases may require surgery.
3. Acne on the Back, Chest, and Upper Arms
Acne on the upper back, chest, and upper arms is a common issue for runners, especially women. The cause is pore-clogging sweat combined with friction from rubbing clothes. If you’re wearing make-up or sunscreen, that can exacerbate the problem. Often, the pimples are more prevalent where clothing is covering skin, such as under your sports bra.
How to Prevent Exercise-Induced Acne
To prevent exercise-induced acne, you should change out of sweaty exercise clothes after running, and shower as soon as possible. Make sure you cleanse acne-prone areas thoroughly. You can use a soap that’s designed for acne. Try to avoid wearing make-up during exercise. Opt for an oil-free sunscreen that’s formulated for the face and neck. Choose a sunscreen gel (instead of a cream-based lotion) for the rest of your body.
4. Sore or Bloody Nipples
Some runners, usually men, get chafed or bleeding nipples, which can be extremely painful. When men run, their nipples are constantly rubbing against their shirt. Over the course of a run (especially a long one), this sensitive area can be rubbed to the point of bleeding. Because women wear tight-fitting sports bras, this shouldn’t be an issue for them.
How to Prevent and Treat Sore or Bloody Nipples
Some men learn the hard way how painful it can be, but it’s actually very easy to avoid that problem. Generously apply a lubricant like Vaseline or BodyGlide to the nipple area before a long run and you should be fine. Some men will also wear products such as NipStrips or Band-aids to protect the nipples.
For longer runs, make sure that you wear a synthetic-material (Dri-Fit, not cotton) shirt closest to your body. Cotton shirts will cause chafing. Women should make sure their sports bras are not made of 100% cotton. When running long, both men and women should also apply Body Glide or Vaseline to any areas where there may be rubbing (inner thighs, under arms) to avoid chafing.
5. Ugly Feet
Extremely common among runners, foot issues can sometimes lead to unsightly toes and feet. Here are some common issues that may make runners feel too embarrassed to expose their bare feet in public.
Blisters
While not a serious injury, blisters — those fluid-filled bubbles of skin on your feet — can be painful and keep you from running. Taking some precautions, such as wearing the right shoes for your feet and moisture-wicking socks, can help you avoid them. Here are some more tips on how to prevent and treat foot blisters.
Black toenails
Runners, especially those training for long-distance events, can suffer from black toenails, more properly known as subungual hematoma. It is caused by the toes rubbing up against the front of the running shoe, usually because the shoes are too small. The nail is pushed down into the nail bed, and it becomes bruised and inflamed.
Black toenails get be avoided by wearing the correct sneaker size (at least 1/2 size bigger than your street size; you should have plenty of room in the toebox), trimming your toenails, and keep your feet as dry as possible during runs. It helps to wear good wicking socks, not cotton ones. Get more advice on how to avoid and treat black toenails.
Bunions
Under too much pressure, the big toe joint can swell, causing the bone to stick out on the side of the foot. Wearing shoes that fit properly and aren’t too tight can help relieve the pain. Go to a specialty running store to make sure you’re wearing the right running shoes for your foot and gait. They may also recommend arch supports to prevent overpronation, which sometimes exacerbates the pain of bunions.
Foot corns
Caused by constant rubbing and pressure from shoes that are too tight, foot corns are hard, painful lumps on your feet. Fortunately, they’re usually fairly easy to treat with over-the-counter corn remover pads. You can also soak your feet for 10 minutes and gently rub the area with a pumice stone to remove the hardened skin. Get some more tips on how to prevent and avoid foot corns.
6. Excessive Sweating
Sweating helps the body stay cool, so it’s normal for runners to sweat when they run. But hyperhidrosis, or profuse sweating, occurs when the body’s normal cooling operations malfunction. Those with hyperhidrosis appear to have overactive sweat glands and will experience excessive sweating, especially on the hands, feet, and armpits.
How to Prevent Excessive Sweating
Try using a clinical-strength antiperspirant. You don’t need a prescription for it -– a product such as Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant is available over-the-counter at drugstores. Apply it before you go to bed, so your body can absorb it overnight, and then reapply before your run. You may also want to use the antiperspirant on your feet, since heavy sweaters are prone to foot blisters. In extreme cases, medication or surgery may be necessary.
Running coach, avid runner, and fitness writer Christine Luff is an RRCA-certified running coach and ACE-certified personal trainer. Founder of the website Run for Good and author of the book Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, she coaches runners, from beginners to advanced, who are training for races, from 5Ks to marathons.
