Pooing and bowel function on long trips.

[BreninBeener]

As i have never knowingly met any of you in real life, im happy to share this snippet of my private life.....

My natural state is to struggle when doing No 2s in the bathroom. I seem to produce large stones that dont readily want to leave the safety of my insides. I really dislike this, so i take great efforts to increase my fibre intake. I have porridge every day that is made with 25g of wheat bran and 25g of oats to keep my fibre intale up and help when going to the loo.

On a long day ride, im notbsure why but i will frequently struggle to use the loo afterwards. Im guessing partly sat still and a bit of dehydration it the culprit. So its uncomfortable for me and i often have to eat more fruit and bran to reset. I take prunes a snack when riding etc

This effect is compounded by consecutive day rides if im away from my source of bran. Sometimes i wont poop for 3 or 4 days and only after a struggle.
Im loath to take a laxative, but sometimes its the only way to take away the feeling bloated when out for several days.
Does anyone 'have a friend' who suffers and can offer some advice?
thanks
Ian

[middleagedmadness]

Only problem I've ever had is when there was 80 roadies and everyone was trying to use the same trap

[BreninBeener]

I dream of that ease!

[Bearbonesnorm]

I find that my body always wants to make a hefty deposit on the morning following the first night out, which usually looks quite different to anything I might otherwise produce. After that, I settle down and things are pretty much as they would be at home. I tend to put it down to an increased intake of both food and coffee.

[psling]

Might be worth having a chat to your Doctor? Or maybe a dietician?
I find a strong morning mug of coffee can help losen the bowels.
I also find that 6 pints of cider the night before does the trick...

[BreninBeener]

Its something that has always been a feature of my physiology.
I seem immune to the oft quoted laxative powers of coffee. Things that help include lentil dahl and some nice beer. But i cant always consume these in the required quantities.

[Bearbonesnorm]

You need a new riding buddy. Someone who talks a lot but says nowt ... see if they can bore the sh!t out of you

[BreninBeener]

I have Ruth, she is so much quicker than me im in a constant state of struggling.

I will ask if she can do a camelbak enema!

[Moder-dye]

As some one who once realised he'd sh"t himself while crouching down over his stove I'm not sure I understand the problem

I'm sure its no fun for you, just as it wasn't for me

[Fat tyre kicker]

[Ray Young]

Constipation can have serious consequences and is definitely not fun. I suffer if i'm on prolonged doses of painkillers and found Lactulose helps especially if your not keen on other forms of laxatives. It encourages the bowel to retain water rather than absorb it so poo stays softer.

[Lazarus]

generally i can have a poo quicker than i can have a pee - i shall leave you all to decide if this is an advantage or a disadvantage of a vegan diet

Long trips i also have next to no roughage but i think the main think is to keep hydrated and accept that you wont be as regular as normal as you are eating a diet you dont usually have - in my case high fat/sugar/carbs with next to no veg - my bodies dislikes this but there are just not enough calories in veg to warrant carrying that much IMHO,


I have never kept a diary of how often I go when cycling long trips but it is less often,

[Moder-dye]

Hydration and electrolytes have a big effect on bowel movements, so make sure that side of things is in order.

When I was full on keto, almost carnivore, movements were every other day or so, but no constipation symptoms. I think electrolytes
and hydration helped there.

On a fibre, particularly grain, rich diet I can be 3 times a day. But I'm wheat and gluten intolerant (not actually celiac's, but it is in the family).There's obviously a happy medium somewhere!

[pistonbroke]

This is rapidly heading towards a Pikolax thread. An all time classic on STW.

[Ray Young]

This is rapidly heading towards a Pikolax thread. An all time classic on STW.

Is that a trail park then?

[ianfitz]

This is rapidly heading towards a Pikolax thread. An all time classic on STW.

Is that a trail park then?

I’m usually loathe to link to ‘that place’ but this thread is an exception worth making.

https://singletrackworld.com/2009/02/th ... d-returns/

In terms of the OP what is consistency like when passed usually. Have a peek at the Bristol stool chart and feedback. You’ve used the word stones

Lactulose is good for stool softening but that’s not always the problem. To be fair if you are holding it in for a few days considerable water reabsorption will have happened.

You may be better with a prescribed ‘activation’ laxative. Chat to gp or practice nurse

[voodoo_simon]

Don’t forget to wee before pooing (I.e stand up for a wee and then squat)

[AlasdairMc]

Sometimes it’s better to refrain from a toilet visit after a ride. I’ve got saddle sores from yesterday’s adventure, so I dread to think what that first wipe is going to feel like...

[Moder-dye]

Sometimes it’s better to refrain from a toilet visit after a ride. I’ve got saddle sores from yesterday’s adventure, so I dread to think what that first wipe is going to feel like...

Hop from the pot to the shower?!

[AlasdairMc]

Sometimes it’s better to refrain from a toilet visit after a ride. I’ve got saddle sores from yesterday’s adventure, so I dread to think what that first wipe is going to feel like...

Hop from the pot to the shower?!

Best hope I don’t get the urge when I’m at work then...

[RIP]

Well it's certainly been an enlightening day today. Haven't seen so many threads/posts concerning our nether regions for ages. Posterior damage must come along like buses, in threes. And ,er, red.

[Borderer]

...there are just not enough calories in veg to warrant carrying that much...

Never mind calories - the veggies you carry in will weigh a lot less than the poo they will displace. Half a packet of mange-tout will only be 100g. A turd will weigh a lot more than that.
TLS (home with you).

[padonbike]

Ride more in the Highlands. If water taken direct from a burn (whether neat, filtered or boiled) doesn't loosen you up, then nothing will.

[paramart]

iv'e got the same problem and told I was gluten intolerant so went gluten free and lactose free,on dr's orders then I had to see a specialist who put me back on gluten diet till he puts a camera down my throat, also had one up the rear which was okay, just get bloated and really painful gut told to drink lots of water and peppermint tea, but nothing seems to work, he told me to take a laxative if I can't go naturally which I was doing anyway, it's not nice when pedalling as it restricts my breathing when I have something to eat and it bloats up,got to wait till 24 april for the camera so hopefully be fixable

[Oli.vert]

It has been said that the human body is a walking pond, as we're supposed to made of mostly water. I say 'supposed' to be. When we let that pond dry out then things can start going wrong and at a guess I'd suggest you're probably running a bit dehydrated. If you're not running at 3L a day, then see if you can get up to that. It should help. If you think you're close to 3 already, go to 4.5 or even 6, but no more than a litre an hour.

On top of which, there are 'food supplements' that will help you retain moisture in the bowel (bowels are great at absorbing moisture) which can make it easier to poop.
Physillium husk works pretty well for this. Mix a desert spoon into a glass of water morning and evening and knock the resultant goop down. My other half was a once in 3 days kind of girl till she got on the Physlilium. Any other fibre you can get in your diet will help, but if it isn't backed up by a good level of water intake then it's not going to help.

The idea is to have the stuff that ends up in your poop-tube soft enough to be easy to pass and that can only happen if you can keep your pondlike insides as wet as possible. Once it's turned into a brick then your talking some mechanical situation which your botty isnt best at.

Alternatively, talk to your doc.