Roberta De Carolis Defecating before a race can lead to better athletic performance. And not for a physical response, but for a mental one: pooping, in fact, “frees” the mind enough to allow it to make quicker and more effective decisions. This is demonstrated by a study, albeit small, led by the University of Taipei (Taiwan)
@Canva
Defecating might do more than just relieve your body—it could also sharpen your brain. According to a small study led by Taipei University in Taiwan, emptying your bowels before a competition could lead to significantly better, faster, and more intelligent decisions, ultimately enhancing athletic performance.
The study involved 13 triathletes who underwent psychological evaluations of cognitive function and executive control using the Stroop test, a widely used measure that can even signal early signs of cognitive decline.
The study
The athletes participated in three test sessions:
In the first session, they completed the Stroop test without defecating beforehand.
In the second session, under tightly controlled nutritional and environmental conditions, the test was conducted an hour after defecation without the use of magnesium oxide laxatives.
In the third session, the test was performed an hour after defecation induced by magnesium oxide laxatives, 13 hours after ingestion.
Each session was spaced a week apart to allow participants to return to their baseline state.
The findings? Most athletes (69%) performed better on the Stroop test after defecation, with 100% showing improved results following magnesium-induced defecation. The authors suggest this points to an unexplored causal link between rectal state and cognitive performance, building on existing research connecting gut health and brain function.
An unexplored (but crucial) brain region
Chia-Hua Kuo, a co-author of the study, stated, “The results are not surprising,” citing previous research that demonstrated improved cycling performance and increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex—where decision-making occurs—following defecation.
While Chinese medicine has hinted at this connection, traditional Western medicine has largely overlooked it. Scientific documentation on this specific brain-gut link remains scarce, even though the prefrontal cortex’s role in endurance sports is crucial for understanding how the body conserves and uses energy under stress.
Implications for athletic performance
“When you perform long-distance exercises, your brain sends significant commands to your muscles,” Kuo explained. “Whether you can sustain muscle contraction isn’t just about muscle energy; it depends on the brain’s ability to challenge the muscle”.
Conventionally, the brain’s functions are considered confined to the head. However, this study confirms the dense network of nerves in the lower gut and rectum. A figure from the research even shows the lower digestive tract lighting up more than the heart or brain, emphasizing the nervous system’s extension beyond the skull.
©Sports Medicine and Health Science
The urge to defecate when stressed isn’t merely psychosomatic; it reflects a genuine brain-body connection.
For instance, when one has eaten a heavy meal, the brain siphons off blood and oxygen to the digestive organs, siphoning resources away from other muscles. Exercise requires the brain to balance the allocation of resources between working muscles and digestion-a task that is made increasingly difficult with intense activity. This explains why, under extreme stress or competition, athletes might involuntarily defecate.
The study appears in the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science.
