Hemorrhoids & weightlifting.....

[gregpall603]

Dear Coach Rip,

I've had some issues with hemorrhoids for the past few months, and wondering: 1) can they be caused by weightlifting, 2) do people who encounter them cease training until treated?

Thank you.

[Eugene]

PM spar if you want to know about hemorrhoids

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Indeed. She has two: they're named Hunter and Eugene.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

OP:

First question: Weightlifting is unlikely to be the cause of of hemorrhoids, unless you're doing something weird. Hemorrhoids are incredibly common in the general population.

Second question: Not only no, but hell no. Eat some fiber, get some Wet Ones (a clean butthole is a happy butthole), and keep training.

[FKYT]

Indeed. She has two: they're named Hunter and Eugene.

Nice.

As to OP's questions, I've had hemorrhoids in the past, and they were caused more by poor nutrition than whatever exercise routine I was (or wasn't) doing at the time. The last time I had them, I just trained through them. Lifting didn't seem to affect anything, but I was doing 30 minutes of jogging each day as well, and those sessions were torture. I didn't have a super severe case, though. If they're bad enough where you need surgery, I'd be more cautious.

[phynnboi]

Pavel talks a little about this issue in Power to the People:

The rectal sphincter contraction...not only increases the inside pressure and amplifies one's strength, it also acts as an insurance against hemorrhoids. People inexperienced in lifting correctly tend to let their intestines go when they strain. Such a style of lifting could lead to hemorrhoids and offers no performance advantage.

I don't know how much there is to that, and I do wonder how long even a novice lifter could get away with "letting their intestines go" when squatting or deadlifting without getting some very earthy feedback from their bodies, but, there you go.

[Eugene]

Yes, you can read all about it here, and here

[Corrie]

Pavel talks a little about this issue in Power to the People:



I don't know how much there is to that, and I do wonder how long even a novice lifter could get away with "letting their intestines go" when squatting or deadlifting without getting some very earthy feedback from their bodies, but, there you go.

I'd imagine that if you're practicing your form and tightening properly as recommended in SS you won't be letting your intestines go.

I'm with FKYT though. I got hemmerhoids while training but it was from bulking without enough fibre, not from the lifting.

[jkw]

I too have recently suffered a bit, but not caused by training, just by not enough fiber. Now I eat about 6 dried apricots with every meal just to make sure, and everything is good.

[Corrie]

I too have recently suffered a bit, but not caused by training, just by not enough fiber. Now I eat about 6 dried apricots with every meal just to make sure, and everything is good.

Hey good idea. I had been eating a bowl of fibre cereal at night but sometimes I'm just full or don't have time or something. A few dried apricots I can do.