Human study · Research · 4 Oct 2026
In 21 healthy young adults, bowel sounds rose within two minutes after a 20-minute easy walk
Source: Fujita Health University / Scientific Reports
What the research found
Study (21 healthy young adults; bowel sounds, not a constipation treatment trial). ScienceDaily carried the Fujita Health University account on 4 October 2026. The journal paper is Kento Katagiri, Yohei Otaka, Shigeo Tanabe, and colleagues, Scientific Reports (2025; 15(1); doi 10.1038/s41598-025-18860-8). Each person lay still for a one-minute baseline recording, walked 20 minutes on a treadmill at a comfortable self-chosen pace, then lay down again. Within one to two minutes, sound amplitude, the share of time sounds were present, and the number of sound events were all higher. Amplitude nearly doubled. The rise faded within two to three minutes. Sex is not given. The authors say the brief change may help explain why walking is suggested for constipation, and they point to autonomic activity or motion reflexes as possible reasons. This did not measure stool frequency or treat people who were constipated. Educational notes. This is not a treatment plan.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
Read the original at Fujita Health University / Scientific Reports
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