What to do if you have stomach pain while running

Running is the most direct way to exercise and it also brings the fastest results. There will be stretching preparation before and after running. The purpose of this is to reduce the damage to the body caused by running. Running can promote blood circulation, help the stomach and intestines digest food, and promote bone growth. Running is very helpful to the human body, but there are also things that need attention. For example, if you experience stomach pain while running, what should you do?

What causes stomach pain when running?

Running on an empty stomach

Running can improve the body's metabolism, increase gastrointestinal motility, and promote the secretion of gastric acid. If you run on an empty stomach, it is easy to increase the stimulation of gastric acid on the gastric mucosa, which will lead to uncomfortable symptoms of stomach pain after running.

Running immediately after a meal

During running, most of the blood will be supplied to the exercising muscles, while the blood supply to the digestive organs will be relatively reduced, and gastrointestinal motility will also weaken. If you go running immediately after a meal, it will not only easily lead to indigestion, but may also cause stomach cramps and stomach pain after running.

Lack of exercise

If you do not exercise at all in your daily life and only take part in a running session occasionally, your stomach and other organs will not be able to adapt to this intense exercise state and may easily cause stomach and intestinal discomfort.

Excessive running

If the intensity of running exercise exceeds the body's own load, the body will be overloaded, causing excessive fatigue and prone to insufficient oxygen supply. This can easily lead to the inability to maintain the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal organs, and can easily cause gastrointestinal cramps and discomfort.

Caused by stimulation

When running in cold weather, it is easy to inhale cold air into the stomach, which can cause great irritation to the stomach and intestines. When the stomach gets cold, it is easy to spasm and cause pain.

Shortness of breath causes

During running, it is easy to cause breathing difficulties due to large amount of exercise or improper breathing method, resulting in uneven chest pressure, diaphragm spasm and stomach discomfort.

Stomach compression

During running, the abdominal muscles are also involved in the exercise, especially when the road is uneven or uphill or downhill. The abdomen will be under a certain load, causing the stomach and intestines to be squeezed. Some people with poor stomachs are prone to stomach pain and discomfort.

Suffering from stomach problems

For people who already suffer from stomach diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcer, running exercises will increase the burden on the stomach and aggravate stomach discomfort.

2. What to do if your stomach feels uncomfortable after running

Don’t eat immediately after running

Do not eat immediately after running, especially if you experience stomach pain after running. After running, most of the blood is still used for exercising muscles, and very little is supplied to the digestive organs. If you eat at this time, it will increase the burden on your stomach and intestines, causing stomach discomfort to worsen. You can eat some liquid food 1-2 hours after running, but avoid eating raw, cold and spicy food.

Do stretching exercises

After running, don't sit down to rest immediately. You can do some stretching exercises to stretch your muscles. This can not only help relax your muscles and eliminate body fatigue, but also help relieve stomach discomfort.

Elevate your limbs to relieve oxygen deprivation

Stomach pain and discomfort after running may be caused by lack of oxygen to the brain. After running, you can walk and rest for a while, and then raise your limbs or do a handstand to help the blood in the limbs return to the heart to help relieve stomach discomfort.

Get a massage

If you experience stomach discomfort or even pain after running, you can try massaging acupoints such as Neiguan or Zusanli to help relieve the discomfort.

Press Zusanli

The Zusanli point is located three inches below the edge of the knee (equivalent to the width of four fingers put together), between the tibia and fibula. Press the Zusanli point with the tips of your thumbs, 36 times at normal times. When it hurts, you can rub it about 200 times, with a slightly heavier pressure.

Massage Neiguan acupoint

The Neiguan point is located in the middle of the wrist, about three horizontal fingers (the width of three fingers put together) away from the transverse wrist crease, and is located between the two tendons. Use your thumbs to massage and circle the area 36 times, alternating between your hands. When pain occurs, increase the number to 200 times.