How to Avoid Stomach Pain When Exercising

Drinking alcohol regularly damages the stomach lining which can increase the risk of stomach pain. What else can cause this problem?

Stomach pain can be a problem when exercising, and it can even make it impossible to do sport. To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, here are some tips to reduce the risk of a painful stomach.

Avoid eating a lot of fat

The body takes longer to digest fat than other nutrients. If you eat a lot of fatty foods not long before doing exercise, then a painful stomach is quite likely.

Try to make sure that your pre-competition meals contain as little fat as possible. Ideally, they should contain a lot of protein and carbohydrates, and you should eat at least two and a half hours before the event.

Foods that contain a lot of lipids, such as oils, whole dairy products, and fatty meats are not good to eat just before you do exercise.

Reduce your alcohol intake or quit altogether

Drinking alcohol also causes stomach pain. It also increases the risk of stomach and colon cancer, as shown in this article published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Alcohol can damage the stomach lining, so obviously this makes stomach pain more likely. So, try to avoid drinking alcohol before you do any physical activity.

Take probiotics to prevent stomach pain when exercising

People with helicobacter disease often have stomach pain on a regular basis. However, probiotic supplements can help improve symptoms and even encourage remission of the disease.

These bacteria are able to improve the prognosis of helicobacter patients, according to research published in the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

Another option for treating this disease are antibiotics. However, in recent years it’s been shown that probiotics give better results and have fewer side effects.

Decrease consumption of gassy foods

Some foods, such as legumes, can cause gas when digested. This can make it quite uncomfortable to do anything, let alone participate in sports.

So, try to avoid this type of food before you take part in an event or competition. Hot sauces or irritating seasonings should also be avoided.

Keep an eye out for any potential intolerances

People who suffer from certain dietary intolerances can also suffer from stomach pain. One example is lactose intolerance. However, this should be diagnosed by a specialist, so if you have your suspicions, speak with your doctor about getting the relevant tests.

Recently, there’s a growing belief that lactose is somehow harmful for people in general, and it’s been quite popular to shun any foods that contain it. However, this claim isn’t supported by any scientific evidence.

Many cases that are misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance are actually cases of intestinal dysbiosis, and probiotics are usually enough to address this condition.

Optimize your diet to prevent stomach pain

Avoiding stomach pain is one of the main things to consider when planning your diet before an event or competition. This means including foods that are easy to digest and contain low amounts of lipids.

It’s also important to reduce your alcohol consumption to avoid damaging the stomach lining. At the same time, you should avoid foods that irritate the stomach, such as spicy foods

Some stomach pain is the result of pre-existing conditions such as helicobacter pylori or food intolerances. To address this, you’ll need a correct diagnosis so that you can get the appropriate treatment from a professional. Although many such cases do respond well to probiotics.

If you suffer from an intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, the only solution might be to eliminate it from your diet completely. It might seem frustrating, but it’ll prevent stomach pain when exercising, which can only be a good thing for your overall performance.