What should I do if my stomach hurts while running and my left side hurts

Left abdominal pain during running can be relieved by adjusting breathing rhythm, warming up adequately, controlling running intensity, improving dietary structure, and seeking medical examination in a timely manner. Left abdominal pain is usually caused by gastrointestinal spasms, diaphragmatic hypoxia, visceral prolapse, chronic gastroenteritis, urinary system stones, and other reasons.

1. Adjust breathing rhythm

Shallow abdominal breathing can lead to insufficient oxygen supply to the diaphragm, causing referred pain. It is recommended to adopt a three-step breathing and inhaling rhythm, actively contracting the abdominal muscles during exhalation to help reduce the diaphragm. During running, avoid speaking and disrupting your breathing rate. On uphill roads, you can slow down your stride and deepen your breathing depth appropriately.

2. Adequate warm-up

Direct vigorous exercise without activating core muscle groups can lead to visceral ligament tension pain. Before running, dynamic stretching should be done for 10 minutes, with a focus on exercising the transverse abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles. Cat like stretching and lateral plank support can enhance abdominal stability and reduce organ oscillation amplitude.

3. Control running intensity

Sudden acceleration by novice runners may cause tension pain in the splenic capsule. The alternating running and walking method should be adopted to gradually adapt, and the heart rate should be controlled within the range of 60% to 70% of the maximum heart rate. Avoid high-intensity running within two hours after meals to prevent cramping caused by insufficient blood supply to the gastrointestinal mesenteric vessels.

4. Improving dietary structure

Insufficient intake of high fiber foods may induce intestinal spasms. Eat easily digestible foods such as bananas and oats in moderation 2 hours before running, and avoid gas producing foods such as beans and broccoli. Long term left abdominal pain patients should reduce spicy and stimulating diet, and drink no less than 1500 milliliters of water per day to prevent electrolyte imbalance.

5. Seek medical attention promptly for examination.

Recurrent sharp pain may indicate urinary system stones or colon lesions. When accompanied by hematuria and changes in bowel habits, it is necessary to complete abdominal ultrasound and colonoscopy examination. Chronic gastritis patients can follow the doctor's advice to use medications such as magnesium aluminum carbonate tablets, compound glutamine enteric coated capsules, and povidonium bromide tablets to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa. If you experience persistent pain after running, you should immediately stop exercising and adopt a curled up position to relieve muscle spasms. Low impact exercises such as swimming and Pilates can be performed daily to strengthen the core muscle group, and professional waist seals can be worn during running to provide abdominal support. Record the correlation between pain onset time and diet to help doctors accurately determine the cause. Women should pay attention to identifying radiation pain caused by gynecological diseases, and reduce exercise intensity appropriately during menstruation.