Why does my stomach hurt every time I run

Abdominal pain during running is usually related to exercise intensity, breathing patterns, or improper diet. It may be mainly caused by insufficient warm-up, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal spasms, immediate exercise after meals, chronic gastrointestinal diseases, and other factors.

1. Insufficient warm-up

Insufficient warm-up before running may lead to insufficient blood supply to internal organs, causing transient abdominal pain. During exercise, blood is given priority to supplying muscles. If warm-up is not sufficient, sudden ischemia of internal organs such as the gastrointestinal tract may stimulate nerves and cause pain. It is recommended to perform dynamic stretching before running, such as high leg lifts, side lunges, etc., to gradually increase heart rate.

2. Respiratory disorders

Shallow and rapid breathing or breath holding can exacerbate diaphragmatic spasms and cause lateral abdominal pain. When running, one should maintain deep and gentle abdominal breathing, with the abdomen bulging during inhalation and contracting during exhalation, and the breathing rhythm should be coordinated with the step frequency. You can try the rhythm of two-step inhalation and two-step exhalation to avoid excessive tension of the diaphragm caused by chest breathing.

3. Gastrointestinal spasm

Accelerated gastrointestinal peristalsis during exercise may cause paroxysmal colic, especially when running on an empty stomach, which can easily trigger gastric acid stimulation. Before running, it is recommended to consume small amounts of easily digestible foods such as bananas and avoid high fiber or high-fat diets. If the pain is concentrated around the navel and accompanied by bowel sounds, it may be caused by intestinal gas displacement. You can pause the exercise and gently massage the abdomen.

4. Exercise immediately after meals

After meals, blood is concentrated in the digestive system, and running at this time can divert blood and cause digestive discomfort and pain. Solid foods require a longer digestion time, and high protein and high-fat meals should be followed by a longer interval before exercise. It is generally recommended to take a break of no less than two hours after meals, and liquid foods can be shortened to half an hour.

5. Chronic gastrointestinal diseases

Conditions such as gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome may worsen during exercise. This type of pain is often localized and recurrent, and may be accompanied by symptoms such as acid reflux and diarrhea. It is recommended that individuals with underlying gastrointestinal problems avoid high-intensity running and choose low impact exercises such as brisk walking. If necessary, seek medical attention to investigate the cause. Running abdominal pain can mostly be improved by adjusting exercise habits. Daily attention should be paid to avoiding difficult to digest foods two hours before exercise, and wearing heart rate monitoring devices to control intensity within a reasonable range during running. If the pain persists or warning symptoms such as vomiting blood and black stool appear after adjustment, timely gastroscopy examination should be performed. Long term runners can record the correlation between diet and pain, gradually establishing personalized exercise and diet plans.