Paras Hemrajani
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If you have made your mind that you are going to try the normal food again, then it is best started with something that will not disturb your stomach . ©shutterstock
The pain caused by exercise and subsequent muscle development is good pain. This pain arises around the area where you are focusing your exercise. Bad pain is the unexpected pain that arises in some other part of the body. Both these pains are caused by intense exercises. But while one is the result of the workout, the other is a side-effect of it. Unexpected abdominal or stomach pain after a workout is also a kind of bad pain. Since the pain is unexpected and can be triggered in any part of the body, pain in the stomach and abdominal area are the most common. These can manifest in different forms like a dull ache or a burning sensation to strong cramps or sharp pains. But this pain is easy to treat and prevent.
This pain can suddenly occur while you are exercising or can present itself later. The duration and intensity of the pain varies too. These bad pains can be easily mistaken for cramps. But cramps are different. They are sharp pain caused due to lack of oxygen supply to the effected stomach muscles. While bad pain can be due to several other reasons, we reveal some common causes of stomach pain after a workout.
Intense workout can disturb the flow of acidic content in the body. It is very common in people who are already suffering from a gastroesophageal reflux disease. But it can also manifest itself in other people too. When the fluids in the stomach are shaken because of exercise, it can cause heartburn and reflux. That is why it is advisable to eat at least 30 minutes before a workout.
While exercising, your body loses water in the form of sweat. This can cause dehydration and stomach ache. Our body needs water to digest food. When the fluid level decreases, it affects digestion. This causes food to stay longer in your body. This leftover food causes indigestion and stomach pain.
If you exercise immediately after eating, the brain will process your workout first and ignore the food in the stomach. This causes heaviness and bloating in the stomach.
The food that you eat before exercising also matters. Eating foods high in protein and fat can slow down your gastrointestinal system and lead to stomach pain. If you are planning an intense workout session or planning to take part in a marathon, plan out your meals well in advance. Different nutrients take different time to digest. While carbohydrates are easy to break down, fibre, protein and fat take more time.
The reason for your stomach ache could be the air conditioner in your gym or the winter cold. Exercising in extreme cold condition leads to poor blood circulation (low temperatures cause your blood vessels to constrict) causing the muscles to strain. That is why you must first perform warm-up exercises indoors and then go outside.