most times after i run a solid race (i.e. don't puss out), i'll get stomach pain/cramps maybe 1-2 hours later, and they last most of the day. i'm usually glad, since it means i raced well, but i was wondering: physiologically, what's the cause of this? i usually need it to be a longer race, say at least 8k, and i have to push close to maximum effort. i've just always been curious; any doctors/coaches know what it is?
i'm assuming it's more than the post-race food fest :)
kevin
I'm interested in this too. I get them a lot after races, and sometimes I even get them during the race. Usually around the 3.5-4 mile mark of an 8k or 10k. I usually just try to run through it or wait for it to go away.
Pre-race coffee.
When your body is exerting itself as in a race, blood vessels to more internal organs constrict while those to muscles dilate. This maximizes the amount of oxygen and glucose getting to your muscles, albeit at the expense of other bodily functions, such as digestion. So the stomach issues that a lot of us get after a race or hard effort are just the impaired digestion from during the effort catching up with you.
I also think that there may partially be a mechanical cause from the high breathing effort causing the diaphragm muscle to "pound" on the stomach and upper intestines and cause some distress to them.
thanks everyone! those make a lot of sense. if anybody has more ideas/details/confirmation, let me know
The Hungries. EAT SOMETHING!
some old guy wrote:
I also think that there may partially be a mechanical cause from the high breathing effort causing the diaphragm muscle to "pound" on the stomach and upper intestines and cause some distress to them.
The contraction is a very smooth motion no matter what the rate of breathing due the fact that it acts essentially like an air pump. You get a downward compression on the stomach and liver, but no pounding. The upper intestines, duodenum and transverse colon, are out of reach. The jarring up and down motion of running does contribute to GI distress, along with electrolyte imbalance (excessive sweating), lower blood pH (lactic acidosis), and as others mentioned, exercise induced shunting of blood to skeletal muscle.
sodium bicarbonate excretion to combat the acidity.
I've never had this happen to me. Even if I puked after the race, a few minute later I would be fine.
It's due to lactic acid build up. To ward this off, do a long warm down (40 minutes at least) to allow your system to mop up the acid (this is the most efficient way). Afterward you will be fine.
the pickle wrote:
sodium bicarbonate excretion to combat the acidity.
Where is baking soda secreted in the body? I think you just meant bicarbonate.
I used to get those after just about everyone race or workout with more than about 10 min. hard sustained effort. I thought it was because of something I ate. Then I had the worst one ever after a 5k and it finally started to go away when I started eating some crackers.
After that I realized I usually did not have enough in my stomach. I changed it up so that I either eat to the point of stuffedness about 4.5-5hr before, or just eat a lot of whole wheat foods continually until about 2.5 hr before.
It's hard to find the right balance. But I think I've eaten too little before a race more often than too much. It's rare now for me to have a serious problem afterwards.
And avoid marinara sauce. The last time I can remember being too full it was because that gave me gas.
2tonbrik wrote:
the pickle wrote:sodium bicarbonate excretion to combat the acidity.
Where is baking soda secreted in the body? I think you just meant bicarbonate.
That I did. Good call, has been awhile since I looked over lectures on such things.