You’re running in the middle of a great run when all of sudden you get stomach cramps that force you to cut your run short. Ever experience it?
The symptoms of this runner’s abdominal cramp are the urge to use the bathroom, nausea, and diarrhea which makes you slow down and harder to get through your run. The medical literature on runners’ stomach aches suggests that it’s normally caused by the mechanics of running itself, dietary and hormonal factors.
You would like to think that you’re naturally fitter and less likely to get these stomach pains, however, it still happens to the best of us. It happens to a lot of runners, but the trick is to know how your body responds to what you eat and drink and then formulate a game plan to avoid getting stomach cramps in your next run.
There’s no cure to these stomach cramps but, there are several preventive steps you can take to minimize the symptoms. But here’s what you can do!
1.Diet
Firstly, a change of diet can already enhance your performance while running, it can also lead to less discomfort during training and races.
Try a diet that’s low in sugar and carbohydrates, also known as a low FODMOP diet, to have a positive effect on GI tract issues while exercising.
So what food should you avoid? That includes wheat, dairy, honey, fruits, and vegetables. You can also be mindful about when you consume your food and drinks. Ideally, consuming your food or drinks 2-3 hours before your run will give it time to digest fully, which will help to minimize abdominal pain during your workout.
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2.Probiotics
A healthy gut and regular bowel movements mean that you experience less digestive distress during endurance exercises.
Thus, taking probiotic supplements can help to strengthen your gut and make you less likely to use the bathroom during your runs.
Study shows that a runner that took probiotic supplements for 4 weeks improved the runner’s stamina and digestion when running in high temperature.
3.Hydration
This is the most important step as a runner, which is to hydrate yourself properly before a run.
As cramps or nausea during running can be the result of improper hydration. However, drinking too much water could also lead to cramps and digestive irritation.
The best way is to try to develop a habit of drinking enough water regularly and using electrolyte-infused beverages right before and after your runs.
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4.Practice
Ultimately, figuring out a routine that works best for your body and sticking to it on your training and race days can make these runners’ stomach cramps less of an obstacle for you.
It may take some time experimenting to get it right, but once you find what works, stick to it.
Finally, runner’s stomach cramps aren’t uncommon and there’s no easy cure to stop it, thus, planning your meals, avoiding triggering foods, taking probiotics, and staying hydrated may help you to improve your performance while decreasing the chances of getting cramps.
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