Feel Sick After Exercise? A Scientist Explains Why, And How to Prevent It

Many of us exercise to feel good. Some people get “Runner’s High” after training, but unfortunately others leave the gym with nausea. This is usually temporary, but it can still be unpleasant.

Fortunately, there are some good explanations for why this happens. So if this happens, don’t worry.

Exercise increases blood flow to the muscles, brain, lungs, and heart.

This increase in blood flow is caused by the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system (which helps regulate all of our involuntary physical reactions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion).It does this by Dilate the arteries Therefore, these tissues can carry more blood.

However, the sympathetic nervous system is usually our “Do you fight or run away“Mechanism, at the same time Narrows blood vessels Up to 80% enter the gastrointestinal system (stomach, etc.) during intense training.

This is due to the limited amount of blood in the body. The increase in oxygen demand by some tissues can only be met by changing the amount of blood sent to other tissues.

This means that blood supply may be reduced in areas that do not currently require as much oxygen at that time. This is true regardless of whether you have eaten recently.

But let’s say you recently ate before going to the gym or running.Food when we eat Stretch your stomachProvides the release of acids and enzymes needed to digest food.

Stomach muscles Become more active During digestion, the demand for oxygen and blood flow to the stomach and other gastrointestinal tissues increases. Another part of the autonomic nervous system increases blood flow to the gastrointestinal structure. Must be active..

Significant physical conflicts from various tissues that require oxygen can be one of the reasons for nausea during or after training. As demand changes, the body needs to adapt blood flow to tissues.

Therefore, when exercising, blood needs to flow to the muscles, heart, lungs, and brain. This means that even if you are currently digesting supper, blood flow will decrease in less active tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract. Decreased blood flow in this area induces intestinal nerves, which in turn triggers them. Nausea feelings..

In addition to this, the stomach and other abdominal organs can also be compressed during exercise, which can further contribute to the sensation of nausea.This is a particular problem squatAs the heart rate and oxygen demand in the tissue increase, the body draws more air into the lungs.

This causes the diaphragm (below the ribs) to push down on the abdominal organs more strongly. Other muscles, such as the abdominal wall muscles, also help, putting more pressure on the abdominal organs with each breath. This will result in Serious nausea and even vomiting – Even on an empty stomach.

Some evidence is that exercise, especially long-distance running and other endurance events, Stomach lining -probably Descent Blood flow and oxygen available to the organs. This also causes nausea.

In extreme situations this can result bleeding of Stomach liningEspecially for endurance and long-distance athletes.

When to eat

If you exercise immediately or within an hour of eating, Experience nausea – Regardless of exercise level or training intensity.

it takes About 2 hours Solid food Broken in the stomach If you feel nausea after exercising as it enters the small intestine, it may be best to wait at least 2 hours after eating.

What you eat before training also determines whether you experience nausea. High fiber, fat and even high protein foods are all Probability is high Of nausea after training.

Supplementary protein, Especially whey or shake, Digestion also slows down. This can cause nausea during training as the stomach tries to digest the nausea.

Certain fats, especially SaturatedMay induce nausea in different ways – animal models show them get annoyed When damage The inner wall of the gastrointestinal tract. It activates nerves in the inner wall of the stomach that connect to the vomiting center of the brain (in the medulla oblongata).

Consumption of sports drinks, etc. High carbohydrate beverage (Juice, energy drinks, soda, etc.) Link to nausea Medium and After training..This may be due to these drinks Digested very slowly It stays in the stomach longer than other drinks.

If you frequently experience nausea after training, there are a few things you can do. First, change or reduce your regular workouts and slowly increase your intensity. This is because the longer you train, the more blood is consistently drawn from your stomach.

Make sure you drink plenty of water before and after training. Too little or too much can cause nausea for a variety of reasons.

When it comes to eating, avoid it 2 hours in advance and choose the right food. High quality carbohydrates (Bananas, sweet potatoes, etc.) and proteins, and unsaturated fats (nuts, etc.). Not only do they fuel the body, they are not as difficult to digest as other foods if you plan to exercise.

Adam TaylorProfessor and Director of Clinical Anatomy Learning Center, Lancaster University..

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