Why does my stomach hurt when I run?

Flatus also called in some countries as “glass” or “horse pain”, is a stabbing pain that can appear a few minutes after starting any physical activity. This pain is more common when the activity that is performed is aerobic, such as running, swimming, jumping or dancing. It is a pain that is usually located somewhere near the stomach, either above, below, to the side or even somewhere above the ribs.

Flatus is a rather annoying pain that arises on these occasions quite frequently. Despite this, there is still no consensus among doctors when it comes to confirming what causes it. However, the main theories in this regard refer to the diaphragm, which could be overloaded when starting physical activity and suffer.

Lower abdominal pain when running – the theories

There is a widespread belief that flatus would be the result of a kind of airbag that is misplaced as a result of breathing very quickly when starting a sports activity. However, current theories claim that this is not true, at least in the simple explanation of this problem. Apparently, the flatus would arise as a result of the inflammation of a part of the diaphragm, which is the muscle that is responsible for expanding and contracting the lungs so that the air enters and leaves its interior and breathing can be carried out naturally. Follow Melt Your Cheese Do you experience sudden pain in your ABDOMEN while RUNNING? Watch to know why!

The problem would arise when, due to physical effort, the diaphragm would suffer, either due to prolonged activity, due to activity carried out very quickly, due to the presence of food in the stomach, which would cause it to swell and pressure on the diaphragm or even because air was swallowed and went to the stomach, which would also cause it to swell and press on the diaphragm, which would lead to the appearance of abdominal pain when running. In this way, it can be affirmed that a badly placed airbag could cause flatus or stomach pain when exercising. But it cannot be said that it is the only cause, so it can only be considered one of many possible ones.

Flatus, or belly pain when running, is considered more annoying than dangerous. Usually, this pain subsides on its own after a few minutes and leaves no side effects of any kind. It could only be considered dangerous if there is significant damage to the diaphragm. However, in this case, the appearance of this pain would be more a symptom of previous damage than the cause of said damage, so it is not usually associated with a danger that requires health care.

However, when lower abdominal pain appears when running, it is best to reduce the speed of the march or stop if the pain is very intense. The most common thing will be that the flatus or stomach pain disappears by itself within a few minutes, showing that it would not be a problem beyond a simple annoyance. However, if the pain persists for a long time, you can always go to the emergency room to carry out a deeper examination to rule out any type of injury.

How to prevent flatus from appearing when running

The best way to avoid flatus or stomach pain when running is through proper prevention. In this sense, following the following tips will be a good way to prevent this annoying pain from occurring and, if it already manifests itself, it will allow it to go away in less time:

• Avoid running or physical activity on a full stomach or right after eating.
• Avoid drinking water or other liquids in large quantities, it is better to hydrate continuously but in small sips.
• Avoid clothing that is very tight or that hinders the normal expansion and contraction of the diaphragm.
• Warm up properly before starting any physical activity.
• If stomach pain appears when running, lean forward, stand up, with your hands on your knees and breathe normally, which usually helps the pain to stop in less time.

Now that you know why my stomach hurts when I run, you may also be interested in this other article on How to run well.