Churning Guts

andersonchristineg

There's no way for me to be P.C. about this so here it is blunt and straight forward:

After some intense cardio exercise my guts start churning. The kind of churning where you look like a deer in the headlights and bolt for the nearest bathroom, bush, what-have-you.

Any one have any idea why?

Its insanely uncomfortable and the worst part is its all bark, no bite. Meaning I feel like I have to go #2 really really bad, but nothing happens when I try and the feeling remains.

Nothing I have tried has helped. Not pepto, not eating, not laxatives. Just waiting it out. Takes 3-5 hours to feel normal again.

Some things I noticed:
It never happens when I exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
It only happens with intense cardio like running or kickboxing or jumprope, but not weight lifting.
It happens whether or not I have previously relieved myself that day.

Any info or advice anyone has would be wonderful since I can't always exercise first thing in the morning.

andersonchristineg

There's no way for me to be P.C. about this so here it is blunt and straight forward:

After some intense cardio exercise my guts start churning. The kind of churning where you look like a deer in the headlights and bolt for the nearest bathroom, bush, what-have-you.

Any one have any idea why?

Its insanely uncomfortable and the worst part is its all bark, no bite. Meaning I feel like I have to go #2 really really bad, but nothing happens when I try and the feeling remains.

Nothing I have tried has helped. Not pepto, not eating, not laxatives. Just waiting it out. Takes 3-5 hours to feel normal again.

Some things I noticed:
It never happens when I exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
It only happens with intense cardio like running or kickboxing or jumprope, but not weight lifting.
It happens whether or not I have previously relieved myself that day.

Any info or advice anyone has would be wonderful since I can't always exercise first thing in the morning.

sunflower8926

I don't really have any idea, but it doesn't sound normal. I would go see a doctor. Sounds to me like perhaps you have a twisted intestine or something, and you are aggrevating it when you exercise. Again, I don't know, but it sounds like some kind of medical issue to me. Try wrongdiagnosis.com and see if you can find anything there?

songbyrdsweet

I suffered with this for a couple years. Finally in November, I had some lower GI bleeding and got a CAT scan, x-ray, and colonoscopy. I was diagnosed with IBS and given a couple rx's. The first one helped a lot with the cramps, and the second one didn't do anything, so I don't bother with it because it's $200 for one month! :noway:

I had the same symptoms except mine had a lot of bite too. :embarassed: IBS is aggravated through intense exercise and certain types of fiber, like that found in bran. I do much better on lower fiber (~20g/day) and avoid it around my workouts. Too many carbohydrates in your pre workout meal can also cause GI distress. It doesn't happen when your stomach is empty because there's nothing in there promoting intestinal contractions, and it doesn't happen during lifting because it's not as intense as high intensity cardio. I do get symptoms after lifting intensely sometimes, but only on leg day.

msujdak

I don't think it's a twisted intestine. Trust me-you would know if it was. The pain wouldn't let up and your stomach would bloat like you were seven months pregnant! My husband had one and in nearly killed him. You might be getting some exercise induced lactic acid since it only affects you when you do intense cardio. Are you working out with a heart rate monitor?

You may be working anerobically and are just burnig sugar instead of fat. This high intensity can cause lactic acid build up and cramping. Try doing speed intervals instead of constant pace. This allows your body to dip into it's fat reserves when you are in a recovery interval and disperse the lactic acid build up from the speed interval. And during the slower interval, take deep breaths in through your nose and out through you mouth.

Good luck I hope this helps!

hmo4

There's no way for me to be P.C. about this so here it is blunt and straight forward:

After some intense cardio exercise my guts start churning. The kind of churning where you look like a deer in the headlights and bolt for the nearest bathroom, bush, what-have-you.

Any one have any idea why?

Its insanely uncomfortable and the worst part is its all bark, no bite. Meaning I feel like I have to go #2 really really bad, but nothing happens when I try and the feeling remains.

Nothing I have tried has helped. Not pepto, not eating, not laxatives. Just waiting it out. Takes 3-5 hours to feel normal again.

Some things I noticed:
It never happens when I exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
It only happens with intense cardio like running or kickboxing or jumprope, but not weight lifting.
It happens whether or not I have previously relieved myself that day.

Any info or advice anyone has would be wonderful since I can't always exercise first thing in the morning.

Go to the Doctor. Coming from a Nurse.

aprilvet

This happens to me, too! Not as severe with cramping, etc. but a need to have a BM. Most of the time I have to stop after 1-2 miles, go to the bathroom, then all's good. I know it's not a torsion or anatomical problem, as those would be frequent and consistent. Never thought of IBS- I have no other symptoms and this doesn't seem to happen if I do high hills with same HR and calorie burn- only running. Glad to hear it's not just me! I wonder if it's conditioning.

danielle1009

I know exactly what you're talking about! When I do super hard cardio I feel sick to my stomach.....I don't think its any of the things listed above.

I think the key words that you mentioned is working out on an empty stomach---even when i work out in the evening---if I haven't eaten since lunch or a few hours after I feel sick--when I eat closer to my workout, I don't feel sick like that.

I would try to get something in your stomach before a hard workout, even if its just a granola bar or something.

I should also take my own advice ) good luck.

songbyrdsweet

This happens to me, too! Not as severe with cramping, etc. but a need to have a BM. Most of the time I have to stop after 1-2 miles, go to the bathroom, then all's good. I know it's not a torsion or anatomical problem, as those would be frequent and consistent. Never thought of IBS- I have no other symptoms and this doesn't seem to happen if I do high hills with same HR and calorie burn- only running. Glad to hear it's not just me! I wonder if it's conditioning.

The most common theory is that the rhythmic contractions of the abdominal muscles while running/aerobic activity 'massages' the colon, speeding transit. Physiologically, it doesn't make much sense, because the nervous system that dominates during exercise inhibits digestion. So there could be some sort of neurological misinformation as well.

KaitieBug

GO TO THE DOCTOR...tell him/her about your diet and don't forget any vitamins and meds you take...could be a simple fix.

andersonchristineg

I don't think it's a twisted intestine. Trust me-you would know if it was. The pain wouldn't let up and your stomach would bloat like you were seven months pregnant! My husband had one and in nearly killed him. You might be getting some exercise induced lactic acid since it only affects you when you do intense cardio. Are you working out with a heart rate monitor?

You may be working anerobically and are just burnig sugar instead of fat. This high intensity can cause lactic acid build up and cramping. Try doing speed intervals instead of constant pace. This allows your body to dip into it's fat reserves when you are in a recovery interval and disperse the lactic acid build up from the speed interval. And during the slower interval, take deep breaths in through your nose and out through you mouth.

Good luck I hope this helps!

No I don't use a heart rate monitor. When I check my hr after running its usually about 85-90% of my max. My resting hr gets lower the more I run, but it always gets way up there during exercise.

What would you suggest for time intervals? I'm always afraid to slow my pace because I don't know if I'll pick it up again haha.

songbyrdsweet

I don't think it's a twisted intestine. Trust me-you would know if it was. The pain wouldn't let up and your stomach would bloat like you were seven months pregnant! My husband had one and in nearly killed him. You might be getting some exercise induced lactic acid since it only affects you when you do intense cardio. Are you working out with a heart rate monitor?

You may be working anerobically and are just burnig sugar instead of fat. This high intensity can cause lactic acid build up and cramping. Try doing speed intervals instead of constant pace. This allows your body to dip into it's fat reserves when you are in a recovery interval and disperse the lactic acid build up from the speed interval. And during the slower interval, take deep breaths in through your nose and out through you mouth.

Good luck I hope this helps!

No I don't use a heart rate monitor. When I check my hr after running its usually about 85-90% of my max. My resting hr gets lower the more I run, but it always gets way up there during exercise.

What would you suggest for time intervals? I'm always afraid to slow my pace because I don't know if I'll pick it up again haha.

The speed intervals would cause more lactic acid than steady state cardio, even if your HR is close to the theoretical max while you're running. Explosive movement is anaerobic, and intervals are explosive. Steady state running is aerobic--if it were anaerobic, you'd last about a minute before so much lactic built up that the acidic environment would stop the possibility of any contraction.

Besides, the lactic acid build up occurs locally in whatever muscles you're working, not in the intestines. While high intensity exercise can exacerbate IBS, it's not due to lactic acid irritating the colon.

Your body will always use both fat and carbohydrates for energy production, just in different ratios. You're burning a higher percentage of fat at a lower intensity and longer duration than you are at a higher intensity for a shorter duration. Once you increase intensity, it becomes very difficult for the body to produce energy from fatty acids since it takes a long time and requires an aerobic environment. It'll still happen, but in lesser amounts. This is all unrelated to the issue though, and I think it would be a good idea to see a gastroenterologist.

runmamarun

I'm not sure if this is always running related or how far you're running but...

I'm a marathon runner and have had similar troubles throughout all of my training. I find as my fitness gets better, my body is better able to handle the intense cardio for longer durations and my stomach upset gets better. Incidentally, I also have IBS and believe the two are unrelated. I got IBS after the birth of my first daughter and had the running related stomach upset well before that.

I find it helps to eat something bland (a bagel with a little cream cheese or a multigrain waffle with a little peanut butter works well for me) AT LEAST an hour before I run, if not an hour and a half. You need the calories and carbs to fuel you through the workout but you also need the time to let your body digest it. Also make sure you are well hydrated (drink until you're pee is clear and then 8 - 12 oz every hour ) but don't consume a lot of liquid right before a workout. I try to have 3 sips of water every mile during a workout of 4 or more miles.

Keep training and the upset will get better. I hate the first 6 weeks of marathon training for this very reason.

Nich0le

I did ask my doctor and was told that when you start a new exercise routine, like running, you are using more muscles in your core than you think and everything gets a bit of a workout and some of that causes gas or a need to go to the bathroom as soon as the exercise stops.

I can say that after a few workouts it stopped but when I increase my speed and do intervals I sometimes have the issue arise again. Doctor explanation after doing some tests is that similar this is a reaction to over exerting yourself...similar to the vomiting we see the biggest loser contestants do every single season, just the other end.

As always, I recommend at least consulting your doc to make sure there is not an underlying issue, especially if it doesn't stop. Better safe than sorry! :drinker:

OH, AND SONG YOU ARE GETTING RIPPED! :happy:

songbyrdsweet

similar to the vomiting we see the biggest loser contestants do every single season, just the other end.

LOLOL:laugh: ewwwwwww

OH, AND SONG YOU ARE GETTING RIPPED! :happy:

Thanks! :happy: I am really starting to get tired lol...this is hard work.

andersonchristineg

I'm not sure if this is always running related or how far you're running but...

I'm a marathon runner and have had similar troubles throughout all of my training. I find as my fitness gets better, my body is better able to handle the intense cardio for longer durations and my stomach upset gets better. Incidentally, I also have IBS and believe the two are unrelated. I got IBS after the birth of my first daughter and had the running related stomach upset well before that.

I find it helps to eat something bland (a bagel with a little cream cheese or a multigrain waffle with a little peanut butter works well for me) AT LEAST an hour before I run, if not an hour and a half. You need the calories and carbs to fuel you through the workout but you also need the time to let your body digest it. Also make sure you are well hydrated (drink until you're pee is clear and then 8 - 12 oz every hour ) but don't consume a lot of liquid right before a workout. I try to have 3 sips of water every mile during a workout of 4 or more miles.

Keep training and the upset will get better. I hate the first 6 weeks of marathon training for this very reason.

I'm only running about 3.5 miles right now, and the upset mostly happens with running since that's my choice exercise. I took a couple months off for a surgery and when I came back to running it was like starting from square one again.
My goal is to run a marathon.... someday. How long did you train for your first? How long were you running (from square one) when you ran your first marathon?