What’s Up With My Digestion When I Workout?
Heartburn? Bloating? Gas? Cramping? Running to the bathroom mid-workout? You’ve got “performance gut.”
You may already know this, but our nervous system has two switches ‒ the parasympathetic switch, which turns on “rest and digest” mode, and the sympathetic side, which turns on our “fight or flight” response. Our sympathetic nervous system is what gets us through our workouts. It releases stress hormones called ACTH, cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine that increase our blood pressure and raise our blood sugar to fuel our workouts.
Our nervous system is directly tied to our digestive system. This is what you may have heard called the “gut-brain connection.” The hormones secreted by our nervous system have a direct influence on many functions in our body, including digestion, blood sugar regulation, the immune system, hydration, mineral status, and more.
It’s important to note that our body cannot distinguish physical stress from emotional stress. Therefore, when we’re nervous, anxious, or worried, we’re stimulating our sympathetic nervous system to turn on.
When our “fight or flight” response is turned on, the stress hormones released divert blood low to only the most vital organs at the moment. It’s focused on surviving ‒ not making sure your food is getting digested. Stress affects the acidity of your stomach acid, the secretion of mucus into the large intestine, water absorption, mucosal permeability, and cells that respond to histamine. It’s important to note that the longer your workout is, the longer these stress hormones will stay up.
Stress hormone levels should come down after your workout is over, but in today’s high-stress world, it can be very difficult to get out of this “fight or flight” state.
These sympathetic-driven hormones should go down after your workout is over, but in today’s high-stress world, it can be very difficult to get out of this sympathetic state. And when the release of stress hormones is prolonged, a new kind of digestive issue can arise: leaky gut.
The intestines that make up your digestive system are only one cell wall thick. Leaky gut essentially means that cells of the intestines holding the food you just ate are starting to open up and let undigested food particles into your bloodstream. These particles ring the alarm for your immune system, which sees those undigested food particles as invaders. And if gone unaddressed, leaky gut can lead to a whole host of other issues, including autoimmune conditions, skin conditions, asthma, respiratory infections, and more.
For those of you that workout multiple times a day or do extremely stressful and intense exercise like CrossFit, you’re more prone to this unfortunate occurrence. And endurance athletes, you’re not off the hook ‒ 20-50% of you experience digestive distress.
So, what can you do about your gut problems? See below for a few tips.
Establish a Mealtime Routine
Get phones and other kinds of screens away from you. Make sure you’re sitting down, preferably in the sunlight. Chew your food at least 20 times before swallowing. Be mindful of what your eating and how much. Savor the experience!
Strategize Your Nutrition
Always go for easy-to-digest proteins and carbs. Beware of how fats make you feel, as high ratios can often cause cramps. Try not to eat too much fructose (fruit), as this can also cause cramps.
Pay Attention to Timing and Portions
How soon are you eating before your workout? Is it in the car on the way to the gym? Time to change those habits. See how much food you can handle how long before your workout. Play with timing and portion sizes. Aim to get something in your system at least three hours before so you’re not running on empty.
Stress Less
Do something that makes you genuinely happy and less stressed at least once a day. Whether it’s taking a bath, going for a morning walk, listening to a podcast, reading a book, watching a TV show, etc. Take some time for yourself every day, you deserve it!
_____________________________________________________________
This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
_____________________________________________________________
References
Ballantyne, S. (2017). Paleo Principles. Canada. Victory Belt Publishing.
Hackney, A. (2006). Stress and the neuroendocrine system: the role of exercise as a stressor and modifier of stress. Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1(6): 783–792.
Komaroff, A. (n.d.). The gut-brain connection. Retrieved from Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gutbrain-connection
Mayer, E. (2000). The neurobiology of stress and gastrointestinal disease. Gut, 47:861–869.
Perlmutter, D. (2015). Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain - for Life. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group.
Peters, H. P., De Vries, W. R., Vanberge-Henegouwen, G. P., & Akkermans, L. M. (2001). Poten,al benefits and hazards of physical activity and exercise on the gastrointes,nal tract. Gut, 48(3): 435–439.
Tortora, Derrickson. (2015). Introduction to the Human Body. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TTC? Get empowered with Conscious Conception, the ultimate fertility blueprint created to help you optimize your fertility and enter pregnancy empowered.
Stay in touch.
Sign up for my newsletter to get access to exclusive content and resources all about fertility and beyond.
We will never misuse your information.
