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Nutrition

Exercise-Induced GI Distress

Exercise-induced GI distress is nausea, reflux, cramping, or diarrhea from effort itself—shaped by heat, fluids, gels, meds, and gut blood flow, not food alone.

Exercise-induced GI distress covers nausea, reflux, cramping, bloating, and diarrhea triggered by hard or prolonged effort—not only food poisoning. Dehydration, heat, high osmolarity gels, NSAIDs, and splanchnic hypoperfusion all contribute.

Severity scales from mild burping to race-ending bathroom sprints.

Common questions

  • Can GI distress happen without eating before a run?

    Yes—blood flow shifts, dehydration, heat, and intensity alone can upset the gut. Still audit prior-day fiber, caffeine, and meds when symptoms repeat.

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