I. Right upper abdominal pain This is mostly due to lack of regular exercise. People who don’t exercise regularly require more oxygen during physical activity than trained athletes, which leads to rapid breathing. Normally, inhalation increases the negative pressure in the chest cavity, which helps blood return from areas such as the hepatic veins. When breathing becomes rapid, the negative pressure in the chest cavity decreases, impeding the return flow of blood to the liver, leading to liver congestion and causing liver pain.
II. Gastrointestinal cramps Running on an empty stomach or immediately after eating, or eating too much (especially drinking too much cold liquid) before exercise can all lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction, triggering cramps and causing abdominal pain. Eating too quickly, overeating, or consuming hard-to-digest foods such as beans, potatoes, milk, or starchy foods before exercising can produce excessive gas, leading to bloating. Combined with intense exercise, increased abdominal pressure, and stretching of the peritoneum, this can cause abdominal pain. In addition, having a cold abdomen, constipation, or worm irritation can also trigger intestinal cramps and lead to abdominal pain.
III. Rectus abdominis muscle cramps During strenuous exercise in hot weather, due to excessive sweating, the body loses salt and water, and if not replenished in time, it can result in water and electrolyte metabolism disorders. Fatigue can then easily cause rectus abdominis muscle cramps. This type of abdominal pain usually occurs later in the exercise.
IV. Chronic abdominal diseases Patients with conditions such as chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis, gastric ulcers, or chronic appendicitis may experience pain when participating in strenuous exercise, as the affected areas are subjected to pulling, shaking, or other stimuli. The pain is generally located at the site of the lesion.
V. Increased blood supply to skeletal muscles The increased blood volume is mainly drawn from internal organs, leading to constriction of the blood vessels that supply these organs, resulting in insufficient blood supply. This then causes spasmodic contractions of the gastrointestinal smooth muscles, leading to abdominal pain.
VI. Running or strenuous exercise after meals Swallowing large amounts of air during exercise causes the stomach to expand further, making gastroesophageal reflux more likely. This can result in belching, hiccups, burning sensations in the chest, or nausea, thereby causing upper abdominal distension and pain.
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[Prevention and Treatment Measures]1. Make adequate preparations before running, and gradually increase your speed during the run. It’s advisable to eat or drink only a small amount before running, and avoid running or exercising immediately after a meal, as this can not only cause abdominal pain but also lead to indigestion over time.
2. When experiencing running-induced abdominal pain, generally just slowing down, taking deeper breaths, pressing on the painful area, or running bent over for a while can reduce or even eliminate the pain.
If the above measures do not relieve the pain, you should stop exercising. You can take oral pain relief and antispasmodic medications, such as atropine tablets, belladonna tablets, or Yuanhu Zhitong tablets. Acupuncture or finger pressing on acupoints such as Zusanli, Neiguan, and Dachangshu can also help alleviate the pain.