Several runners complain of gastro-intestinal problems during the run, such as nausea, vomiting, a sense of gastric heaviness and diarrhea. In the absence of basic pathologies, various elements can be called into question as possible triggers:
- stress : especially in competitive efforts (race tension), excessive stress related to performance can cause problems with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (related to the increase in cortisol, the stress hormone);
- hypoglycemia and hyper-secretion of glucagon : the run (especially that of duration) determines a strong depletion of the energy reserves, especially of the glucidic ones; the lowering of blood sugar, and the consequent glucagon hypersecretion, are a common cause of nausea and vomiting;
- increased stimulus to gastrointestinal peristalsis given by continuous impacts on the ground (mechanical stimulus); an excessive and / or premature advancement of the gastric and / or intestinal contents can cause diarrhea
- incorrect eating habits :
- pre-race / training meal too close and / or substantial
- incorrect feeding during the race / training
- abuse of supplements such as carbohydrate based gel and salt supplements during or before the effort
- excessive water intake
