Avoiding heartburn during exercise
For the 60 million American adults who suffer from heartburn, finding new ways to alleviate that chest pain can seem impossible at times.
For the 60 million American adults who suffer from heartburn, finding new ways to alleviate that chest pain can seem impossible at times. In addition to taking over the counter drugs, the best ways of treating heartburn typically come from making wise decisions about the foods you ingest. But when heartburn or GERD strikes during exercise, it may cause you to put down the weights or step off the treadmill altogether. Here are a few methods that might help you avoid these burning sensations during your workout:
Avoid eating before exercise
It's advised that you should not digest any food for up to two hours before working out. Whenever you are breaking a sweat on a full stomach, you put intensive pressure on your sphincter, the ring-like muscle that rests between the esophagus and stomach. Too much stress on the sphincter is an easy way to let stomach acid seep into the esophageal canal, eventually prompting heartburn.
Diet habits prior to your workout
If you are planning on working out later in the day, make sure that what you're eating doesn't include foods that promote acid reflux activity. Every time you stock up on caffeinated beverages, high-sugar content or fast food, you're certainly aren't doing your digestive system, as well as your body, any favors before physical activity. Try eating foods that are low-fat, low in protein and high in carbohydrates on a day of a workout, which will help produce more energy you need during intense gym sessions.
Hydrate
One of the keys to experiencing healthy digestion is by making sure your body is receiving plenty of fluids every day. Hydration can prevent the loss of electrolytes and reduce muscle cramps. However, drinking plenty of water can also help reduce the risk of heartburn felt during physical activity.
Ease back
If frequent cases of heartburn are distracting you from exercising, don't be afraid to scale it back a bit and try less strenuous sports or activities. Workouts that involve jumping up and down or sprinting, such as contact sports, running or cardio kickboxing, are known to provoke symptoms of GERD, so switch to something more stationary, such as cycling or rowing, for aerobic activity.
Medicate
Whenever you begin to notice symptoms of heartburn flaring up again, make sure you're taking the popular medications that can alleviate you of acid reflux before you begin working out. Heartburn should not be an excuse to cease physical activity, and those with heartburn who are exercising are ultimately going to live a more balanced life if they stick to healthy habits.
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