Ever asked yourself, “Why do I gag when I run hard?” A lot of people suffer from gut issues while running. This can be anything from excessive cramping while jogging all the way to having this sudden urge to go to the bathroom, which is known as “runner’s diarrhea”. However, one of the most common issues that runners may suffer from while running is getting nauseous, which is followed by gag reflexes and feeling like you’re about to throw up.
Some runners think that gagging while running hard is a sign that you’re giving it your best. In fact, many marathon runners reported that they suffer from that themselves. However, science doesn’t exactly agree with that myth, and that’s where this guide comes in handy!
In today’s article, we’ll answer the common question by walking you through the scientific explanation behind this condition and what you should do when you feel like throwing up while running. Let’s jump right in!
Why Do I Gag When I Run Hard?
Gagging when running hard can be attributed to several things. These factors include increased pressure on the stomach, running directly after eating, over or underhydration, bringing your training to a sudden stop, or pushing your limits far beyond what your body can handle to name a few.
One of the most common factors that cause runners to gag while running hard is pressure buildup in the stomach. When you run hard, you take deeper breaths, which pushes on your gastrointestinal tract, causing the gags as the food and liquids start climbing back up, which is a part of running you may hate.
This is more likely to happen when you run straight after eating or when you consume the wrong types of food, which are already hard to digest.
This condition can be exacerbated if you already suffer from underlying conditions that increase the likeliness of gag reflexes, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or nausea inducing disorders like Vertigo, Meniere’s disease, Vestibular neuritis, etc.
In addition to food, liquid intake can also have an impact on your gag reflexes. Although hydration is quite necessary, overhydration can be a problem for many people just like excessive dehydration. When you drink too much, the liquids will build up in your esophagus, which causes gagging issues. If you sweat heavily while running and don’t replenish your fluid loss, you’ll experience symptoms of dry heaving, which includes a lot of gagging and discomfort.
How Do You Stop Gagging While Working Out?
You can reduce or even eliminate the issue of gagging while running if you avoid the things that cause it. Eating too much before running and adjusting your fluid intake rate prior to running are easy ways to help. If those don’t work, taking proper medications to reduce the urge to throw up can be useful.
Since running directly after eating is one of the leading causes of gagging while running hard, you can solve this problem or reduce its incidence simply by running in the morning or on an empty stomach. This way, you’ll avoid putting your digestive system through intense pressure buildup that causes its contents to travel up rather than down.
If you suffer from conditions like GERD, taking the medicines as prescribed by your doctor will also help greatly in avoiding gag reflexes due to inadequate food quality or quantity before running.
In addition to food, you should also make sure that you adjust your fluid intake. Ideally, drinking around 8 glasses of water throughout the day will provide the optimum level of hydration. Additionally, you should drink water in small sips if you get dehydrated while running to help the water settle and prevent reflux issues that lead to nausea. You should also make sure that you get all the necessary electrolytes while drinking, which can be done by adding electrolyte mixes to your water.
If you’ve followed all these recommendations and you still gag after running hard, you might want to seek medical help to make sure that you don’t suffer from any underlying conditions that require proper treatment in order to go away.
Should I Stop Working Out If I Feel Like Throwing Up?
Since gagging while running is pretty common, many runners are confused about what to do when they feel nauseous while running. Although some people will suggest keeping on running, it’s better the take things slow and run at a comfortable pace that doesn’t trigger nausea.
Gagging while running can happen due to a wide range of causes, so the best way to address this problem is by stopping whatever is causing it. Ideally, if you start gagging while running hard, the best thing to do is to slow down a little and see if the problem resolves on its own. If that doesn’t help, you might want to take a break until the discomfort goes away. This usually takes anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour.
If you mainly gag while running in the summer, there’s a good chance that you’re overheating, which can also happen due to dehydration. In that case, sipping on some water might help (unless you already drank a lot of water in the last 30 minutes). If the problem worsens after slowing down or continues for over an hour, this might be a sign that you need to speak to your doctor.
Conclusion
There you have it! A brief guide that walks you through everything you need to know about gag reflexes while running as well as a brief answer to the question “why do I gag when I run hard?”. As you can see, gagging while running can be particularly annoying, but you can get rid of it if you take care of the causes in the first place.
This includes overheating, dehydration, overhydration, eating before running, and pushing yourself too hard. In the end, remember to always listen to your body while running and take things slow whenever you gag while running.
