Prevent nausea and other stomach pains during a marathon.
Many runners experience nausea and other stomach pains during runs or races. A marathon is a 26.2-mile running event that takes a lot of endurance and strength to complete. However, pains and aches can slow down your progress, or worse, prevent you from finishing altogether. Finish with a strong pace by taking careful steps to avoid causes of nausea and other stomach pains.
Instructions
1. Eat appropriately. Avoid eating too much or too little before a marathon race. If you eat too little, your blood sugar will deplete and so will your energy. If you eat too much, you may end up with side pains and nausea. Consuming about 250 calories an hour or two before a run gives an energy boost for 60 to 90 minutes. Add more calories as needed depending on how long you plan to run or finish a race.
2. Take acetaminophen, if needed, for pains like knee or foot aches. Avoid pain relievers like aspirin, naproxen sodium, ibuprofen and any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These types of drugs can cause nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramping when ingested right before or during a long run.
3. Swap dairy for lactose-free. Lactose-containing food items like cheese, milk and ice cream are hard to digest and can trigger nausea and stomach pain. If you must have dairy before a marathon, switch to products without lactose such as soy, rice or almond-based milk drinks.
4. Stick to foods your stomach is used to at least two days before the race. This prevents unforeseen stomach reactions like pains and nausea. It's best to avoid new and exotic dishes that may induce feelings of vomiting.
5. Choose healthy food items that are good for your stomach and digestion including low-fiber produce, refined carbohydrates and healing herbs on the days leading up to the race. Low-fiber produce includes tomatoes, zucchinis, olives, grapefruit and grapes. Refined carbohydrates like regular pasta, white rice and plain bagels are packed with energy and digests easily. Mint is a healing herb that stimulates digestion. Sip mint tea half an hour before the race to calm your stomach and to help prevent nausea and cramps.
Tags: nausea other, nausea other stomach, other stomach, other stomach pains, stomach pains, your stomach