Why do people feel bloated after a workout
Here
are some reasons behind it
Do you always feel bloated and heavier
after your workout? Your tummy gets puffy and painful? Well, undoubtedly the
situation might be quite frustrating but you are not the only one dealing with
it.
Apart from boosting your energy,
relieving stress and calming your mind, intense exercising makes most of us
feel bloated. It is surely a discouraging experience but it does not mean that
your workout session was a total waste. You may feel bloated due to several
reasons and making simple changes in your routine can help you fix them easily.
Here are some common reasons why this happens.
Breathing
heavily
Bloating after a workout session is not
generally due to food but air. While exercising we breathe heavily and inhale
more oxygen. During this process, some oxygen goes down the oesophagus and then
passes through our stomach, intestine and reaches the colons, making us feel
gassy. This generally happens when you are running.
Eating
a heavy meal
What you eat before a workout also
has a big role to play in how you feel throughout the session. Exercising immediately
after having your meal can cause stomach related issue. While
exercising with a full stomach, our body gets confused. It focuses more on your
muscles than your digestive system, making you feel full and bloated. Keep a
gap of two hours between your meals and workout session.
Dehydration
Bloating is a sign that your body needs more water. When the body lacks fluid,
our stomach retains water to compensate, making us feel enlarged. This can lead
to inflammation and the slow recovery of muscles after a workout. So, it is
important to drink plenty of water before and after your training.
Overhydration
It is rightly said that excess of
anything is harmful, including water. Drinking too much water too fast during
your workout session can lead to a condition called hyponatremia. Due to the
presence of an excess of water, our body starts to dilute the sodium. This can
also lead to water retention and make you feel uncomfortable.
If
you are a newbie
If you are a beginner or are
exercising after a long time, in both the cases bloating is natural. When we
attempt some new exercise that is challenging to our body, our body releases
stress hormones called cortisol, which can cause your body to retain water. Our
body takes time to adjust to a new routine. So, do not worry, the bloating will
go away after a couple of weeks.