Sooner or later, everyone has pain in their side during exhausting training. What is it? Stop guessing and hurry to find out the whole truth about such pains. Many people dislike aerobic training because of the recurring pain in the side. These unpleasant tingling sensations not only create discomfort, but also the body warns that sports are currently undesirable. Today we will talk about the causes of pain and how to deal with pain in the side during training.
The main causes of pain
One of the reasons is the increase in the size of some internal organs, which is associated with the rush of a large amount of blood in them. This primarily concerns the spleen and liver. There are blood reserves in the human body that are not required during the normal functioning of the body.
Under the influence of aerobic loads, organ tissues need more nutrition and these surpluses are used by the body. Entering the tissues of the organs, the blood does not have time to leave them and the capsules of the organs give a signal to the nervous system about the need to stop physical activity.
The second reason for the appearance of pain in the side is the stomach. If you start playing sports soon after eating, then it does not have time to digest. Also, the liver is involved in the process of digestion, which begins to increase in size.
This fact is the main reason for the recommendation to eat at least two hours before starting sports. This is an average time, since many factors affect the duration of food processing. Let's say fatty foods and most sources of plant fiber take longer to digest than other foods.
Also for this reason, athletes need to eat more often, but in smaller portions. This not only increases metabolism, which is necessary to maintain body weight, but also speeds up the digestion process. It is much easier for the gastrointestinal tract to process small portions of food.
An equally common cause of side pain is the lack of a high-quality warm-up. You must remember that before starting a basic workout, you need to prepare your body for this. Warming up your muscles well will not only reduce your risk of injury, but you will also be able to avoid pain in your side.
Start all sessions at a slow and smooth pace, gradually increasing the intensity of the training. It is very important to do stretching exercises to increase blood flow. Also keep your breathing under control. It is necessary to breathe moderately deeply to increase the amplitude of the diaphragm, which will facilitate the flow of blood to the heart.
Try to fit each exhalation and inhalation to a certain number of steps. Remember that cardio exercises, which often cause pain in your side, do not require maximum intensity, as, for example, in bodybuilding. Try to train relatively lightly, and your overall intensity should always be determined by your fitness level. In some cases, pain in the side is not the result of a violation of the above recommendations, but a sign of an internal organ disease. If you feel discomfort even in the absence of overeating, high-quality warm-up, etc. - contact a specialist. The nature of pain is also of great importance. For example, sharp (dagger) pains that have arisen "out of the blue" may be the result of mechanical damage to internal organs.
Dull aching pain is most often the result of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as peptic ulcer disease. There may be painful sensations associated with the heart. If you lead an active lifestyle and observe a diet and rest regimen, then the likelihood of pain due to these reasons is extremely small.
How to deal with side pain?
Let's look at the methods of dealing with pain in the side.
- Reduce the intensity of your training. If you are running, then you need to gradually reduce your speed and, as a result, go to a calm step. Also, after running, you should never stop right away. If you, after running, walk for a while, then perform a kind of hitch. This stage of the training is no less important than the warm-up preceding the lesson.
- It is necessary to take several deep breaths and exhalations. This will speed up the outflow of blood from the organs. At the same time, try to exhale at the moment when the leg makes a step, opposite to the area of origin of pain.
- As you exhale, draw in your stomach deeply. This method will remove excess blood from the liver, which will lead to a decrease in the size of this organ. In a sense, this is a liver massage. You can also tilt the body forward slightly.
- Press your fingers on the area where the pain occurs for a few seconds. They also help to eliminate pain and circular movements of the fingers at the site of pain.
Knowing about the causes of pain, it will be much easier for you to prevent their occurrence. You just need to follow the above recommendations. Of course, pain may still appear, but thanks to a few simple methods, you can quickly eliminate them.
Once again, I want to say that it is easier to prevent all diseases. For this reason, try not to eat shortly before class and always warm up. In the latter case, you can not only eliminate several causes of pain in the side, but also reduce the risk of injury.
Always be mindful of the hitch. If you stop abruptly after an intense run, this will negatively affect the whole body in general and the cardiovascular system in particular. Surely, in school physical education classes, your teacher always made you walk a circle or even two steps after the cross. It was not his whim, but concern for your health.
For more information on the causes of pain during training and how to deal with this phenomenon, see here:
