Throwing up is not a pleasant feeling, especially during an intense activity like exercise. Learning the reasons why and the causes of that feeling can help prevent a recurrence. If you start to feel as if you have to throw up when exercising, don't ignore it. Slow down your workout immediately and assess your workout goals for the day.
Maximal Aerobic Exercise and the Gastrointestinal Tract
The urge to throw up when exercising is an indicator you are working out too intensely. Interval training, races, hill training or any type of high intensity training can cause the feeling if your exercise isn't monitored properly. Maximal aerobic exercise -- greater than 85 percent or higher -- affects the gastrointestinal tract. The body redirects the blood to the muscles being most used and reduces blood to the GI system, slowing down digestion. This interruption causes the feeling of the need to throw up.
GI Causes
There are three other gastrointestinal causes for the need to throw up. No. 1 is drinking too much water. The stomach digests 1,000 to 1,400 ml of fluid per hour. Exceeding this amount will cause vomiting. No. 2 is drinking fluids that are too concentrated, like that new sports drink. Calories decrease the rate of digestion. No. 3 is dehydration. Exercising in the heat is a major factor in fluid digestion and absorption. Dehydration will cause a decrease in the rate of digestion.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can cause you to feel a need to throw up. It's not a primary cause for exercisers, but you might need to assess what you ate that day. Symptoms start eight to 12 hours after eating contaminated foods. Food poisoning symptoms will last for a minimum of one day, so give yourself that much rest before returning to exercising.
Miscellaneous Causes
Other miscellaneous causes for feeling like throw up when exercising are combination of heat, nervous tension and excitement and exhaustion. Being uncomfortable in your exercise environment also causes nausea. Try a different place to work out and see how that makes you feel.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength & Conditioning Association; 2000
- "Exercise Physiology 5th Edition"; Scott K. Powers, Edward T. Howley; 2004
- "UltraCycling"; The Puke File; Susan I. Barr
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