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How exercise can help-or hurt-your digestion

Your workout can have profound impacts on digestion. In rare instances, these effects can be dangerous but experts say a few tweaks can help most of us perform and feel better.

April 02, 2024

Woman running with stomach pain putting her hands over her stomach — Young atractive Asian woman in fitness clothes with stomach pain putting her hands over her stomach while standing at a running track of a local park

Ricardo Da Costa’s first job out of high school in the 1990s in Portugal was as a professional triathlete – competing in races that required him to swim, then bike, then run. One of the biggest problems he and his fellow athletes shared was gastrointestinal issues, but no one was doing anything about it.

Some athletes experienced nausea and stomach pain so severe they couldn’t drink water or take in nutrients during races, forcing them to drop out. While light or moderate exercise can enhance our digestion, our stomach and intestines aren’t designed for high-intensity workouts. That means that athletes don’t just need to train their muscles; they also need to train their guts to process the water and food they need to stay hydrated and fueled during a long race.

Over the long term, exercise helps maintain a healthy gut, allowing you to better absorb nutrients, says Florence-Damilola Odufalu, a gastroenterologist at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine of USC.