With all the positive things that is reported about the advantages of exercise there is one problem that individuals that workout need to understand. This problem can affect any person that exercises, but it usually centers on the extremes of exercise. On one extreme is the individual that is starting a program for the first time. The other extreme is the very fit individual that reaches the highest level of fitness. One point about exercising is that if you want to improve you need to push outside your comfort zone. In other words, to improve you need to exercise harder than the usual effort you put forth. For the beginner that has been sedentary most of their life any form of exertion is going to be outside their comfort zone. For the very fit person the effort has to be on the upper level of effort to be outside their usual comfort zone. It can happen to the average fit person that tries to improve their present level of fitness and increases the effort of a workout.
This working out at an increased effort can cause the problem of ‘exercise-induced nausea’. This is when the person is working out and suddenly becomes nauseous and have stomach cramps. This usually happens to endurance athletes that push themselves to the extreme levels of exercise, but it can happen to almost every person that goes beyond their comfort zone in working out.
This problem of exercise-induced nausea occurs when the blood flow reaches a level that it cannot provide enough oxygen to the skeletal muscles. When the level of exercise increases the heart rate becomes faster to pump more blood, and oxygen, to the working muscles. When the exercise level increases the body diverts blood away from inactive areas. This inactive area is often the stomach. When the stomach becomes dehydrated and needs blood flow to move the nutrients from digested food in the stomach the result is that well known feeling of an upset stomach. It is the body’s way of telling you that the level of exercise needs to be reduced and moderated to a lower level of effort.
