Ask Takbo.ph: Is it OK to run after eating?

How long should you wait to run after eating? I get scolded for this when I was young. I am often told not to run or play after a meal. I would ask why and I get various reason depending on the age of the adult.  They say

I posted a weight loss tip at our Instagram account: Eat first then exercise to burn more calories. One follower asked how long should you rest after eating before you can workout or run.

Follow up at Instagram for more tips

Timing is Key

The time depends on how heavy the meal is. For an average meal, you may need to wait 2-3 hours before running or do a workout. For a heavy meal, 3-4 hours would be a better gap. Or after a light snack, an hour will do. If you plan a more intense workout, you may need to rest a little longer.

Personally, I am comfortable running within 30 minutes after a snack. Gauge yourself. If after eating and resting and you still feel bloated or sluggish during the run, you need to either eat lesser, or rest longer the next time.

Ramen – my favorite pre- long run meal. 😀

Don’t over do it

I read a funny running quote that says “I run because I really, really, really love food.”

True.

But we should not overdo the eating especially if you will run afterwards or even race the following day.

I remember joining the Milo Marathon Iloilo and my sister took me on a food trip a day before. One of the highlights was a huge burger the size of a plate! I also ate different cakes and pastries thinking that I need all these food for the half marathon the next day.

Wrong! I ate too much and felt very sluggish during the race the following day. Despite having about 8 hours of rest, the food was still no properly digested. I had the urge to vomit during the run.

Another lesson learned the hard way.

Why wait

After eating, the body needs time to digest the food. To do this, the body directs more blood to flow to the stomach and other internal organs. When we exercise, the opposite happens, blood flow goes from the internal organs and into the muscles. This will cause problems since the body cannot do both digestion and exercise at the same time.

As a result, stomach cramps, stomach pain, acid reflux, and other gastro-intestinal distress may happen. These can be nasty when these stomach problems pop up in the middle of the run.

How about Appendicitis

I would hear my lola telling me “Nugay dalagan tapos kaon kay ma ap-pin-di-ci-tis ka!” Don’t run after eating or you’ll get an appendicitis.

How true?

I have not read any medical reference that says running after eating will cause appendicitis. WebMD says that appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked, often by stool, a foreign body, or cancer.

It doesn’t say how the blockage will occur. Does running makes the food in the intestines juggle so that the food will find its way to the appendix and block it?

I had appendicitis once (hehehe, obviously…) and I had my raptured appendix removed. I don’t remember running after eating that day so running was not the cause of my appendicitis. But I remember pushing a heavy object (a car) right after breakfast. Could performing heavy activities after eating be a cause of appendicitis? In the absence of science, I guess grandmothers know best. 😛