Upper Abdominal Pain While Running: What’s Causing It?

Upper abdominal pain during exercise is common, particularly among endurance athletes, and is often not a sign of a serious condition.
Common causes include dehydration, eating too close to a workout, muscle strain from new or intense movements, or a “side stitch.”
Prevention strategies involve proper meal timing, staying hydrated, warming up before exercise and pacing yourself.
Seek immediate medical care for severe or worsening pain, fever, yellowing skin, or pain that spreads to other parts of the body.

If you’ve ever been stopped by a sharp pain in your stomach mid-run, you’re not alone. This upper abdominal discomfort, often called “runner’s stomach,” is a common issue for many athletes. While it can be alarming, the cause is typically related to manageable factors like your pre-run meal, hydration levels or workout intensity. The key is learning to tell the difference between a temporary issue and a sign you may need to see a doctor.

What Is Runner’s Stomach?

Woman with curly blonde hair running on a paved path in a park

“Runner’s stomach” isn’t an official medical diagnosis you’d hear from your doctor. Instead, it’s more of a catch-all phrase that runners use to describe a whole host of digestive problems they can get during or after a tough run. Because it’s not a strict definition, people might use the term to talk about slightly different feelings of discomfort.

The most common complaints include sudden diarrhea, stomach cramps and a sharp, stabbing pain in your side that you probably know as a “side stitch.” The timing can also be different for everyone. Some runners have to deal with an upset stomach mid-run, while others might feel perfectly fine until after the workout is completely over.

Is Upper Abdominal Pain While Running Dangerous?

If you feel upper abdominal pain after exercising, you’re far from alone. Endurance athletes, especially marathon runners, often experience stomach and gut problems that can hurt their performance and health.

Underlying health conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and ruptured spleens, can cause intense pain, but don’t jump to conclusions that you have a severe illness. You could also encounter this problem due to factors that you control. Before you panic, perform a self-evaluation.

Why Does Your Stomach Hurt Every Time You Run?

A male runner bending over on a red running track

Runner’s stomach can often be traced back to a handful of simple and manageable factors, from your pre-run meal to your hydration strategy. Understanding the potential causes can help you take clear steps to solve the problem and get back to enjoying your runs pain-free.

1. Length of Your Workout

Long-distance runners and triathletes complain of gastrointestinal distress more frequently than those who take the occasional Zumba class.

One possible explanation is that long, intense and high-impact exercise, especially in difficult conditions, can make the lining of your gut more permeable. This may allow outside substances, such as bacterial toxins, to pass through the gut lining and contribute to discomfort.

2. Workout Intensity

How would you describe your upper abdominal distress? Is it sharp or shooting, or dull or pulling? Either sensation can indicate exercise-related transient abdominal pain or a side stitch. Fortunately, this ache should subside within a few minutes of stopping movement. If it doesn’t, you might need to consider a different cause and consult a doctor.

3. Muscle Strain

When you work a muscle group that you haven’t previously worked, you can grow sore quite quickly. If you never did a 2-minute plank hold before, that exercise could be the culprit. Like side stitches, this pain should fade relatively rapidly, although delayed-onset muscle soreness can last for two to five days.

If it’s a muscle strain, you can try the RICE treatment—rest, ice, compression and elevation. Take a day or two off from the gym, apply ice to the affected area, gently massage your abdomen, and elevate it by making sure your chair has a supportive backrest.

4. Hydration

Woman sipping from a blue reusable water bottle

Dehydration can cause nausea, vomiting and muscle cramps. However, you should avoid the temptation to guzzle too quickly. This behavior can spur further stomach upset. The best idea is to sip throughout your workout.

5. Food Consumption

Eating before your workout may cause severe abdominal distress. Some folks can wolf down a sandwich and then hit the weights, but others require two hours or more. Your body sends blood to your stomach to aid digestion, but when your muscles start to compete for that oxygen-rich resource, what you ate sits in your stomach like a lump. Bouncing on a mini-trampoline with a bowling ball in your belly is enough to make anyone queasy.

How to Prevent Upper Abdominal Pain While Running or After a Workout

Here are some useful tips you can try to prevent upper abdominal pain after exercising:

Time your meals correctly: Eat a full meal with carbs, protein and fat about 2 to 3 hours before you exercise. If you’re eating closer to your workout, have a smaller meal of carbs and protein about 1 to 1.5 hours beforehand.
Choose pre-workout foods wisely: Focus on simple, easily digestible carbohydrates. Avoid foods that are high in fiber, fat and protein closely before exercising, as they take longer to digest and can cause discomfort.
Hydrate strategically: Drink fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated, rather than drinking a large amount right before your run. During exercise, take small, regular sips of water.
Be cautious with gels and supplements: Test any sports drinks, gels or supplements during your training sessions to see how your body tolerates them. Don’t try anything new on a race day.
Limit certain medications and substances: Avoid using NSAIDs like ibuprofen before a workout. These medicines can increase gut issues because they block the chemicals that cause pain while also blocking other chemicals that naturally protect your stomach lining. Also, be mindful of your caffeine intake, as it can be a trigger for some athletes.
Warm up and pace yourself: Always perform a proper warmup before beginning intense exercise. Pacing yourself and avoiding starting too fast can also help prevent side stitches and cramps.
Train your gut: Just as you train your muscles, you need to train your digestive system. Use your training runs to practice the exact nutrition and hydration strategy you plan to use on race day to see what works best for you.

When to Seek Medical Attention

A runner’s stomach may not be a big health risk in most cases, but you do need to seek medical care in some circumstances. Here’s when to raise the alarm and visit the ER:

The pain or pressure becomes severe: Unfortunately, there’s no way to chart pain intensity. However, if your abdominal distress keeps getting worse after exercise, please seek medical attention.
You develop a fever: Fever signifies inflammation and infection.
Your skin becomes yellow: Jaundice is the technical term for yellowing of the eyes and skin when you have liver or pancreatic issues.
Your vomiting and diarrhea become severe: Severe vomiting and diarrhea can dehydrate you and cause further health problems.
The pain radiates elsewhere: If your pain begins in your abdomen but radiates elsewhere, it could be a sign of trouble. For example, women might grow nauseous during a heart attack rather than experience the signature “elephant on the chest.”
Your stomach feels tender to the touch: If it feels severely tender, you may have a serious condition, such as appendicitis, that requires immediate attention.

Relieve Your Upper Abdominal Pain After Exercise

Fortunately, upper abdominal pain after exercise doesn’t always indicate a severe medical issue. Know the signs to look for and when you should seek care.

Originally published August 14, 2020. Updated August 28, 2026.

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