Exercise is bad for your tum

TOO much exercise can cause severe stomach problems, a study shows.

Australian researchers found that those who exercise vigorously for more than two hours put themselves at risk of gut damage. The authors, from Monash University, reviewed several studies looking at the effects of excessive exercise, including cycling and running.

They found that after a ‘threshold’ of two hours the intestine gets injured and the gut becomes leaky, allowing harmful bacteria to pass into the bloodstream.

They said that ‘exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome’ may lead to stomach problems, Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics reports.

Between 73 and 96 per cent of competitors in a high-endurance 24-hour 161km run reported severe gastrointestinal symptoms, compared to 7 to 11 per cent of marathon and half-marathon runners. Lead author Dr Ricardo Costa recommended a ‘full gut assessment’ for exercisers with stomach symptoms.