Gut ‘damage’ warning for exercise fans

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

Australian researchers, from Monash University, found that those who ran or cycled vigorously for more than two hours put themselves at risk of gut damage.

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 ‘exerciseinduced gastrointestinal syndrome’ may lead to stomach problems, the journal of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics reports.

Between 73 and 96 per cent of competitors in a highendurance 24-hour 161km run reported severe gastrointestinal symptoms, compared to 7 to 11 per cent of marathon and half-marathon runners.