There is often a saying that exercising after a meal can cause gastric ptosis. Is this really true? This article will analyze in detail whether exercising after a meal can cause gastric ptosis.
Does exercising after a meal cause gastric ptosis?
Research shows that gastric ptosis is more common in individuals with a lean and tall body shape, weak abdominal muscles, and those who have been bedridden for a long time and are physically weak. Its occurrence is related to decreased muscle tension and relaxation of the gastric ligaments. Currently, there is no clear evidence to suggest a direct relationship between exercising after a meal and gastric ptosis. Let's think about it, so many people take a walk after a meal and do not develop gastric ptosis. How many patients with gastric ptosis actually developed it due to exercising after a meal? There are few reports on the causal relationship between the two. Gastric ptosis, a term we often hear, actually has a low incidence rate. It is mostly a word of mouth or a concept in traditional Chinese medicine.
Why is there a belief that exercising after a meal can cause gastric ptosis?
When people say that exercising after a meal can cause gastric ptosis, it may be a confusion between post-exercise indigestion and gastric ptosis. It's a bit of "self-diagnosis": thinking that it is caused by gastric ptosis, when in fact your stomach is not prolapsed, it may just be lacking blood supply.
Whether the stomach is prolapsed or not is not determined by post-meal indigestion, but by X-ray barium meal examination. So, "self-diagnosis" should be avoided. Similarly, if you feel indigestion, you still need to clarify the cause. After confirming through examination that it is indigestion, apart from symptomatic treatment, you should also strengthen exercise, enhance abdominal muscle tension, eat multiple small meals, and try to gain some weight. The prolapsed stomach may gradually recover.
Misunderstanding indigestion as gastric ptosis
Many people have not undergone a barium meal examination, but only have symptoms of indigestion. They are mistakenly labeled as having "gastric ptosis," which is incorrect. Gastric ptosis refers to the downward elongation of the stomach's vertical axis when standing, with a significant decrease in the lower part of the stomach, even reaching the pelvic cavity.
Therefore, it is necessary to undergo a barium meal examination to confirm significant prolapse of the stomach in an upright position and to have symptoms of indigestion for it to be considered "gastric ptosis." If there are no symptoms and only the examination shows that the stomach is relatively low, it should be considered a relatively normal phenomenon and there is no need to worry too much. Furthermore, research has shown that the incidence of indigestion is not higher in patients with gastric ptosis.
Avoid intense exercise after a meal
Exercising after a meal generally does not cause gastric ptosis. However, it does not mean that you can engage in intense exercise after a meal because intense exercise after a meal can affect digestion and absorption, potentially leading to inadequate blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract. After a meal, blood flow to the digestive system can increase to more than 8 times the usual amount because more blood is needed for digestion and absorption of food. Light physical activity does not significantly affect the blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract, but intense exercise requires blood to be redistributed to the limbs and skeletal muscles. Therefore, intense exercise after a meal not only affects digestion but also does not provide sufficient exercise. There is no need for intense exercise; you can rest well before exercising. In conclusion, it is not advisable to engage in intense exercise after a meal, but light physical activities such as household chores or walking are still acceptable, and there is no need to worry about gastric ptosis. The duration of rest after a meal before exercising varies from person to person and depends on individual physical condition. It is important to develop good habits and exercise within your limits.
