Heartburn While Working Out

Heartburn has a number of different names, including reflux and acid indigestion. Regardless of the name, this condition can be both painful and potentially damaging to the lining of your throat and esophagus, explains the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse in their online publication "Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)." Experiencing heartburn while working out can indicate that your body responds adversely to foods or that you have underlying conditions that have weakened the muscles that separate your esophagus from your stomach.

Causes

• Heartburn occurs when the contents of your stomach migrate upward past your lower esophageal sphincter muscle. This occurs when the muscle becomes weakened or relaxes abnormally, explains the Mayo Clinic in their online guide "Heartburn: Causes." Heartburn can be made worse if you bend over or hang upside down and tends to be more prevalent in individuals who are overweight, pregnant or smoke cigarettes. Spicy and fried foods, explains the National Digestive Disorders Information Clearinghouse, caffeinated drinks and alcohol can also make heartburn worse. Alcohol can cause additional, albeit temporary, relaxation of the lower esophageal muscle. Consuming these foods and beverages prior to working out can increase the risk of heartburn while exercising.

Diet

• Aside from caffeinated beverages, spicy and fried foods, and alcohol, other things you consume can lead to heartburn while working out. These include foods containing mint, chocolate, mustard, orange juice and soft drinks. If a food seems to precipitate heartburn while working out, it may be an individual intolerance and best avoided to prevent the onset of heartburn. Consuming too much of any food or beverage has the potential to force the acid from your stomach into your esophagus or delay emptying of the stomach. The best way to prevent this from occurring is to consume smaller meals and smaller amounts of liquid more frequently throughout the day.

Exercises

• Exercises that require you to lie down, bend over or hang upside down can lead to heartburn while working out. Additionally, if your heartburn is caused by a physical problem such as a hiatal hernia or faulty esophageal sphincter muscle, working out can cause heartburn or make it worse. Keeping track of your eating and drinking habits and the occurrence of heartburn can help both you and your physician determine why it's occurring when you're working out, according to the Cleveland Clinic in their online publication "Preventing and Managing Heartburn."

Treatment

• The first line of defense in preventing the onset of heartburn when working out is to make changes to your dietary habits, stop smoking and avoid movement that makes heartburn occur. In addition, over-the-counter and prescription medications may help reduce the production of stomach acid or change how the muscles in your esophagus work. In rare cases, surgery may be indicated to tighten or repair the esophageal sphincter muscle or repair a hiatal hernia. Surgery may be invasive or can be performed, in some cases, laparoscopically with minimal anesthesia.