Can Cycling Cause Lower Abdominal Pain? How To Prevent It?

The lower abdomen, like many parts of the body, works hard during your bike ride. Can cycling cause lower abdominal pain? Check out this article for the answer!

Can cycling cause lower abdominal pain? Yes, you might experience discomfort and pain in this body area while riding.

However, you can avoid this issue by adjusting the neutral position and avoiding overeating and overexerting yourself.

Can Cycling Cause Lower Abdominal Pain?

Lower Abdominal Pain And Other Gut Problems While Cycling

Many cyclists suffer from lower abdominal pain during a bike ride, but some preventative methods can be warded off.

Other gut issues you might also experience while taking up this sport are bloating, gas, cramps, acid reflux, and diarrhea.

Why Cycling Causes Lower Abdominal Pain?

Abdominal pain is normal to cyclists, especially when overexerting themselves during a ride, which can lead to abdominal wall muscle strain.

Yet, the pain should be only present when exercising and dissipate at rest.

Lower abdominal pain is more likely to happen when cyclists are new to riding long distances.

Can Cycling Cause Lower Abdominal Pain?Yes-It Is More Likely To Happen When You Start Riding Long Distance.

Once you build up endurance, you should not feel the pain anymore. Otherwise, it is advised to consult a doctor, especially when it does not feel like muscle pain.

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How To Prevent Abdominal Pain While Cycling?

Now we know the answer to “can cycling cause lower abdominal pain?” so how to avoid that?

Avoid Eating Too Much Before Biking

Many cyclists overestimate their calorie intake before a ride. You’d better not overstuff your stomach before a ride and only need under 400 calories for each hour of the ride.

Avoid calories-packed, complex foods because your stomach will have a harder time processing them properly. It might leave you with an upset, painful stomach.

Shift The Position

The annoying lower abdominal pain can be a telltale sign that you’re not moving the right way.

Pay attention to how this pain behaves while you’re on the bike. If it is more prominent when you’re exercising in the drops of the road bike and subdues on the upright posture of a mountain bike, you may want to adjust your position.

A bike fit can help you get things right, make your riding position less aggressive, and more comfort-promoting. That helps lift off or reduce the pressure on the lower abdominal area.

Avoid Overexertion

To avoid lower abdominal pain in the first place, it’s best to reduce your riding intensity so you won’t strain the abdominal muscles.

You can stop for a minute, get off the bike and do some stretching during a long ride.

Avoid Over Straining Your Body And Take A Rest If Necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Cycling Cause Constipation?

Cycling does not cause constipation. In contrast, it stimulates bowel movements.

Cyclists often have a special diet that contains plenty of healthy ingredients and drink a lot of fluids while biking. All of this helps to prevent constipation.

If you have constipation while cycling, it is recommended to eat more fiber and drink more water to promote bowel movements and prevent irritable bowel syndrome.

Can Cycling Cause Pelvic Pain?

Pelvic pain is a regular occurrence amongst many indoor and outdoor cyclists.

Riding a bike for a long period can make the groin and pelvic region uncomfortable and even painful as it exerts much pressure on the pelvic floor.

Pelvic problems can range from numbness, tingling, pain, urinary or fecal incontinence, etc.

There are many things you can do to prevent or relieve pelvic pain during cycling.

• Wear padded shorts
• Get a more cushioned seat
• Stretch your groins and hips after cycling
• Use ice to reduce inflammation
• Implement pressure relief techniques by unweighting the body mass during a bike ride.

What Are The Side Effects Of Cycling?

The benefits of cycling are undeniable, but some side effects might put some people off getting to the sport:

Pain

Pain is part of cycling, and cyclists might experience it on different parts of the body:

• Neck & shoulder pain: Poor riding posture and putting too much weight on the arms can cause mild to sharp neck pain and shoulder tip pain.
• Leg pain: You might experience leg pain when riding upstairs or on steep hills and slopes.
• Butt and crotch pain: The most palpable pain occurs on the butt and crotch for beginning cyclists. When you get used to biking, you won’t feel this pain anymore.

Make your ride as comfortable as possible by selecting good bib shorts, the right saddle, and adjusting the appropriate riding position.

Dehydration

Although cycling is a low-impact exercise, sweating and losing fluids can weaken your physical energy.

Dehydration can exacerbate the strain on your muscles, heart, and whole body. Thus, it pays to drink water or sports drinks frequently during a long riding session.

Don’t Forget To Hydrate.

Low Blood Sugar

Your blood sugar might take a plunge during a bike ride, and this manifests through sudden dizziness, shakiness, and weakness.

Hypoglycemia is a familiar term among cyclists when blood glucose levels are abnormally low, which can lead to faint and serious health implications.

Weakened Upper-Body Muscles

You inevitably put substantial pressure on your internal organs during an extended ride. The upper back also suffers from your hunched-over position for a long period.

Do not overlook strength training in these sections, or you’ll risk yourself getting pain, muscle damage, and musculoskeletal issues.

Sexual Dysfunction

Researches have shown that biking can impair sexual functions by causing numbness in the penis, increasing the likelihood of erectile dysfunction and reduced sensation in females.

Does Cycling Affect Stomach Muscles?

Cycling is not a core muscle per se, and your stomach muscles won’t stretch as a result. Nevertheless, this aerobic exercise might help you shred some fat on this section.

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  • Why Do My Arms Hurt After Cycling?-Here Is The Science Behind
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Conclusion

Can cycling cause lower abdominal pain? Yes, it’s quite commonplace for anyone to feel pain in their lower abdomen. However, we hope you can get a comfortable and pain-free ride with some tips and precautions above.