Swimming - Belly fills with air
Mike Stelzer
Posts: 1
Every so often I experience a really bloated stomach after a swim session. My belly seems to fill with air, I am sure it is not water... This results in stomach cramps and takes quite some time to dissipate making biking very uncomfortable. Relief only occurs after the air passes through the intestines and leave the body in an explosive manner.
I think it has something to do with my breathing technique. I concentrate on exhaling continuously during the stroke and breath bilaterally...
Any ideas what is causing this and what would help to resolve the situation?
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Comments
Me too.. I know that doesn't help but I feel your pain...
I can generally burp it out when I'm resting between intervals, but yeah, it can be very uncomfortable, and not that pleasant for others in the pool at the time..
Sounds like Aerophagia. It's not uncommon. Put simply, swallowing/gulping down air while you swim in a horizontal position traps air in the stomach. It then moves into the small intestine and that is what can cause the pain/cramps. Standing upright allows the air to rise above the liquids in your stomach and that's when you burp.
You are correct in that it's most likely technique that is causing the problem. Best advice is to get a coach to take a look. I could take an educated guess but I won't. No substitute for actually seeing you in action.
Hope this helps a little.