nauseated?

[Sarah]

O.K. I have a problem...I'm nauseated off an on all day for about the past two weeks.  A blood test said I wasn't pregnant.  Someone mentioned that maybe I wasn't eating enough because I have been running long runs getting ready for the Ogden marathon.  I've been eating more but it's not helping.

Is there maybe a certain type of food that maybe will help?  Any ideas?  Any ideas on tests I should ask my doctor to do (besides another pregnancy test, lol).

[Steve P]

I'm no doctor but runners often have troubles with low iron, so that could be a possibility.

[Adele Kimbrough]

Are you taking vitamins?  I get nauseated if I take a multi-vitamin pill on an empty stomach, so now I make sure to take it with a meal.  My daughter has it worse than me and will be nauseated for several hours if she takes one without a decent amount of food.  (She also had the same problem a couple years ago when a doctor told her to start taking zinc supplements, except she got so nauseated from them she started throwing up.)  Hope you feel better soon & good luck with the marathon.

[Chris M]

I would second the iron possibility, especially if you are running more since you break down the red blood cells thorugh the impact, also women generally need more iron anyway. Red meat and brocolli is good, also I believe drinking orange juice with meals helps the iron be absorbed into the body?

Also if you are running more it could be lack of carbs in general if you have not increased your food intake with the increase mileage?

[Cheryl Keith]

All of the above advice is really good.  I felt nauseated after every run a few years ago and found out I had a thyroid problem--hyperthyroidism to be exact.  You might look into that.

[Sasha Pachev]

I looked at your blog, but could not find the details of your training. Having a day-by-day record of how far you run and how fast, as well as your race performances, would be very helpful.

As was already mentioned, feeling nauseated could be caused by poor nutrition or some health issue. It can also be caused by the lack of sleep, or excessive stress during the day. At least for me, nausea comes when the nervous system is not capable of driving the muscles at the intensity I desire or expect. When the nervous system is working well, the pace at which it comes has to me much faster.

I would start by improving the quality of your nutrition, finding a chance to take a short nap (15-30 minutes) during the day, and easing off the pace of your runs as long as it is not slower than 10:00 per mile. Find ways to relax during the day, avoid worrying about things.

[Joe Furse]

What time of day do you run?  I've found that running in the mornings tends to not work well for me digestively or otherwise.  If you run in the afternoons, it may be the weather change with summer coming on.  I have a lot of experience running in very hot temperatures, and if you're not used to it and/or hydrate improperly (too little, too much, not enough electrolytes, etc.) it can definitely make you feel ill.  So maybe experiment with the time of day and temperature you are running at and your hydration.  Also, I will second the above advice about nutrition.  You can't "diet" in the popular sense of the word and train for marathons.  Your body will crash and it will not be pretty.  Been there, done that.  Same goes for sleep.  Eat like a horse and get lots of rest.

[April G]

There's a lot of great advice here!  My two cents is really just an echo, but I get nauseated when I am very hungry/haven't had enough to eat.  It may be with all the marathon training you haven't stepped up the eating enough.  So...eat more!(healthy food)