Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and its associated symptoms are common among athletes. In the athlete, GER increases with intensity of exercise, is more common with endurance sports, and worse with postprandial exercise. GER has symptoms that overlap with other upper gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Symptoms of GER can be difficult to distinguish from cardiac chest pain. GER may exacerbate asthma. Proposed mechanisms causing GER during exertion include altered GI blood flow and motor function, neuroendocrine changes, and mechanical effects. GER symptoms that interfere with activity may respond to lifestyle modification or pharmacologic therapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.