I’m encountering a weird issue that is utterly new to me in my years of training: after my workout, my stomach is absolutely cold to the touch. It is red and the temperature is as if the skin was exposed to sub-zero C for quite some time.
Now, I’m still about 12 lbs over my race weight and my waist is 1.5"+ larger than it should be (both weight and waist measures are based on actual weight & measure last year and the year before).
This is happening during running and cycling. I first dismissed the cycling incidents as due to air flow (fan or simply movement through the air), even if illogical. The incidents from running are a bit harder to explain away. After this morning’s easy (& short compared to the last two years) run of 90min, the skin on my stomach was red and significantly colder to the touch (my wife confirmed) than my hands or face, which were exposed to the air (in the 40s F). Again, this didn’t happen before.
Anyone else encountering this? I this just another proof I’m carrying too much belly fat? What gives? I don’t know enough to know if I’m supposed to be concerned. I’m sure I can stomach thoughts (sorry, had to put it out there before someone else claimed it).
I get this when cycling but only outdoors. Like you im carrying a bit if a spare tire. Personally its never worried me but have no idea what causes it.
The short answer is that your belly fat is not contractile and does not contribute to moving you forward so your body routes the blood away from it to the parts that are working hard. Happens to me all the time. Here’s a more detailed answer .
Thanks @ExpertOrBust that makes perfect sense. The extreme temperature difference made me concerned, as if skin damage was going to occur. As the intent is to lose the weight, and this “new” issue, perhaps it’ll be short lived.
The occurrence yesterday was more extreme as the weather wasn’t as cold as my skin covered by a thin merino running shirt and a weather-appropriate running jacket that was never unzipped lower than the sternum. I didn’t wear gloves, though the jacket included the thumb-insert/over-knuckle extension (perhaps there’s a name for that ;), and my fingers weren’t nearly as cold as my belly. I figure this shows how much circulation keeps even the digits warm.
Decathlon sell a base layer that has a windproof section on the front of the middle. Is an excellent bit of kit that might give you a little protection there from any fan you might be running.
