You've probably heard of exercise-induced asthma, but did you know that exercise can also trigger food allergies? Exercise-induced food allergy happens when you eat a specific food before exercising. As you pick up the pace and your body heats up, you may feel itchy and lightheaded.

Next, you may have symptoms such as hives or even anaphylaxis - a severe, systemic reaction.

The cure for exercised-induced food allergy is simple - avoid eating for a couple of hours before exercising. What's harder is determining that the problem is a food-based allergy and then finding the food that causes it. Work with your doctor or dietitian to learn how to find the culprit so you can exercise more comfortably.

Learn more about food allergies

Last updated: September 2006