Our digestive systems seem to like making noise -- especially when we most desperately
do not want them to be making strange gurgling sounds.
[gurgle]
And I mean, even though stomach-growling is probably one of the less offensive noises
your guts can produce, it’s still not something you want happening in the middle of a thoughtful
pause during a job interview.
Now, you’d think that simply eating right before that important meeting would avoid
that problem.
Because if you’re not hungry, your stomach isn’t going to growl, right?
Well, it might help a little, but you could still be in for some awkward moments.
Because even though stomach rumbles do have something to do with hunger, that’s not
their immediate cause.
Instead, those noises are caused by the movement of air through your digestive tract.
And even though that air isn’t actually escaping your body, it does create some distinctive
acoustic effects.
Your digestive system moves things around using muscle contractions.
Mostly, it’s just trying to transport partially digested food, but in the process, air gets
shifted around, too, creating sound vibrations.
In your stomach and small intestine, that air makes a noise that’s sorta like when
you blow bubbles through a straw in your drink -- except that the bubbles are either moving
up toward your stomach or down toward your…
other end.
Hunger can make it worse, too.
Being hungry causes extra muscle contractions to flare up, because your digestive system
has to clear out the remains of your last meal to prepare for the next round of food.
When you eat, not only that does help calm down those contractions, but having some food
in there also helps muffle the sound a little.
But in the end it doesn’t really matter if you’re hungry or not because if your
digestive system is active, it’s going to make noise.
And like the rest of your bodily functions, there’s not a whole lot you can do about
it.
A big thanks to Sarah A, a supporter on Patreon, for asking us this question!
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