Stomach growling

How it works

The wall of your stomach and intestines is made of smooth muscle. This muscle squeezes in waves. Each wave pushes the contents a little further along. The movement is called peristalsis⁴.

The gut always holds some gas and liquid. When a wave squeezes gas and liquid through a narrow section, the mix gurgles. That gurgle is the growl. Doctors call the sound borborygmi, from a Greek word that imitates the noise¹. Doctors listen for it with a stethoscope and call it bowel sounds.

The noise does not mean you are hungry. It happens all day, after meals too. A full stomach muffles the sound. An empty stomach is a hollow chamber with gas in it, so the same wave sounds much louder¹.

An empty gut also runs a special program. About two hours after a meal, a strong wave starts in the stomach and sweeps down through the small intestine. It is called the migrating motor complex. It clears out leftover food, mucus, and bacteria². The hormone motilin starts each wave³. These sweeps repeat until you eat again, so an empty stomach growls in bursts.

Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry, also increases stomach movement¹. This is why growling and hunger often arrive together.

Is it a problem?

No. Growling is a sign that the gut is moving as it should. A silent belly is not a goal. Most people can make the sound quieter for a while by eating or drinking something¹.