Everyone has once or twice had a “side stitch” while running. Exercise linked temporary abdominal pain (ETAP), a more official diagnostic term for a stitch, is pain that develops during exercise (often jogging), though it can also happen with other sports like swimming, hockey, cycling and even walking if rigorous enough.
Symptoms
Pain is typically felt on one side of the abdomen along the bottom edge of the ribs and is typically described as acute or stabbing. The discomfort is typically bearable enough that you can continue exercising despite it, but occasionally it might be severe enough that you must stop. Normally slowing down and adjusting your breathing pattern can resolve the stabbing pain but this results in a reduction in performance.
Causes
Although there are many suggestions about the potential reasons or predisposing factors, the specific cause of a stitch are unknown.
Ischemia (loss of blood flow) to the diaphragm, the muscle that sits at the base of the ribcage and is in charge of lung expansion, is one widely accepted idea. During exercise, there may be a reduction in blood flow, which leads to a reduced oxygen supply to the diaphragm and causes irritation, cramping, and pain. This is why when you slow down and are able to increase the depth of your breath or “breath more fully” the symptoms tend to reduce.
Other hypotheses include inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity and straining of the ligaments connecting the diaphragm to the liver.
Stitches may result from what you eat and drink before running because some foods and drinks, as well as the time you consume them, might cause belly discomfort.
Treatment and Prevention
Remaining true to the notion that what you eat and drink before running may increase your risk of getting a stitch, so be extremely aware of what you consume before your run and when. The following tactics could be useful:
- Avoid eating a substantial meal two hours prior to your run.
- In the 12 hours prior to running, make sure you are properly hydrated.
- In the two hours prior to your run, limit your fluid intake to little sips rather than consuming huge amounts.
- In the two hours before your run, stay away from fatty, high-fiber foods because they take longer to digest and may induce stomach trouble.
- Since every person is unique, keep track of what you ate before runs where you get stitches, and change your routines as you discover what works for you.
Summary
Before engaging in quality training, make sure you warm up properly because abrupt changes in your breathing pattern might aggravate your body and cause pain. During your run, pay attention to how you’re breathing and try to align it with the way you move.
It is better to slow down a little and concentrate on restoring your breathing pattern if you are unfortunate and develop a stitch while running. If you feel the urge to pause, consider giving the sore area under your ribs a mild self-massage. This could relieve the muscular spasm.
Thanks for reading, and hope this can help reduce the occurrence of the stitch.