It\u2019s not fully clear what causes a side stitch, i.e. a sharp pain in your side under the ribcage, during athletic activity.<\/p>\n
The medical term for it is exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP).<\/p>\n
\u201cRecent studies indicate it involves the diaphragm,\u201d says Department of Training and Exercise Science co-director Marcel Reuter at the German University of Applied Sciences for Prevention and Health Management (DHfPG) in Saarbr\u00fccken, Germany.<\/p>\n
The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscular partition between the chest and abdominal cavities.<\/p>\n
It has several layers, he says, one of which has an especially large number of pain receptors that can be irritated by movements during sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you eat a lot right before sport, pressure on the diaphragm is increased,\u201d according to Reuter, who recommends not eating for two to three hours prior.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s evidence that isotonic and sweetened drinks can also cause side stitches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Posture can play a role as well, which is why they occur more frequently during some types of sport than others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe diaphragm is under greater tension from the more upright posture in jogging than during cycling, making a side stitch more likely,\u201d he says.![\"Side](\"https:\/\/apicms.thestar.com.my\/uploads\/images\/2026\/02\/13\/3768803.jpg\")
Side stitches can occur on either side of your abdomen and sometimes on both, but it\u2019s unclear what triggers them or what can make it better. \u2014 Photos: 123rf<\/p>\n
There are no studies that point to the best way to remedy an acute side stitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cTry out different things,\u201d Reuter advises, suggesting, for instance, slow, rhythmic breathing, slowing your pace if you\u2019re running, or massaging\/applying gentle pressure to the painful area.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people just keep on running and it goes away.\u201d<\/p>\n
To prevent side stitches, he recommends warming up before athletic activity, with a focus on stretching your abdominal region.<\/p>\n
\u201dNo one is immune to side stitches though,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Aching muscles post-exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) \u2013 the medical term for this condition \u2013 isn\u2019t always the same.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are various types and various causes,\u201d Reuter says.<\/p>\n It often occurs after an activity that places unaccustomed loads on muscles or works them to the point of exhaustion.<\/p>\n This causes microscopic damage to muscle fibres and\/or connective tissue, which the body can repair itself.<\/p>\n The process is accompanied by pain, and your muscles can feel warm or as though fluid has accumulated in them.<\/p>\n \u201cMuscle soreness arises 12 to 24 hours after the athletic activity, reaching its peak after 24 to 72 hours\u201d, which is when athletes notice that their performance stagnates.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether their injury risk then increases isn\u2019t scientifically proven,\u201d says Reuter.<\/p>\n To prevent DOMS, you should simply start with light loads on your muscles and only gradually increase them.<\/p>\n To alleviate soreness more quickly, it helps to stimulate blood circulation in the affected tissue.<\/p>\n \u201cSo stay physically active – ride a bicycle,\u201d he advises, but warns against strenuous activities.<\/p>\n A warm bath or warm compress can also stimulate circulation, he adds.<\/p>\n Muscle spasms<\/strong><\/p>\n A muscle spasm, or cramp, is often due to muscle fatigue.<\/p>\n \u201cThere aren\u2019t any studies on why a particular strand of muscle cramps up, however,\u201d says sports medicine specialist Dr Axel Klein.<\/p>\n Muscle fatigue can be caused by an imbalance of electrolytes, which are essential salts and minerals such as magnesium.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring athletic activity, you sweat out certain electrolytes that your body needs, creating an imbalance,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n Athletes \u2013 including recreational ones or weekend warriors \u2013 who run a lot, such as footballers or regular joggers, often experience cramping.<\/p>\n \u201cSo jolts to, or compression of, a muscle are a factor,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Wear and tear on intervertebral discs due to water loss plays a role, especially for older people.<\/p>\n \u201cThis reduces cushioning in the lower spine,\u201d says Dr Klein, which can make cramps more likely.<\/p>\n Runners and joggers can help prevent leg cramps by wearing compression stockings.<\/p>\n What\u2019s most important though, is replenishing lost fluids, particularly with electrolyte-rich drinks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t drink two to three litres of mere tap water,\u201d Dr Klein says, \u201csince that would actually draw certain electrolytes into the gut to establish a balance there, which would only aggravate the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Another factor involved in your cramping risk is your conditioning level.<\/p>\n \u201cAccustoming a muscle to an athletic activity by gradually intensifying the workouts will lower the risk,\u201d Reuter says.<\/p>\n So, instead of starting a workout \u201ccold\u201d, make sure to warm up first.<\/p>\n If you do experience cramping, take a break from the activity or stop it altogether.<\/p>\n Applying heat or gently massaging the affected area will improve blood circulation.<\/p>\n \u201cPassive stretching [via a prop or partner] can help too,\u201d Reuter says.<\/p>\n \u201cHave the cramped muscle gently pulled into a stretched position.\u201d Headache<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever suddenly got a headache during a workout?<\/p>\n Getting a headache while you\u2019re engaged in an athletic activity should be taken seriously, according to Dr Klein, especially if it occurs regularly, in which case you should have it checked by a doctor.<\/p>\n The cause may be sharply rising blood pressure triggered by physical exertion.<\/p>\n \u201cPain is then typically felt in the forehead region,\u201d he points out, adding that an exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) can provide clarity.<\/p>\n Pain in the back of your head is usually due to tension in neck and shoulder muscles.<\/p>\n \u201cParticularly, many people who offset an office job with jogging hunch their shoulders to a great degree,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re aware that you tend to do this, he advises that you try to relax them during workouts.<\/p>\n It\u2019s best to immediately stop an athletic activity if you get a headache.<\/p>\n What you definitely shouldn\u2019t do is simply take a pain reliever and continue.<\/p>\n Taking ibuprofen during a workout, for example, will further reduce blood flow to your stomach and encourage stomach issues, warns Dr Klein. \u2013 dpa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anyone\u00a0who regularly does sport knows that aches and pains come with the territory. Troublesome though they may be,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":348294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[18,525,14873,135,19,17,163885,163886],"class_list":["post-348293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-eire","tag-fitness","tag-headache","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-muscle-spasm","tag-side-stitch"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116106414397452176","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/apicms.thestar.com.my\/uploads\/images\/2026\/02\/13\/3768804.jpg\")
A muscle spasm is often due to muscle fatigue, which could be caused by an imbalance of electrolytes.<\/p>\n