Why You Might Experience Stomach Pain During Exercise

“No pain, no gain” is the mantra of many athletes and exercise lovers trying to achieve their high endurance and weight loss goals. However, sometimes, it can be difficult to stay on track when you feel discomfort.

So, if you have ever experienced a sharp, piercing pain during or after exercise, you probably know what we are talking about. According to a study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), also known as runner’s stitch, is most common in athletes.

Excessive exercise also leads to shoulder tip pain (STP), which both amateur and elite athletes can suffer from. Other causes include increased exercise intensity, dehydration, and eating right before exercising.

The top two treatment options for ETAP include Thoracic Mobilization and Soft Tissue Therapy and Stretching. These are some of the common causes of stomach pain during exercise:

Side Stitch

A side stitch is a type of pain that is felt on the side of your abdomen, more commonly on the right. Symptoms of a side stitch include stabbing pain, dull ache, or cramping. It is usually felt during running, cycling, or playing basketball.

The exact reason behind a side stitch is unknown. However, a few studies say that it happens because of the movement of blood, which flows rapidly to the muscles. Other causes include increased exercise intensity, dehydration, and eating right before exercising. By staying hydrated, you can prevent a side stitch. Try taking breaks in between to see if it helps ease the pain.

Intensity Level

By increasing the intensity of your workout, you are bound to experience nausea in between. Nausea might happen because you ask too much of your body when you work harder. In exercise beginners, the excitement of the workout can also cause a side stitch.

Hormones

Did you know that your hormones can cause pain during exercise too? We all know how good exercising is for our health. It fills our body with endorphins and reduces cortisol (the stress hormone). However, your hormones are probably in disorder if you feel nausea during exercise.

One reason behind the pain might be the hormones released from your brain. This release leads to the release of the neurotransmitter catecholamines, which causes gastric delays.

Dehydration

Blood flows to your larger working muscles and away from the gut when you exercise. As a result, dehydration sets in, which affects the amount of blood pumping in your body. This condition exacerbates gut mobility and GI distress.

Eating

One of the biggest reasons behind that sharp pain during exercise is your diet. Eating junk food or anything high in fat right before exercise is a recipe for disaster. However, this does not mean that you exercise on an empty stomach. Eat something light yet fulfilling to have the right energy to complete your workout.

Apart from proper hydration and eating a light meal before exercising, a few other ways to prevent a side stitch is to take breaks between your workout, inhale deeply, do a warm-up before starting, and gently massage the area where you usually feel pain.