Help-Side Stitches while running

[Chedda7777]

I am in good shape and working my way into becoming lean and strong...however I need to up my cardio and am trying to incorporate treadmill running into this. I usually get on the treadmill and start walking at a fast pace and warming my body up to a light jog. Then I usually alternate interval training with distance running....but I have a huge problem...I get side stitches almost immediately and they cause me to slow down and walk it off. I hate them and I don't know how to get rid of them. I have cut back on how soon I eat then go to the gym. My body basically needs like a 4 hour window. I hydrate but don't gulp and I try to stay hydrated as much as possible while I am working out. I try to drink a ton of water during the day too-before the gym. I have been raised playing sports and am an athletic person...but these side stitches are preventing me from getting a good quality cardio workout on the treadmill. I usually get them on my right side. I have researched this a lot and nothing seems to work. I have even tried to breathe different and not to psych myself out. Does anyone have any advice on how to stop these from happening???

[vamp]

Well I would be lead to speculate it is because you are using your anaerobic and aerobic systems together.

Stop training intervals with long distance. Two different energy systems within the body.

long distance one day and sprints or intervals another. The sprints or intervals will cause side stiches because it is anaerobic and burns the muscle out faster of glycogen and oxygen. The aerobic eventually will cause stitches as well but not nearly so quickly.

Are you training to be long distance or to lose and maintain fat percentage. If it is the later than stick to intervals, they work far better for fat loss and maintenance than long distance running.

join in guys if you have other oppinions or anything to add.

[cassiegose]

Hey there!

I know this probably isn't the best advice but I always found that if I just ran through the side aches they eventually go away. It may take a while for this to happen but I've found that it should with time. When I first start a running program I tend to get side aches pretty regularly but after sticking to it for a while they do go away.

I'm not sure if this helps... I hope it does. :)

[swanso5]

run through them and take big, full breathes in your rest periods...eat light before training

[SarahPT]

I've been a long distance runner most of my life. The trick is belly breathing. Do not stop running when you have a side stitch. If it's bad, slowing your pace is ok. Take deep, SLOW breaths and try to push your breath low in to your gut, not up high. Breathe out slow. After 10 or so breaths like this the pain should start to ease. Make sure when you are running you are relaxing your shoulders, swinging your arms at your sides and not in front of your body, and that you are not bent at the elbows more than 90 degrees.

[redi2lose7]

Don't walk them out, run them. Your body is always trying to maintain homeostasis, and if it realizes you are not going to stop your normal activity, it'll find other ways to cope with the exercise. Also, try music. Have a song that makes you want to run at a fast pace. You'll get into the song, and you won't realize when the side stitches are gone. When you are resting, if you're doing interval training, take deep breaths through your nose and out through your mouth and try to get some water in, but not in big gulps.

[Packard]

Read this: http://www.sportscoach.netmx.co.uk/modu ... e&sid=1123

(You're not alone.)