Published via Ecency

I decided to do a little exercise lately as it has been a long time since I last participated in one. I did a little bit of jogging and running for a distance of about 6km. While it was a combination of fun, sweat, and fulfilment, I also experienced something at the same time. A sharp pain at the upper right side of my abdomen.

Sincerely, the pain was annoying and uncomfortable, and if you have heard the name side stitch, then it is what it is. Technically known as exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). This pain is usually temporary, and it is caused by extreme physical activity especially high-impact cardio or running.

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This pain is common and would usually happen on the right side of the abdomen, beneath the ribs, but the pain can be felt in other places like the left side of the abdomen, or the entire abdomen. I thought it was dangerous and possibly something I needed to get to the hospital for ASAP until my coach told me it was normal and I only needed to take a few moments off.

I decided to go check for reasons why I could be experiencing this, and I realized that there is no conclusive cause for it. Different studies have been done and different theories have been brought up, with one being the Diaphragm spasm. The diaphragm sits just under the lungs and it helps with breathing. The stress the diaphragm goes through during the exercise, coupled with the reduced oxygen circulation since the oxygen is sent to the muscle tissues that need it.

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Another theory puts the cause on irritation of the parietal peritoneum which covers the abdominal organs. The peritoneum is highly sensitive since it is attached to numerous nerve endings. So it can get irritated due to continuous friction between it and the organs in the abdomen as a result of the activities during such rigorous exercise.

We could assume that there could be reasons why I experienced ETAP. Maybe I ate a lot before I began running because I ate a few doughnuts before I began to race. This could have added extra weight to the ligament attached to my diaphragm as I was exercising the very day, which could have led to the problem.

It could also be the sugary beverage I had before the exercise as I took tea to wash down the doughnuts I had eaten. Some research has shown that taking sugar or sugary content before exercise could irritate the lining of the stomach and cause bloating.

I also feel that another reason I felt this was because it had been a long time since I participated in running and it has been confirmed that runners who are relatively new experience it more than runners who are experienced and have been doing it for a long time.

Next time I go out for a run which will be tomorrow, I will watch out for these things and I should see a physician just to explain more about it to me.