There’s been a lot of discussion lately about stitches - what they are, and how to prevent them. I thought I’d toss this tidbit out there, from the rec.running FAQ:

In the May-June 1992 issue of Running Research News there is an article by Dr. Gordon Quick about the causes of and cures for stitches. To summarize:

1) Stitches are a muscle spasm of the diaphragm. The cause of the spasm is that the organs below it are jouncing up and down and pulling down as it wants to pull up. The liver being the largest organ is the biggest culprit which is why most stitches are on the right side. A stomach full of food may also contribute to the problem for the same reason. Stitches also occur more often when running downhill or in cold weather.

2) The cure seems almost too simple. Breathe out when your left foot strikes the ground instead of when the right foot strikes so that the organs on the right side of the abdomen are jouncing up when the diaphragm is going up. The organs attached to the bottom of the diaphragm on the left aren’t as big, so exert less downward pulling strain. If this is not enough to get rid of it, stop and raise you arms above your head until the pain goes away and when you resume, be a left foot breather. (Conversely, if your stitch occurs on the left side, switch your breathing to exhale on the right foot.)

3) Do not eat anything for an hour before running if you are prone to stitches, BUT PLEASE DO DRINK WATER. Water empties from the stomach faster than solids and the risk of complications from dehydration far exceed the problems one may have with a stitch.

4) In the long term, exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles will help prevent stitches because tighter abs will allow less movement of those internal organs. Practice belly breathing instead of chest breathing as recommended by Noakes. For the most part, stitches diminish over time. While they are not strictly a novice runner’s problem (about 1/3 of all runners get them from time to time) they usually will go away after a few weeks of conditioning.

So there you have it. Now I’ve got a good excuse for my recent obsession with ab workouts, at least.

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