Side Stitch: Causes And How To Treat And Prevent Them

Maybe your like

Medical News TodaySubscribeWhat causes a side stitch and how to treat and prevent it

Medically reviewed by Jake Tipane, CPT — Written by Steph Coelho, CPT — Updated on June 16, 2023

What is a side stitch?
Causes
Risk factors
Treatment
Prevention
Summary

A side stitch refers to pain felt on the side of the abdomen that occurs during physical activity. Treatments can include deep breathing, stretching, and more.

Doctors sometimes call side stitches exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP).

People who exercise have likely had a side stitch at one time or another. It is an annoying, painful sensation that can cause a person to stop exercising sooner than planned.

However, a side stitch is not harmful and does not require medical attention.

This article looks at the causes and potential treatments for a side stitch. It also provides information on how to prevent a side stitch from happening.

What is a side stitch?

a runner holding his side as he has a side stitch — Jan-Otto/Getty Images

A side stitch often feels like a cramping sensation but can also present as a dull pain.

Some people describe the feeling as a sharp, stabbing pain. It is more likely to happen during prolonged physical activity, such as swimming, running, or cycling.

A side stitch can happen to all types of exercisers and people of all levels of fitness, including well-trained individuals.

Research from 2014 suggests that side stitches are more prevalent in younger people.

Most people describe the pain as localized. Right side pain is also more common than left side pain.

Causes

There is no definitive cause of side stitches. However, there are some theories as to why side stitch pain develops during physical activity.

According to an article in Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.z.), specific individual physiological characteristics may play a part in why some people are more prone to side stitches than others.

Some studies suggest a link to a person’s sex. However, research in this area is conflicting and non-conclusive.

The article also suggests the following factors as possible causes of a side stitch:

Age

Evidence shows that younger individuals are more susceptible to side stitches.

However, researchers note that this might be because older people have lower activity levels.

Posture

Posture may also play a part.

Evidence suggests that people with poor postures, such as those with kyphosis, may be more susceptible to side stitches.

Exercise intensity

There is no consensus about whether exercise intensity can influence the development of side stitches.

Some research suggests that higher intensity workouts are more likely to cause side stitches, while other research shows the opposite.

Well-trained people may not have as many instances of side stitches as non-conditioned ones. However, athletes do still experience side stitches.

Eating and drinking

Eating before working out is a potential cause of side stitches. However, failure to reproduce the experience in laboratory settings means that the evidence is inconclusive.

There is also some evidence that ingestion of liquids with carbohydrates may increase a person’s chance of getting a side stitch.

Temperature

Anecdotally, insufficient warmups or working out in cold conditions may also provoke side stitch pain.

Muscle cramps

Some people associate side stitches with muscle cramps. However, there is little research to confirm any difference in muscular electrical activity while a person experiences a side stitch.

Risk factors

Potential risk factors for side stitches include:

younger age
eating or drinking before exercise
performing high-intensity exercises
not warming up
poor fitness level
exercising in cold weather

Treatment

The basis for most side stitch treatments is anecdotal.

Some common strategies for treating side stitches include:

deep breathing
pulsating the affected area
stretching the affected side
bending forward

Briefly stopping the activity may also help get rid of side stitch pain.

Prevention

The suggestions for preventing side stitches are similarly anecdotal because there is little research to support their efficacy.

People who wish to avoid side stitches during exercise should:

avoid eating at least 2 hours before working out
take in fluids throughout their workout but in small amounts
avoid sugary drinks before and during exercise
work on improving core strength
improve their posture
continue to exercise to improve their conditioning

Summary

A side stitch can quickly derail a person’s workout. It can start as a dull sensation and increase in severity.

Sometimes the pain can be so bad that a person doubles over and needs to stop exercising.

Side stitches are not life threatening, but they are annoying.

Unfortunately, there is little conclusive research about what causes them and how to treat and prevent them.

Most of the wisdom about treating and avoiding side stitches is anecdotal.

Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Pain / Anesthetics
Sports Medicine / Fitness

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Morton, D., et al. (2008). EMG activity is not elevated during exercise-related transient abdominal pain. https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(07)00143-0/fulltext
Morton, D., et al. (2015). Exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4281377/
Muir, B. (2009). Exercise related transient abdominal pain: A case report and review of the literature. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796944/

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Jake Tipane, CPT — Written by Steph Coelho, CPT — Updated on June 16, 2023

Latest news

5 healthy habits may help keep the brain younger, even with chronic pain
A 1-week social media break could boost your mental health
Certain changes in driving patterns may point to cognitive decline, dementia
Eating takeout food too often may increase cardiovascular disease risk
Between sleep and exercise, choose sleep, research suggests

Related Coverage

What can cause stomach pain when breathing?Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M.D., MPH
Stomach pain when breathing is often due to a problem with the diaphragm or the tissues in the chest cavity. Possible causes include injuries, hiatal…
READ MORE
What is runner’s knee, and how can you treat it?Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS
Runner's knee is a common injury among runners and athletes that do lots of running and jumping. Learn more.
READ MORE
Arnold shoulder press: Benefits, risks, and how to do it properlyMedically reviewed by Danielle Hildreth, RN, CPT
What are the benefits and risks of the Arnold shoulder press and is it better than the traditional shoulder press? Read on to learn more.
READ MORE
How long does it take to walk 10,000 steps?
The time it takes to walk 10,000 steps depends on various factors, including walking speed, stride length, and more. Learn the average time here.
READ MORE
Everything to know about the HYROX workout
HYROX is a workout involving stations that test endurance, strength, and overall conditioning in a standardized format. Read more.
READ MORE

Tag » How To Prevent Side Stitch

Health Conditions

Health Products

News

Original Series

Podcasts

General Health

Health Tools

Quizzes

About Medical News Today

Find Community

Follow Us