Whether running a marathon or running around a track as part of your weekly exercise routine, sometimes not all the effects of running are positive. Pains such as side-stitch are common, especially if you are new to running or if you are suffering from other problems like dehydration. Understanding the causes of adverse running effects can help you prevent them from occurring in the future.
Dehydration
Intense running significantly increases your body temperature, as heat is one of the main by-products of the energy creation process of your body. Sweat leads to significant water loss, especially with longer and more intense runs. Water is needed for your muscles to continue to function correctly, including your core muscles, such as your abdominal muscles, as well as the muscles of your digestive system. When water levels get too low, the balance of electrolytes in your muscles can become unbalanced. This may contribute to the production of painful side cramps. Dehydration also reduces your blood volume. Less blood volume can lead to a reduced ability of your blood vessels to transport oxygen to the muscles, which can also contribute to cramp formation.
Oxygen
Along with water, muscles also need plenty of oxygen for the muscle cells to continue creating energy. Typically, your body deals with the increased energy need by increasing how fast you inhale and exhale. However, when your exercise intensity level reaches a point where the lungs can no longer keep up with the rate in which your body is using energy, your body may experience an oxygen shortage. This reduction in oxygen to the muscles can result in cramps of your abdominal muscles, leading to your side hurting.
Ligament
Intense running can also have an effect on the ligaments of your abdomen, contributing to side pain referred to as exercise-related transient abdominal pain. Running uses an up and down motion to work the muscles, which places stress on your body each time your feet make contact with the ground. The harder and longer you run, the more stress you place on the ligaments between your stomach and your diaphragm, causing them to stretch as the movement of your body pushes your internal organs down towards your feet. This pressure on your ligaments can result in side-stitch pain.
Other Possible Dangers
Pushing your running session too hard can also increase your risks for other adverse effects. For example, placing excessive stress on the leg muscles and supporting tissues like ligaments and tendons can result in common runner's injuries like iliotibial band syndrome, shin splints, tendonitis, muscle pulls or the wearing away of the back of the kneecap, also commonly referred to as runner's knee. Injury can also occur to the bone with over-running or overtraining, such as stress fractures.
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