Hi everyone. I began running last March at the tender age of 49 in order to get fit. I am now comfortably running 5/6km twice a week in the evening after work, before my evening meal - and am loving it. In the past week I have twice tried to run during the day a couple of hours after a light lunch and have suffered with a chronic stitch. This is v disheartening so want to seek your advice as what might be causing this problem.Thanks
We was always told to not drink citrus drinks before or during exercise. Something to do with concertrate of sugar ? So stick to plain water.....
Running (or any vigorous exercise) after eating seems to be one of the most common causes of a stitch, and this would tie in with your experience of running after lunch... You could try running before eating lunch, perhaps just have a small snack (a handful of dried fruit and nuts, a yoghurt or a cereal bar) mid-morning to fuel your lunch-break run, then have a combination of carbs and protein for lunch (houmous on toast, tuna sandwich etc)
I find the best first-aid when a stitch hits is to slow down, breathe deeply, and stretch your arm up on the same side as the pain, until you feel comfortable again.