Side stitches as we all well know are a common pain in the world of fitness, I am sure that everyone in their lifetime has been blessed of the wonderful experience of a side stitch.

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the pain worsens.

Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side stitch and most were nonsense.

A stitch is not caused by gas in the colon because it is not relived by passing gas.

It is not caused by a liver swollen with blood during running,because the liver has a very distensible capsule and does not enlarge much during exercise.

It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles.

Lack of oxygen to the diaphragm doesn’t cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not shut off by running.

They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.