I competed in my second triathlon last Sunday, and (apart from getting stuck in my T1 wetsuit) things were going well until the run. I then had a very bad stitch that repeatedly slowed me to a halt, and left me hardly able to breathe. Clearly I would like to find a cure for this, yet there does not even seem to be any consensus on what causes stitches. The most plausible explanations seem to be that they are either caused by straining the ligaments that hold the internal organs, such as the liver, or by spasms in the daiphragm muscle.
Note that I have always been very prone to getting stitches during running. In the triathlon, the stitch had actually developed during the swim (swimming can also give me stomach cramps easily, which no one can explain to me), and I had not been able to shake it off during the bike leg. I had not eaten for the three hours previous to the triathlon, and that had been a high carbohydrate/low fat breakfast. I practice abdominal breathing, which is supposed to help prevent stitches. I was also well hydrated and am not prone to getting muscle cramps elsewhere in my body.
Any help would be appreciated!
Duncan
Note that I have always been very prone to getting stitches during running. In the triathlon, the stitch had actually developed during the swim (swimming can also give me stomach cramps easily, which no one can explain to me), and I had not been able to shake it off during the bike leg. I had not eaten for the three hours previous to the triathlon, and that had been a high carbohydrate/low fat breakfast. I practice abdominal breathing, which is supposed to help prevent stitches. I was also well hydrated and am not prone to getting muscle cramps elsewhere in my body.
Any help would be appreciated!
Duncan