Pains in chest when running
March 27, 2011 12:20 PM
I get pretty nasty pains in my chest when I run. Is this normal, and does it go away?
So I'm a generally healthy if not underweight male, and for the first time since probably 8th grade when we did laps in gym class, I've taken up doing cardio again. I've always despised running, even back then - not because of the general discomfort of pushing myself after I'm fatigued, but very specifically because of pains (cramps?) that I get in my chest.
For as long as I can remember, if I run for more than 30 seconds or a minute it starts to feel like someone has punched me really hard somewhere in my ribcage - sometimes toward the bottom of my chest, or the top of my back, or right in the very center between my pecs. It's a pretty sharp pain and it's most prominent when I'm at the peak of my breaths.
The past two months I've been doing a light 5-10 minute jog 3 times a week before lifting weights. I thought that at first it was just general out-of-shapeness and would eventually go away if I kept at it, but it hasn't.
My question is, has anyone else ever experienced this and gotten to the bottom of it? And if so, are there any recommended stretches/dietary changes/lifestyle changes that alleviated it? Would taking a motrin before I run help me?
So I'm a generally healthy if not underweight male, and for the first time since probably 8th grade when we did laps in gym class, I've taken up doing cardio again. I've always despised running, even back then - not because of the general discomfort of pushing myself after I'm fatigued, but very specifically because of pains (cramps?) that I get in my chest.
For as long as I can remember, if I run for more than 30 seconds or a minute it starts to feel like someone has punched me really hard somewhere in my ribcage - sometimes toward the bottom of my chest, or the top of my back, or right in the very center between my pecs. It's a pretty sharp pain and it's most prominent when I'm at the peak of my breaths.
The past two months I've been doing a light 5-10 minute jog 3 times a week before lifting weights. I thought that at first it was just general out-of-shapeness and would eventually go away if I kept at it, but it hasn't.
My question is, has anyone else ever experienced this and gotten to the bottom of it? And if so, are there any recommended stretches/dietary changes/lifestyle changes that alleviated it? Would taking a motrin before I run help me?
It sounds like you're getting a stitch, or a cramp in your diaphragm. I avoid em by taking really deep breaths and alternating what foot I'm on when I'm starting to inhale. So, for instance, I breathe in for three strides, and out for two. Or some other odd-numbered combination.
posted by pajamazon at 12:31 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by pajamazon at 12:31 PM on March 27, 2011
Since you said you experienced this even as a kid...
Do you stay hydrated pretty well? Smoker (even as a kid - hey, it happens)? How overweight are you, and were you overweight as a kid as well?
Just for peace of mind, I'd say get thee to an EKG and a stress-test. But maybe it's just a matter of your body doing things and your insides feeling the effects of doing things it's not used to. Sounds like you just need to build up your cardiovascular endurance - you know, get things used to pumping that aren't used to it... slowly and carefully, with consistency.
Motrin won't hurt, but a doc would be better.
posted by matty at 12:33 PM on March 27, 2011
Do you stay hydrated pretty well? Smoker (even as a kid - hey, it happens)? How overweight are you, and were you overweight as a kid as well?
Just for peace of mind, I'd say get thee to an EKG and a stress-test. But maybe it's just a matter of your body doing things and your insides feeling the effects of doing things it's not used to. Sounds like you just need to build up your cardiovascular endurance - you know, get things used to pumping that aren't used to it... slowly and carefully, with consistency.
Motrin won't hurt, but a doc would be better.
posted by matty at 12:33 PM on March 27, 2011
It takes a month or two of consistent running to get comfortable with it if you really haven't done much running (or other high-impact cardiovascular exercise) previously. Give it time, work at it consistently and it will become pretty painless.
posted by killdevil at 12:37 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by killdevil at 12:37 PM on March 27, 2011
And yeah, you're young, but a medical checkup can't hurt as a way to rule out any sort of congenital problem.
posted by killdevil at 12:38 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by killdevil at 12:38 PM on March 27, 2011
Sounds to me like not being good at running yet. I imagine it will improve over time. I would do the running after your lifting, though. And don't take any motrin you don't need.
posted by Anatoly Pisarenko at 12:38 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by Anatoly Pisarenko at 12:38 PM on March 27, 2011
For as long as I can remember, if I run for more than 30 seconds or a minute it starts to feel like someone has punched me really hard somewhere in my ribcage - sometimes toward the bottom of my chest, or the top of my back, or right in the very center between my pecs. It's a pretty sharp pain and it's most prominent when I'm at the peak of my breaths.
Obviously it's best if you have a doctor listen to your heart and decide whether a stress test would be appropriate, but this sounds muscular to me. Here is an overview of the sorts of distinctions in sensation that a nurse might quiz you on.
I used to get similar pains, and after an echocardiogram was given the all clear, told it was most likely a precordial catch. They went away with time.
posted by phrontist at 12:41 PM on March 27, 2011
Obviously it's best if you have a doctor listen to your heart and decide whether a stress test would be appropriate, but this sounds muscular to me. Here is an overview of the sorts of distinctions in sensation that a nurse might quiz you on.
I used to get similar pains, and after an echocardiogram was given the all clear, told it was most likely a precordial catch. They went away with time.
posted by phrontist at 12:41 PM on March 27, 2011
Maybe 5-10 minutes is too much when you're first starting out? You don't get up to five minutes of straight running until week 4 of couch to 5K. What if you did shorter intervals for a few weeks and worked your way up to your 5-10 minute jog?
posted by craichead at 12:41 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by craichead at 12:41 PM on March 27, 2011
it's a side stitch, caused by a spasm in your diaphragm. years ago a friend (RIP) taught me how to get rid of them easily: exhale on your left footfall. i can't remember why this works, but it has never, in nine years of running, failed me.
posted by hollisimo at 12:49 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by hollisimo at 12:49 PM on March 27, 2011
hollisimo is right, it's just a side stitch. I've never tried the left-foot exhale trick, though - I can't wait to try that. It's because you're out of shape, and it's triggered by labored, erratic breathing. You definitely don't need to see a doctor about it. You body just isn't used to it yet, but if you run often enough you'll adapt. you can read more here, but don't worry about it too much. the best thing you can do is maintain a running schedule and work through the miserable first few weeks. You'll be in shape soon enough, and then running will become a fun activity you look forward to instead of an agonizing chore. In the meantime, I think it's helpful to ease into runs, especially when I'm out of shape. Start slow and gradually ramp up your speed. Good luck
posted by Bunge at 1:02 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by Bunge at 1:02 PM on March 27, 2011
Run less. No really. Buy or borrow a heart rate monitor and stay within your zone even though it will feel very, very slow. Take more, smaller steps--jog, don't run. Walk when you hit the top of your heart rate zone. Keep walking until you're at the bottom of your zone, and then jog (slowly) again. You will be shocked how far you can go without pain. (You can also do this by feel, but it is very tempting to go fasterfasterfaster when you're not hurting, when instead the idea is to not approach hurting but keep a sustainable pace.)
posted by anaelith at 1:53 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by anaelith at 1:53 PM on March 27, 2011
Nthing side stitch. I always get them when I run and they suck. Also going to try the left footfall trick when I run again.
posted by elsietheeel at 2:03 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by elsietheeel at 2:03 PM on March 27, 2011
My sister has a problem that sounds similar to this and it turns out she has the same heart-valve deformity that my mother had (mom surgically corrected hers years ago).
Go get tested. They'll probably get you on a treadmill and try to induce the condition so they can monitor it and see what's going on. Let THEM tell you to keep running.
posted by hermitosis at 2:08 PM on March 27, 2011
Go get tested. They'll probably get you on a treadmill and try to induce the condition so they can monitor it and see what's going on. Let THEM tell you to keep running.
posted by hermitosis at 2:08 PM on March 27, 2011
I'd see a doc and get your heart checked out. I come from a medical basketcase background, though, so I'm used to having weird things go wrong with me.
In any case, it's worth getting checked out.
posted by ysabet at 2:08 PM on March 27, 2011
In any case, it's worth getting checked out.
posted by ysabet at 2:08 PM on March 27, 2011
Nthing it sounds like a stich. Run slower. And remember: most people, most of the time, are running too fast. And you - like everyone else - are probably running too fast most of the time. I know I certainly do!
posted by smoke at 2:43 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by smoke at 2:43 PM on March 27, 2011
Exercise-induced asthma? I get a pain (although not as bad as yours) when I run. Easily treated with an inhaler you can get from your doctor.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:19 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:19 PM on March 27, 2011
I nth all the get-checked-out-by-an-md.
However, if this turns out to be a stitch/cramp in your diaphragm, how long between your last meal and running? If I eat (or drink) much within an hour of running, I always get a horrible stitch. Like clockwork. I've learned to stay pretty well hydrated all day if I'm planning to run that day and to plan my mealtimes so that I don't need to eat or drink anything for the hour before I run. (I bring water with me though...sipping while running doesn't usually bother me...and I drink a bunch right after running).
posted by Tandem Affinity at 9:12 PM on March 27, 2011
However, if this turns out to be a stitch/cramp in your diaphragm, how long between your last meal and running? If I eat (or drink) much within an hour of running, I always get a horrible stitch. Like clockwork. I've learned to stay pretty well hydrated all day if I'm planning to run that day and to plan my mealtimes so that I don't need to eat or drink anything for the hour before I run. (I bring water with me though...sipping while running doesn't usually bother me...and I drink a bunch right after running).
posted by Tandem Affinity at 9:12 PM on March 27, 2011
Here is a little more about why you should take more, smaller steps since I didn't emphasize this enough the first time. You can get a feel for what this is like using a metronome which emphasizes the first beat, like this one--set it to 2 beats per measure and 190 beats per minute (this is 95 strides per minute). That's a "running" cadence, jogging can be slower but should still be pretty snappy.
posted by anaelith at 6:48 AM on March 28, 2011
posted by anaelith at 6:48 AM on March 28, 2011
To make sure you're not overdoing it, you might want to purchase a heart rate monitor and wear it while you run. If your heart rate ever goes over the recommended level for your age, that might be a sign that you're overdoing it and need to start slower. Perhaps shorter intervals or a slower pace until you're more experienced?
posted by Vorteks at 1:05 PM on March 28, 2011
posted by Vorteks at 1:05 PM on March 28, 2011
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posted by killdevil at 12:28 PM on March 27, 2011