stomach spasums, during sit ups

HI, I HAVE A VERY IMPORTAINT QUESTION, DO TO THE FACT IM JOINING THE SERVICE, IM TWENTY FIVE YEARS OLD, ALWAYS BEEN INTO  WEIGHT LIFTING, I WEIGHT 120 POUNDS  AND HAVE A MUSCLE BUILD BODY, IM A MALE, I ALWAYS PERFORMED SIT UPS WELL TILL I WAS ABOUT 18, IM WANDERING IF THESE PROBLEMS ARE FROM THE FACT OF DRIKING SINCE I WAS ABOUT 15.I HAVE A SIX PACK, NOT A BEER GUT, BUT WHEN I DO ABOUT 40 TO 50 SIT UPS NOW, MY STOMACH WILL COMPLETLY CRAMP UP, AND SHIFT ALL TO ONE SIDE, OR JUST FEEL LIKE ITS ALL COMING STRAIGH OUT, MY STOMACH MUSCLES THAT IS AND I CANT BREATH,  THEN IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO  A HALF HOUR AFTER IM LYING ON THE FLOOR NOT MOVING, IT WILL STOP. AND THIS IS ALL THE TIME NOT JUST ONCE IN AWHILE, I NEED HELP, BECAUSE I DONT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN IN BOOT CAMP. THIS ONLY OCCURS DURING SIT UPS AFTER 40 OR 50, ARE MY MUSCLES JUST WEEK,OR AM I HAVING A HERNIA, OR DO  I ALREADY HAVE ONE, AND ONLY FEEL IT WHEN I PERFORM THIS EXCESICE, OR ARE MY STOMACH MUSCLES PROBABLY ALL GONE FROM THE ALCHOL I DRANK OVER THE YEARS? OR SHOULD  I   DO ABOUT 20 3SETS A DAY, I DONT REALLY DRINK WATER, SO COULD IT BE JUST CRAMPS, FROM LACK OF WATER, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IF FEELS EXACTLY LIKE A LEG CRAMP OR SOMETHING JUST ONLY IN MY STOMACH , ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED, THANKS PLEASE NEED YOUR HELP, FOR BOOTCAMP

[dquenzer]

Cramps can be a result of numerous things, but more probably it is a result of not having proper electrolytes.  That means you are probably dehydrated.  

Remember alcohol dehydrates you.  This idea that you can rehydrate by drinking a cold beer is totally wrong.  I suggest that you cut out the beer and start drinking about 12 8oz. glasses of water a day.  Also eat one banana a day to get your potassium levels up.

[cacc]

I have the exact same problem with my stomach and I drink plenty of h20 and I drink alcohol about 4 times a year.  I have had this exact feeling.....like my stomach muscles are reeling from my stomach cavity after any amount of sit ups!  I have always been an exerciser, except for the end of my pregnancy and after I gave birth, I have had this problem.  Mine occurs right after I do sit ups within minutes.  I can't breath, and feel the need to press the cramping area very hard to what seems like to me, sticking my guts back in.  My daughter is now 8yrs old, and i have long since given up on doing sit ups.  But would like to be able to do some abs work now that I'm approaching 40.  Is this a hernia?

[Mrmuscle]

Try squeezing the stomach muscles harder during situps. Really focus on keeping them tight. The problem occurs when you realax the muscle between reps

[HB13]

i have the same problem when doing sit ups. it doesnt matter if i do 10 or 50 all of a sudden  my stomach tightens up and i cant move,i have to push my stomach in and try to stretch my stomach to get the pain to stop.Then even if i try to bend down to pick something up it starts to tighten again.I have been checked for hernia and dont have one> i have been working out for 7 years and this started about 3 years ago..Every time i try to do a sit up this happens.I even tried stopping for months at a time

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,
I would advise you to cut down on your situps for now. Also maintain proper hydration by drinking enough fluids. Electrolyte depletion can cause cramps. Also I would suggest you see a physician and undergo a complete physical examination to rule out hernia.
Hope it helps!

[desmon]

i had an 'apendectomy' 5yrs ago, and ever since i cannot do any sit-ups, if i try i get horrible gut wrenching cramps and i cannot move my body at all then i start to panic and cant breath, I'm wondering if there could be some scar tissue from the surgery that i had because i also cannot sleep on my right side because it feels like my stomache will cramp. this is scary. btw i drink lots of water.

[onyok]

I have had the same experience after sit ups belly cramps few years ago. It feels something tearing apart on the belly part and difficulty in breathing. It is very scary, I thought I am gonna die with the pain feels waiting to explode inside your guts. It just happened yesterday again after been to a poker game and had couple of beers. I agree perhaps avoid the beers for now...

[caelan]

I have had this problem also.  Not only when exercising but sometimes I would get a severe cramp in my leg muscles, particularly back of the leg, and both have caused extreme pain.  I have tried everything from stretching for a long time to keeping fully hydrated to concentrating on keeping my stomach muscles tight when doing the exercises.  Nothing.  Still got the cramps.  Although they have floored me something I have noticed does work in getting over the symptoms much quicker than just waiting for the cramps to go away.  Milk.  For me drinking Whole Milk, not 2% or skim, which I have not tried yet so it might work, but drinking a glass of whole milk I can almost immediately feel the leg cramps begin to go away.  With the stomach cramps it takes a little longer but I would say within a couple of minutes the pain starts to go away.  Nothing else has helped.  Electrolyte drinks, vitamin or mineral pills, nothing.  I hope this helps.

[Christopher44]

The same with situps. Everyone says the same thing. 2 different docs and trainers... I have a weak muscel going across my abdoman... The first time it happend it dropped me to the floor.. I  shot up from my crunches and it just locked up..  The only way it would stop is if I spread out like superman on the floor.. Lol what the people walking by must have thought?? It felt like the cramp you get in your calf from time to time..Some problems may happen from lack of  fluids and  potasiuam being low... If you know
your limits to when it will happen just set ur goal under that and try to work that area a little less.. It's funny how the typical answer is fluids. Some docs
and trainers don't have a clue but there typical text book answer... Know your limits then work it from there... Be well everyone.

[trust2]

I have this exact same problem. I gave birth over 23 years ago, and since that time, if I do a few sit ups my stomach feels like it is herniating through my anterior abdominal wall. I cannot move. I have to apply hard counter pressure against my left upper quadrant area. After anywhere form 30 seconds to a minute and a half (although if feels like a much longer period of time) I can feel what can only be described as a muscle release in the area. The sensation is incapacitating. I can't move and feel like if I were to let up on the counter pressure that my abdominal wall would literally turn inside out. I have a nursing background and am a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. I had a CT of my abdomen and pelvis but it was negative for hernia, although I was unable to reproduce this during the actual CT scan. It is comforting to know there are others out there. I really wish someone had a diagnosis and treatment for this. I used to do gymnastics. I am so afraid to do any type of movement that puts stress on the upper abds. now.

[AdriaWaddell]

trust2, it's hard for me to breathe as I am recovering from an 'attack' just now. It's the third one I've ever had. I also have had four children, oldest is 30, but it just started occurring in the last year. It doesn't hang around long enough to let a doctor see. I have to grab on to my upper left side tightly because it feels like an alien is trying to escape! I actually feel it moving (I guess the 'it' is the muscle). If you have any updates, I'd sure appreciate the info. Hope you never experience them anymore also! Good luck, Adria