Influence of posture and body type on the experience of exercise-related transient abdominal pain.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of posture and body type on the experience of exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). Postural and somatotype assessments were performed on 104 active males and 55 active females aged 18.6+/-0.4 years (mean+/-SD) and were correlated against their self-reported experience of ETAP. Individuals demonstrating kyphosis were more likely to be susceptible to ETAP (p<0.01). Among the individuals susceptible to ETAP, the extent of kyphosis and lordosis influenced the pain severity (p<0.05). There was no relationship between any measure of body type and ETAP. The findings indicate that postural abnormality, particularly in the thoracic region, influences the experience of ETAP.