If you ask any body builder, they will all say that doing exercises like squats and dead lifts makes them feel dizzy, sick, and sometimes even make them throw up. Some good bodybuilders even think that throwing up after a hard session of lifting weights is a sign that they have had a great workout. But for many people, these symptoms are uncomfortable, annoying, and could even be dangerous and lead to injuries. You may have had some or all of these symptoms as well.
What went wrong? Well, there could be more than one reason why.
- You might have low blood sugar. This could happen if you are on a low-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet or if you haven't eaten in a while and then start lifting heavy weights. You'll feel dizzy and tired, and you might even get a headache or feel weak in your muscles. It all comes down to having less energy because you didn't eat enough energy-boosting foods before your workout.
- First, you may have had too much to eat or drink before your gym workout. So, your blood goes to your digestive organs so that you can digest. But when you start to work out hard, especially on big muscle groups, a lot of blood goes to your muscles instead of your digestive organs. When that happens, food is left in your digestive system without being broken down. This makes you feel sick because the food isn't being broken down.
- Low blood pressure is the most common reason why people feel sick when they lift weights. You might have low blood pressure because of how you were born, but if you didn't, it could be because you changed how you were standing. Have you ever felt dizzy after sitting still for a while and then getting up and stretching? Well, if you've been there, then the same science and logic apply. When you are in a squatting position and then stand up quickly, your blood pools in your lower body and doesn't get to your upper body and brain fast enough. This causes your blood pressure to drop quickly.
Some of these things cause many of us to feel dizzy, sick, or even throw up when we do exercises like squats and dead lifts with heavy weights or work on big muscle groups.
Now that we know why, we can avoid these unpleasant side effects by taking the right precautions when we lift heavy weights at the gym.
