Have you ever felt lightheaded immediately after a workout? This is a fairly common problem among athletes and recreational exercisers. Although you should always get a symptom like lightheadedness, especially if you actually pass out, checked out by a doctor, there are some reasons why you might experience this symptom.
Exercise-Associated Postural Hypotension
Exercise-associated postural hypotension, EAPH, is a medical term for feeling lightheaded right after you stop exercising. It’s a common problem among marathon runners and people who do endurance exercise, although you can also experience it after high-intensity exercise of any kind.
Although it’s a disconcerting feeling, feeling lightheaded when you stop exercising is a relatively common response to the cessation of exercise. During exercise, the muscles in your legs and calves are actively contracting, sending blood from your lower extremities back to your heart and to the rest of your upper body, including your brain. When you stop moving suddenly, you lose the muscle pump and your body doesn’t have time to compensate. As a result, blood pools in your lower legs, meaning less reaches your brain. Hence, your blood pressure drops and you feel lightheaded. Plus, exercise dilates your blood vessels, making it even harder to drive blood back to your heart. If you have low resting blood pressure, as many fit people do, you’re more likely to experience postural hypotension than a couch potato.
Being in tip-top cardiovascular shape means your heart rate is likely slower than the average person’s, meaning you’re more likely you’ll feel lightheaded when you lose the extra pumping action from your muscles. The same thing can happen when you’re doing exercises lying on a mat. You’re fine when your head is on the mat but as soon as you get up, blood pools in your legs and you feel lightheaded, dizzy, and like you’re about to faint. It’s frightening!
Exercise-Associated Collapse
A more serious form of EAPH is called exercise-associated collapse. You see this most often in runners after running a long distance such as a marathon. After crossing the finish line and stopping, blood pools in the lower legs of the runner to the point the unfortunate individual collapses. The best treatment for these folks is to raise their legs so more blood makes its way back to their brain.
Most of the time, athletes who collapse at the finish line are healthy and suffer no long-term repercussions, although such a collapse can be life-threatening. Other factors associated with more serious collapses are a rise in body temperature due to overheating, low blood sugar or a low sodium level. You’re more likely to see this in athletes who have run a very long distance in a hot or humid environment.
How to Prevent Lightheadedness When You Exercise
One way to lower your risk for feeling lightheaded is to drink enough fluids before, during, and after exercise. When your blood volume is reduced by dehydration, you’re more prone towards lightheadedness when you stop exercising or get up quickly from a sitting or lying position. If you’re prone towards this problem, sip an electrolyte-rich beverage before and during exercise that contains a little glucose to help prevent electrolyte imbalances or a drop in blood sugar.
Make sure you’re eating a pre-workout snack with protein and carbs an hour before your workout AND not restricting calories too much in hopes of losing weight. Malnutrition is another risk factor for exercise-induced drops in blood pressure. If you’re prone towards lightheadedness, fasted cardio isn’t for you. You’ll get more out of your workout if you fuel up first.
Are you taking medications? A number of medications increase the likelihood of a blood pressure drop when you change positions quickly or stop exercising suddenly. These include diuretics, some blood pressure, and heart medications, as well as drugs used to treat depression and Parkinson’s disease. Ask your doctor if your meds might be playing a role.
When’s the last time you checked your hemoglobin and hematocrit? Anemia, due to iron deficiency or other causes, can cause feelings of lightheadedness after exercise or when you get up or change positions quickly. Have your hematocrit checked and your iron level as well to make sure you’re not anemic or borderline anemic.
Finally, don’t stop exercising suddenly. Do a 4 or 10-minute cool-down before plopping down in a chair or on a mat. Give your body a chance to gradually transition back to a resting state. When you stop suddenly you lose the muscle pumping action that drives blood and oxygen to your brain. Gradually reduce the intensity and keep moving until your heart rate is down to under 100 and you’re breathing normally.
When doing mat exercises, get up slowly from the mat, especially towards the end of a workout when you’re tired and somewhat volume depleted.
When Should You Be Concerned About Feeling Lightheaded
Most cases of exercise-induced lightheadedness are benign, but it’s a good idea to get a check-up if you have this symptom frequently. Red-flag signs that you definitely need to be evaluated include lightheadedness or faintness DURING exercise or when you’re not exercising. Other red flags: a family history of sudden death or other symptoms suggestive of heart problems like shortness-of-breath or chest pain. Just because lightheadedness right after exercise is common doesn’t mean it’s always benign.
The Bottom Line
Feeling lightheaded is a scary feeling. In most cases, it’s not a sign of poor health, but get checked out just to be sure. Once you get a clean bill of health, take extra care to stay hydrated, do a cool-down, and fuel up before working out. Doing these things will lower your risk for injury and make your workout more pleasant too.
References:
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995 Dec;27(12):1595-601.
Department of General Practice and Primary Care, University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ. The Physician and sports medicine (Impact Factor: 1.49). 03/2003; 31(3):23-9. DOI: 10.3810/psm.2003.03.242.
The Journal of Physiology. Volume 551, Issue 2, page 401, September 2003.
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