Electrolites or not at the gym?!

MarieAnneN
MarieAnneN Posts: 205
in Food and Nutrition
Question :
I am an experience trainee at the gym... BUT from always, if I find myself to push a lot during a long workout (45 minutes and over), I find myself dizzy, nauseated, feeling down. The body can push more but I seem to have a drop in something.

Pre or post workout snacks are always in the range of 50g of glucide and 25g of protein depending on the time of the day I go to the gym.

I train for more than 4 times per week and I do a 45 minutes strenght circuit + 20 mins of cardio normally, depending if it is arms/back/legs day...

Any tips? I am still in loosing fat mode, so I don't want to bulk in high glucide or high fat intakes either.

Replies

  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
    I found myself becoming dizzy & nauseated midway though my bootcamp classes. My instructor asked me what I was having for breakfast (meal before class) and it was yogurt with fruit & walnuts = high protein. She suggested a more high carb, lower protein meal since protein is more difficult to digest (I may be mincing her words) and can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseated if that's what you're drawing on for a workout. She said, "Carbs before - Protein after". Making that switch made a huge difference for me.

    I hope that helps : )
  • MarieAnneN
    MarieAnneN Posts: 205
    I found myself becoming dizzy & nauseated midway though my bootcamp classes. My instructor asked me what I was having for breakfast (meal before class) and it was yogurt with fruit & walnuts = high protein. She suggested a more high carb, lower protein meal since protein is more difficult to digest (I may be mincing her words) and can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseated if that's what you're drawing on for a workout. She said, "Carbs before - Protein after". Making that switch made a huge difference for me.

    I hope that helps : )

    Tried that too... as if I workout in the aftenoon, I get a muffin, banana or something similar but it does the same thing. Blood work is fine, ... grrrr.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
    I found myself becoming dizzy & nauseated midway though my bootcamp classes. My instructor asked me what I was having for breakfast (meal before class) and it was yogurt with fruit & walnuts = high protein. She suggested a more high carb, lower protein meal since protein is more difficult to digest (I may be mincing her words) and can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseated if that's what you're drawing on for a workout. She said, "Carbs before - Protein after". Making that switch made a huge difference for me.

    I hope that helps : )

    Tried that too... as if I workout in the aftenoon, I get a muffin, banana or something similar but it does the same thing. Blood work is fine, ... grrrr.

    Hmmm, I don't know...I might have the doctor do some blood work or just see what he/she thinks about the symptoms.

    Or try this

    I sometimes have a Shot Blok (http://www.clifbarstore.com/detail/CLF+118064)
    on long runs (over an hour) and I know that some people don't consider that a long workout, but if you need a little sugar/energy boost halfway thru, who's to say at what point anyone needs a boost? Maybe try that and see if that does the trick...if not, definitely see the doctor
  • MayFartDuringSquats
    MayFartDuringSquats Posts: 18 Member
    No idea what glucide is - I assume it's some sort of fast-acting carb. I don't really believe too strongly in this post and pre-workout nutrition having a great deal of affect on your workout. So long as you get enough food throughout the day, then you should have enough energy. I workout on an empty stomach all the time(mornings especially) and it doesn't make any difference if I have a banana or a muffin. If, however, I haven't eaten enough over the in between workouts, then yes, I'll perform terribly. Some "pre-workout" supplements actually make it worse because they upset my stomach. I work out hard too (CrossFit, Track, Oly lifts, Powerlifting, Runs etc) and typically the only time I feel dizzy is after some heavy lifts where I've pushed too hard during my valsalva and occasionally will feel nauseous when doing a new 1rm deadlift or something. After 100m repeats I may also feel like puking (never do though .... it's just my heart rate being way high etc) and perhaps during a very intense CrossFit WOD too - but it's usually just my body reaching its limits and has nothing to do with food.
    That being said - perhaps you're glycogen stores are depleted and you can't continue on with longer workouts - because there's nothing there to use. This could be a overall nutrition thing - especially when we're in a caloric deficit - and a banana or muffin pre workout probably won't help. But post-workout you could help. If you take a carb after working out that will spike your insulin a bit, it can feed your muscles and help restore your glycogen stores - don't use a fructose based thing, like fruit, it needs to be something like a sweet potato or perhaps a waxy-maze supplement. Get it in with some protein and it can help you keep your body replenished for the next workout - coupled with your overall nutrition.
    PS: Unless you're a genetic freak, in caloric surplus, and actually trying to do so, you will not "bulk up" from the post workout "building muscles supplementation".
  • MarieAnneN
    MarieAnneN Posts: 205
    No idea what glucide is -

    My bad, they are carbs, but in french...

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