Vomiting after exercise?

Posts: 19 Member
edited December 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I was in a 45 minute HIIT exercise class early in the morning. On this particular day, the instructor has more intervals of running, jumproping, burpees etc. I drank 16 oz of water during the class and then drank another 16 oz after teh class was over. As soon as I drove a block from teh studio, I became nauseous. In fact, I had to pull over to vomit.

What did I do wrong? Now I feel a little scared to do this class again.


I normally do not eat before this class because it is a 5am class. I have attended this class 3 other times in the past two weeks with no vomiting incidents.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
«1

Replies

  • Posts: 439
    1. Maybe you at something that didn't agree with you the night before, or you had a bug.
    2. Did you drink a lot more water than usual? I usually drink 16 oz in small sips throughout my workout, but even during hot yoga, I usually go with 8 oz in small sips.
  • Posts: 402 Member
    It may have just been a fluke if you have done it before with no problems. Usually if I excercise until I puke its right then not later.

    Maybe drank the water after class too fast? I would certainly try again.
  • Posts: 19 Member
    I was not sick or anything. The only thing I did right before was drink down a secnd bottle and normally I drink just one during class and finish the second bottle while driving home. This particular session was so intense for me because there was more running than usual. Would the added running and the chugging down of the second bottle of water caused it? I just dont want to repeat my mistake when I go back to another class.
  • Posts: 2,208 Member
    I have to laugh because I used to do that sort of thing during football practice before I got into better shape. You need to be careful about the amount of water you drink during and right after until you cool down. Take smaller sips of water more often. Throwing down 16 oz at a time might be too much for your stomach to handle at the moment.
  • Posts: 3,639 Member
    HIIT is not something that should be done for 45 minutes. Assuming it's TRUE HIIT and not some watered down version, if you CAN do it for more than say 20-30 minutes you're doing it wrong. Pushing yourself to 45 minutes with TRUE HIIT is a recipe for disaster...
  • Posts: 3,624 Member
    It could easily have just been the extra intensity and the extra water. If you were extra thirsty, maybe you were a little dehydrated to start? That can cause all sorts of things - higher HR during the workout, more likelihood of feeling faint or nauseous.

    It was probably a one-off. Try and go to bed WELL hydrated the night before that class and drink a little more slowly. I think it's just a fluke.
  • Posts: 3,624 Member
    HIIT is not something that should be done for 45 minutes. Assuming it's TRUE HIIT and not some watered down version, if you CAN do it for more than say 20-30 minutes you're doing it wrong. Pushing yourself to 45 minutes with TRUE HIIT is a recipe for disaster...

    I do a rec centre class that is considered a HIIT class... it's usually 3 activities of 1 min each as a set; the set is repeated 3 times; then you take a water break. That is kept up for about 45 minutes in between a warm-up and a cool-down for a 60 minute class.
  • Posts: 1,377 Member
    Don't worry, it is just a combination of working yourself to hard, and drinking to much water. This happens a lot to people who just start crossfit aswell. It is a group class so nobody wants to look weak so they push themsleves further than normal. Just don't do it often, because it can be bad for you.
  • Posts: 3,639 Member

    I do a rec centre class that is considered a HIIT class... it's usually 3 activities of 1 min each as a set; the set is repeated 3 times; then you take a water break. That is kept up for about 45 minutes in between a warm-up and a cool-down for a 60 minute class.

    It sounds like they changed a lot and that it's not true traditional HIIT. HIIT and it's Tabata variant, in their true and purest form, typically only consist of one exercise that works as many muscles as possible (such as burpees or mountain climbers). Fatiguing this muscle group with high speed and high intensity and then letting it (and your heart) rest before you go again. Changing it up to sets of different exercises somewhat robs you of the benefit.
  • Posts: 3,624 Member

    It sounds like they changed a lot and that it's not true traditional HIIT. HIIT and it's Tabata variant, in their true and purest form, typically only consist of one exercise that works as many muscles as possible (such as burpees or mountain climbers). Fatiguing this muscle group with high speed and high intensity and then letting it (and your heart) rest before you go again. Changing it up to sets of different exercises somewhat robs you of the benefit.

    Interesting. Yeah this is 3 different ones - like, say, mountain climbers followed by lunges with dumbbell shoulder presses followed by repeated jumps up on a stepper with touching the floor in between. Repeat 2-3 times then rest. So really a 6-9 minute exertion followed by rest.

  • It sounds like they changed a lot and that it's not true traditional HIIT. HIIT and it's Tabata variant, in their true and purest form, typically only consist of one exercise that works as many muscles as possible (such as burpees or mountain climbers). Fatiguing this muscle group with high speed and high intensity and then letting it (and your heart) rest before you go again. Changing it up to sets of different exercises somewhat robs you of the benefit.

    ^^ Yup..Honestly I do 10 min of HIIT on the treadmill and im dying! Lol.
  • Posts: 439
    Okay, maybe I'll try the tabata program on the elliptical this afternoon... feeling inspired now :)

    OP: I think that slowing down the water intake immediately after would probably be your best bet :)
  • Posts: 3,639 Member

    ^^ Yup..Honestly I do 10 min of HIIT on the treadmill and im dying! Lol.

    I hate using the treadmill for it lol. I do my HIIT sprints on just flat ground. I find that the time it takes for the treadmill to speed up and slow down messes up my timing and plus I have a tendency to fall off the treadmill =/
  • Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks to everyone who posted. I did make sure to drink enough water the night before and then during today's class I sipped one bottle. There was less running today, less exertion compared to the previous class.
    As for the HIIT, I called it HIIT because there were components of it within the class, but the entire 45 minutes was not a traditional HIIT class. Sorry for not being specific. The class has a cardio warmup, HIIT, strength/core exercises. Definitely a "watered down" version.
  • If you're doing very high intensity exercise, else highish (only way you could have lasted 45 minutes), you should NOT drink water during or after exercise. You need a cool down period of 5-15 minutes, and should then sip on water.

    Your body will tell you that you're thirsty..do NOT listen to it. It also tells you you're hungry when you could go way, way longer without consuming food.

    When we exercise pass moderate intensity, our body will move blood flow towards where it's most needed. Functions such as digestion will stop until shortly after exercise is done. All you need is to be properly hydrated before you exercise, and you should be good to sweat profusely for a bare minimum of one hour in most conditions.

    So hydrate 20-30 minutes beforehand, then at least 5 minutes after...preferably 10-15. If you have a belly full of anything while doing very high, or highish intensity for ~45mins, your body will naturally try to puke it up because you simply can't process it.

    The only exception is to wet your mouth and esophagus with 2-4 ounces maybe once or twice during, or after, but be careful. It really doesn't even matter if you're dizzy afterwards...it means you need to back it off a notch next time you exercise, but the worst thing you can do is to stop moving and try to drink water in such a state. Keep your hands behind your head, eyes and elbows pointed to the stars, and walk briskly until your heart rate has dropped a bit.
  • Posts: 61,406 Member
    Yeah baby! I like this type of party! Where is this class and how do I sign up? This sounds like football practice preseason hill sprint type *kitten*.
  • Posts: 9,026 Member
    when i was in ROTC, our Gunny would make us do similar work outs some mornings. it used to induce vomiting in more than one midshipman. it happens. even happened to me a few times.
  • Posts: 878 Member
    This just happens sometimes when you do high intensity exercise. Try drinking a protein supplement about 30 minutes before the class so you have a good energy source, and instead of drinking the water in large amounts, take smaller sips more often. I had to learn that doing the Insanity workout. I threw up from those workouts a few times! :smile:
  • Posts: 816 Member
    Been there done that.

    Dry heaves in the parking lot too.

    Normal if you push too hard or drink too much water during the workout.

    I get the chills and goosebumps sometimes too, its most bizarre
  • Posts: 385 Member
    Also, you may want to try eating something beforehand, even just a slice of bread or an apple. I used to coach cheerleading, and there were always a few girls who ended up puking during/right after summer conditioning because they hadn't had any breakfast. And like other posters have said, try drinking smaller sips. Even if it means you have to pause in the middle of the class, it's way better for you than chugging that much at one time.
  • Posts: 61,406 Member

    HIIT is not something that should be done for 45 minutes. Assuming it's TRUE HIIT and not some watered down version, if you CAN do it for more than say 20-30 minutes you're doing it wrong. Pushing yourself to 45 minutes with TRUE HIIT is a recipe for disaster...
    It sounds like they changed a lot and that it's not true traditional HIIT. HIIT and it's Tabata variant, in their true and purest form, typically only consist of one exercise that works as many muscles as possible (such as burpees or mountain climbers). Fatiguing this muscle group with high speed and high intensity and then letting it (and your heart) rest before you go again. Changing it up to sets of different exercises somewhat robs you of the benefit.

    I see what you're saying but I respectfully disagree. I'm thinking this class is based on HIIT principles and is basically like my metabolic/spartacus type workouts. I do 9-10 mins then get a 1 min break, and repeat for 3-5 cycles. It's goooooood.

    The reason for mixing up the exercises instead of just doing one like burpees or moutain climbers is twofold. One, it's hard to sell a class where people do burpees for 30 mins straight. It would be boring and how long till people questioned why they needed to pay for a membership? Two, more importantly, by mixing the exercises up you keep lactic acid from building up in any particular area. So you burpees followed by spiderman pushups followed by lunges followed by sprinting in place.
  • Posts: 339 Member
    At least you don't vomit during

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlaSSL4B2g8
  • Posts: 1,123 Member
    Probably just pushed yourself a little too hard. I used to do track workouts every Wednesday and would always puke afterwards. It tends to happen more when you overheat. Try to sip water during exercise and drink more after so it's not sloshing around in your stomach. Hydrate well the day before exercise so you won't become dehydrated. Also make sure to wear loose fitting, breathable clothing. Bring an ice pack to cool yourself down if you start feeling too hot or just slow down.
  • Posts: 3,845 Member
    Funny only a few have experienced this. It's normal for athletes when they are pushed all the way to the max. Swimming, track, football, all those kinds of sports, athletes puke after or during. It's just from being pushed so hard your body can't take it. It's not bad though. Lol. But, at that point, unless you're a Navy Seal, take a break.
  • Posts: 478 Member
    If I drink water before excercising for example HIT ski steps jump rope or jumping jax while I'm moving I can feel an upset feeling in my tummy along with a whoosh of water swirling around in my tummy as I jump up in down. Kinda like shaking a water bottle.. Not cool I skip the water and drink a small cup of coffee does the trick for me
  • A similar thing happened to me yesterday. I worked out at a pretty normal level for me, but probably went into it underhydrated. I wasn't feeling great for the last few minutes, then downed a powerade and a water bottle, then puked when I got home. Since I puked up water, and not food or bile (TMI? sorry), I assumed it was the water intake so quickly after the workout, combined with starting out underhydrated. I worked out longer and harder today, but drank more before and slowly during and after and I feel fine.
  • Posts: 2,178 Member
    I throw up at some point during my team training sessions at least once or twice a month, especially at the start of the season.
  • HIIT is not something that should be done for 45 minutes. Assuming it's TRUE HIIT and not some watered down version, if you CAN do it for more than say 20-30 minutes you're doing it wrong. Pushing yourself to 45 minutes with TRUE HIIT is a recipe for disaster...

    If the 45 min includes the rest interval, then 45 min of HIT is indeed possible. a 5 x 5min on, 5min off VO2 session would be an example (for instance, a runner who has a 4:50 best in the mile runs 5 x 5min miles with 5 min of easy jogging in between efforts).

    Tabata is the same. A Tabata protocol set (which really only works with speed skating, cycling, running, swimming, cross-country ski, etc.. -- it's a VO2 interval set with a stronger lactate tolerance component -- just doing any activity hard for :20 on :10 off doesn't elicit VO2 max) of 10 x :20 on, :10 off yields a similar HR response and average power output as a 5min steady, all-out effort. It can't be continued after 5min unless someone has an exceptional anaerobic capacity. But, I've seen elite swimmers and cyclists do 5-6 sets of Tabatas in a single session.

    Likewise, a swimmer doing a set of 10 x 100m on 4min rest or runner doing 10 x 400m under 60 sec, would end up being a 40-45min workout, and would definitely be considered HIT if each 400m was a maximal effort generating large concentrations of lactate.

    Vomiting usually happens when someone who is not adapted to repeated anaerobic efforts has to go "into the red" frequently during an interval session. After some adaptation, you don't puke anymore -- presuming that the interval load of the workout is within the athlete's capacities. If it's a clear case of too much too soon, all bets are off.
  • Posts: 6 Member
    This is so true...too much water before and during = puke sessions. Slow and steady on the water during activity!
  • Posts: 170 Member
    Be proud of it. A freind of mine at a rival school used to say if you didn't throw up after a 400m race, you must not have been trying hard enough. My suggestion from experience, is to eat a handful of froot loops before a workout. It doesn't make your stomach and better or worse, but if you vomit, it looks like a rainbow!
This discussion has been closed.