Do You Taste Blood?

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MissMe2morrow
MissMe2morrow Posts: 96
in Fitness and Exercise
It might be my imagination, but I swear I can taste blood if I push myself too hard when I'm running. It's almost like I can see the little alveoli in my lungs exploding, and when I'm huffing and puffing to catch my breath, I get this metallic taste in my mouth-- blood! Does anyone else get this or is it totally in my head?!? :noway:

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  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    That metallic taste is a sign of ketosis, meaning that your body is now burning fat instead of glycogen.

    This can happen for a few reasons: you're on a low carb diet; you are running for a very long time (in excess of 70 minutes at a stretch); you don't refuel properly immediately following your runs in order to replace glycogen stores, so you run out of glycogen too quickly the next time you exercise.

    As long as you're in good renal health, there's nothing frightening or dangerous about ketosis.

    If this only happens on very long runs, then you might want to use one of the training gels about a half hour into your run to give your body some more carbs to burn.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    When I wasn't breathing properly while running I would get that blood taste in my mouth. I would end up inhaling and exhaling out my mouth instead of inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth.

    Pay attention to your breathing it might be as simple as that.
  • AngelicaDulas
    AngelicaDulas Posts: 196
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    I get the same problem. Mostly when its cold outside though and I breath in through my nose, out through my mouth. Its usually after I hit my heart rate max about 15 min in. Not sure if it'll be the same in hot weather for me or not! Also, I wondered if it was coming from the back of my sinus/soft palate? Got me thinking though, maybe it is my lungs?
  • Randee75
    Randee75 Posts: 234
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    I get the same thing most of the time. I found during my last run I was breathing properly and it didn't feel like "my lungs were bleeding" as in I didn't get the blood taste in my mouth. Curious to see what others say as I have never looked into it.
  • MissMe2morrow
    MissMe2morrow Posts: 96
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    Glad I'm not just imagining this!

    The ketosis thing-- nope. That would assume I'm in way better shape than I'm actually in. This happens to me when I've reached my max heart rate and stayed up around there for a couple minutes. I can't keep it up much longer than that! Angelica, it never occurred to me that it might be from my sinuses... something to consider. Desirai, I definitely am not breathing in through my nose at the point this happens-- I would have surpassed the heart rate where I could manage that and would be breathing through my mouth only. My heart rate really seems to spike quickly when I do any kind of running-- very slow jogging or not. In order to keep breathing through my nose I would have to walk all the time and never step it up. Are you saying breathing through my mouth only is bad?
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Glad I'm not just imagining this!

    The ketosis thing-- nope. That would assume I'm in way better shape than I'm actually in. This happens to me when I've reached my max heart rate and stayed up around there for a couple minutes. I can't keep it up much longer than that! Angelica, it never occurred to me that it might be from my sinuses... something to consider. Desirai, I definitely am not breathing in through my nose at the point this happens-- I would have surpassed the heart rate where I could manage that and would be breathing through my mouth only. My heart rate really seems to spike quickly when I do any kind of running-- very slow jogging or not. In order to keep breathing through my nose I would have to walk all the time and never step it up. Are you saying breathing through my mouth only is bad?

    I can't really tell you if its bad or not. I just know from my experience running hurdles and the 1600 meter relay I had to really focus on my breathing to make sure I was breathing in my nose and out my mouth or I would taste blood. I'm thinking the air coming in through the mouth and out the mouth maybe causes some type of drying effect.... dehydrating the throat maybe?? Oh and also my throat would feel tight and would sting a little if I drank cold water afterwards. I don't know if you experience that or not.

    So now even when I'm running or doing HIIT I make sure I'm breathing correctly. I haven't experienced it in years.
  • MissMe2morrow
    MissMe2morrow Posts: 96
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    Okay, thanks for the advice-- I will try to pay more attention to my breathing and make sure I'm inhaling and exhaling correctly. :bigsmile:
  • cowbooger
    cowbooger Posts: 10
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    this is an old post but if it helps anybody in had this today. it's the heart. it can keep up causing fluid in your lungs and a metallic taste

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