Intense irritability after exercising
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jlgmfp
Posts: 33 Member
Hi,
I’ve been consistently experiencing intense irritability and sometimes low mood after exercising.
I cycle 35 minutes each way to and from work most days during the week, and run occasionally (between 5k and 15k - usually a couple of times a week).
No mater what I do I tend to experience this irritability. It gradually builds up during exercise then afterwards feels very overwhelming and doesn’t really go away for at least a couple of hours.
It seems to happen whether I eat and drink beforehand or not. I originally thought it might be due to low blood sugar but idk.
Wondering whether anyone else experiences this? And if so, what helps you?
I’ve been consistently experiencing intense irritability and sometimes low mood after exercising.
I cycle 35 minutes each way to and from work most days during the week, and run occasionally (between 5k and 15k - usually a couple of times a week).
No mater what I do I tend to experience this irritability. It gradually builds up during exercise then afterwards feels very overwhelming and doesn’t really go away for at least a couple of hours.
It seems to happen whether I eat and drink beforehand or not. I originally thought it might be due to low blood sugar but idk.
Wondering whether anyone else experiences this? And if so, what helps you?
0
Replies
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i would question if you are eating enough overall
irritability is often a symptom of undereating13 -
Do you experience irritability with all types of exercise, or are those really the only ones you are doing? You may want to try to switch it up to different types of exercise to see if it helps. I remember you mentioning that you were looking into boxing. Have you tried that? I find hitting things to be incredibly cathartic and usually leaves me feeling calm and peaceful.2
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Do you experience irritability with all types of exercise, or are those really the only ones you are doing? You may want to try to switch it up to different types of exercise to see if it helps. I remember you mentioning that you were looking into boxing. Have you tried that? I find hitting things to be incredibly cathartic and usually leaves me feeling calm and peaceful.
I’m not too sure. Haven’t really tried out anything else yet. I definitely still want to try out boxing, but I’ve been crazy busy recently and am changing jobs and looking to move flat so don’t want to commit until I’m a bit more settled. But yes, I can imagine that would be very good for venting anger
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I never heard of this before. Exercise is supposed to make your mood better, not worse.
Are you taking any supplements or anything?
Are you on any type of medication(s)?1 -
OldAssDude wrote: »I never heard of this before. Exercise is supposed to make your mood better, not worse.
Are you taking any supplements or anything?
Are you on any type of medication(s)?
Yeah that’s what I thought too. I want to be looking forward to runners’ highs, not anticipating being in a terrible mood afterwards.
I’m not taking any supplements, and no medications either. I consistently sleep 8+ hours a night too. I’m at a bit of a loss0 -
OldAssDude wrote: »I never heard of this before. Exercise is supposed to make your mood better, not worse.
Are you taking any supplements or anything?
Are you on any type of medication(s)?
Yeah that’s what I thought too. I want to be looking forward to runners’ highs, not anticipating being in a terrible mood afterwards.
I’m not taking any supplements, and no medications either. I consistently sleep 8+ hours a night too. I’m at a bit of a loss
I would definitely consult with your doctor about this.
How intensely are you working out?0 -
For some people exercise causes a release of emotions that does not feel good. It's not uncommon for some people to break down in tears after a workout. Perhaps this reaction to endorphins, coupled with the stress you're enduring (new job and moving) are the cause.3
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How long have you added running to your workout schedule? I know you mentioned running a couple of times per week, but I'm thinking dependent on how hard your runs are and whether you just picked it up recently, it's possible you are over-training and your irritability could stem from that...potentially.
But, take my inquiry with a grain salt.0 -
It could be stress related. You mentioned being crazy busy, changing jobs, and looking for a new place to live. The irritability might simply be coming from all of those other stressors in your life and the exercise you're currently doing isn't effectively relieving that stress. I agree with MikePTY, maybe change up what you're doing and see if it helps.1
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More important than if you're eating, is what you're eating. Carbs before and a 1:1 carb to protein ratio after. Irritability may be a symptom of low blood sugar.0
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For some people exercise causes a release of emotions that does not feel good. It's not uncommon for some people to break down in tears after a workout. Perhaps this reaction to endorphins, coupled with the stress you're enduring (new job and moving) are the cause.
I remember discussing this before on here. I cry after longer runs; almost every time. And sometimes, it sets a crap tone for the rest of my day.
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OldAssDude wrote: »OldAssDude wrote: »I never heard of this before. Exercise is supposed to make your mood better, not worse.
Are you taking any supplements or anything?
Are you on any type of medication(s)?
Yeah that’s what I thought too. I want to be looking forward to runners’ highs, not anticipating being in a terrible mood afterwards.
I’m not taking any supplements, and no medications either. I consistently sleep 8+ hours a night too. I’m at a bit of a loss
I would definitely consult with your doctor about this.
How intensely are you working out?
Maybe I will do.
Not that intensely. I cycle at a comfortable pace, stop lots at traffic lights. When I run I don’t really push myself either I just go at a relatively comfortable pace too. I run 1-2 times a week, recently more often just once, and usually at the weekend when I don’t cycle.
So doesn’t seem particularly intense. But maybe I’ll try cutting back a bit and see if it makes a difference.0 -
For some people exercise causes a release of emotions that does not feel good. It's not uncommon for some people to break down in tears after a workout. Perhaps this reaction to endorphins, coupled with the stress you're enduring (new job and moving) are the cause.
Yes! That’s happened a few times too. I literally just want to cry and just feel really bad on finishing exercise sometimes.
But you’re right, maybe it’s the fact that I’m dealing with other stress at the moment so it’s affecting me more than normal. That’s a good point.1 -
RunnerGrl1982 wrote: »How long have you added running to your workout schedule? I know you mentioned running a couple of times per week, but I'm thinking dependent on how hard your runs are and whether you just picked it up recently, it's possible you are over-training and your irritability could stem from that...potentially.
But, take my inquiry with a grain salt.
I’ve started running maybe a couple of months ago, and started cycling about a month and a bit ago. So maybe it could be a case of doing too much too soon. How long does it usually take to adjust to a new consistent workout routine? (I know that’s probably a hard question to answer)0 -
If I had to commute to work in my city, I'd be an irritable piece of work. Ditto if my runs had to be on the street and not in a forest. Are you dealing with traffic/idiot drivers? Just curious. It's a sincere question.0
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girlwithcurls2 wrote: »If I had to commute to work in my city, I'd be an irritable piece of work. Ditto if my runs had to be on the street and not in a forest. Are you dealing with traffic/idiot drivers? Just curious. It's a sincere question.
I do deal with traffic, and there are idiot drivers sometimes and that drives me slightly mad - so that could definitely be a contributing factor. But I still feel irritable even when a journey goes smoothly or I’m running in a quieter scenic area.0 -
Blackwatch2000 wrote: »For some people exercise causes a release of emotions that does not feel good. It's not uncommon for some people to break down in tears after a workout. Perhaps this reaction to endorphins, coupled with the stress you're enduring (new job and moving) are the cause.
I remember discussing this before on here. I cry after longer runs; almost every time. And sometimes, it sets a crap tone for the rest of my day.
I’m glad I’m not the only one!0 -
I read you were in maintenance, but did you up your cals for the running, and up them again for the cycling?
Maintenance and upping cals can sometimes be a fine line.
I thought I was maintaining for the first month or so when I started lifting, but I wasn’t. My mood was off, my daily activity was subtly dropping, and so was my weight (less than 1lbs a month).
Adding 200 cal on lifting days then, after a few months just upping my cals by the 200 kept me in maintenance but with a much better outlook mentally and physically.
Since it has only been 2 or so months, make sure you are getting enough rest and sleep. Maybe alternate days cycling and running.
Cheers, h.3
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