Intense irritability after exercising
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 -
middlehaitch wrote: »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.
I’m not actually trying to maintain, my aim is to lose really but I haven’t been tracking properly, I’ve just sort of been eating but trying not to go too overboard. I’m maintaining based on the fact that my weight staying stable.
Maybe properly committing to logging would help me figure things out and make sure that I’m consistently eating enough. I’d imagine that swinging between eating less and eating more isn’t helpful for my mood. Thanks.2 -
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)
There are too many variables to give an estimate. It's dependent on so many things. But you said you have been comfortable with your rides and runs, so I would say a couple months in, you should have settled into a routine of sorts and fitness level that would be comparable to not over working yourself by this point......but I honestly don't know. Apologies. Wish I could provide more assistance, but only you can truly factor in all the variables and step back to evaluate.
And maybe it's simply a process of elimination. Try simply running one day, no biking. Or biking and no running, etc...test different things out and see if something changes. Granted, your mindset would be looking for change, and it would come over a period of time in order to make a noticeable difference. One hypothetical test isn't going to find you your answer. It will take a bit of time I would imagine when you're not thinking about it, and then after a week or two - you can determine whether one thing or the other was causing your irritability.
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Thanks for the advice! Any specific examples of what can be helpful to eat?
Depending on the intensity/duration of the workout, I eat anywhere from 20-40 grams of carbs pre-workout. The closer in time to the workout I eat, the higher glycemic foods I lean towards and vice versa. You want to eat no less than 45 minutes pre, mostly because of how it sits in your stomach, and no more than three hours before. Post workout, I supplement with a post workout specific blend (I use Driven Nutrition PostWOD) as close in time to the end as possible, but absolutely no longer than 45 minutes. There's lots of research that shows 1gram carb to 1gram protein within 45 minutes as optimal for recovery. Then eat dinner in the same ratio if possible. I try to avoid fats other than what comes naturally in the protein post WOD. Stay away from sugar and eat clean. Nothing from a bag or box (processed) and as close to how if comes from its source as possible.2 -
My 13 year old daughter is like this after running. She is a competitive swimmer and also runs a lot. After running she is angry and irritable. It lasts about 30-60 mins. I can’t talk to her. I just let her recover and then she is ok. She’s not like this after swimming unless it was a particularly hard practice. I’ve never heard of anyone else being like this. Interesting. Sorry to compare you to a 13 year old girl 😂.0
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Completely unscientific take here:
When I run, I think about all sorts of things. That thing I was annoyed with at work? Yup. That awkward conversation I had? Yup. That hypothetical awkward conversation I will likely never have, and just made up? Yup. That absolutely brilliant idea that sounds better at mile 5 than it does while I'm sitting at my desk? Yup. Completely fictional stories I make up? Yup.
Eventually I get into a sort of meditative state where I don't really think about much.
I have plenty of other weird emotions while running too, including singing out loud during the last few miles of a rainy, miserable half marathon (in my defense, there was no one around me and I knew I was gonna PR it), and one memorable time when I saw a family of wild turkeys and yelled, "You're baby turkeys!!! TURKLETS!!!"
Sometimes all of those thoughts and feelings go away after I run, but if something is genuinely bothering me, a run doesn't make it go away. It might just change the way I'm thinking about it.
Actual meditation practice does basically the same thing for me. Neither meditation nor exercise make the troublesome thing any better, but they do sort of...shift the emotional state, for lack of a better explanation.
My speculation is that maybe your feelings are related to the stresses you're facing, and the runs (and/or associated endorphins) are changing the way that your brain handles that stress. I would be especially inclined toward this explanation if the irritability only started around the time that all of these stressors entered your life. Maybe your brain is just trying to process these things that are going on, and that's how it comes out.
It could also just be runger People say that runger is feeling hungry after a run, but I think it's really about feeling irritated because I'm hungry after a run.
Anyway, for some non-speculative advice:
I feel better when I eat right after a run. My blood sugar drops like a rock if I wait very long at all, and I get really irritable when I haven't eaten. (My husband no longer asks whether I'm hungry because we both know that's code for telling me I'm being a jerk.) Lunch isn't necessarily enough; I generally need a few more snacks throughout the afternoon too. I will also say that meditation practice has been good for me, though as I mentioned earlier, meditation doesn't solve problems on its own.3 -
I've run into symptoms like that on long (racing) bike rides where I ran my body out of calories and my liver out of glycogen. I felt terrible. I looked it up and found some sports docs talking about the issue. I cannot do justice to the details of the physiology. However, the consensus advice was 'feed your workouts'.
I tried it. I made some changes, increasing both the hydration and calories I take during long rides and the problem went away. I also recovered much more quickly and also rode noticeably faster. It feels really good to have the energy to attack your workouts. Anyway, I hope things work out for you.0 -
Any irritability I might have floats away in a split second when I jump into the swimming pool after exercise. All that weight has vanished in an instant, I can blubber along like a whale or a hippo - carefree and as graceful as anybody else in there. The only difference: I can make much, much bigger waves when I jump in! Half the gym members (who have some sense of humor) shout encouragement and are greatly delighted when I cause a proper tsunami. So there!1
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RunnerGrl1982 wrote: »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)
There are too many variables to give an estimate. It's dependent on so many things. But you said you have been comfortable with your rides and runs, so I would say a couple months in, you should have settled into a routine of sorts and fitness level that would be comparable to not over working yourself by this point......but I honestly don't know. Apologies. Wish I could provide more assistance, but only you can truly factor in all the variables and step back to evaluate.
And maybe it's simply a process of elimination. Try simply running one day, no biking. Or biking and no running, etc...test different things out and see if something changes. Granted, your mindset would be looking for change, and it would come over a period of time in order to make a noticeable difference. One hypothetical test isn't going to find you your answer. It will take a bit of time I would imagine when you're not thinking about it, and then after a week or two - you can determine whether one thing or the other was causing your irritability.RunnerGrl1982 wrote: »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)
There are too many variables to give an estimate. It's dependent on so many things. But you said you have been comfortable with your rides and runs, so I would say a couple months in, you should have settled into a routine of sorts and fitness level that would be comparable to not over working yourself by this point......but I honestly don't know. Apologies. Wish I could provide more assistance, but only you can truly factor in all the variables and step back to evaluate.
And maybe it's simply a process of elimination. Try simply running one day, no biking. Or biking and no running, etc...test different things out and see if something changes. Granted, your mindset would be looking for change, and it would come over a period of time in order to make a noticeable difference. One hypothetical test isn't going to find you your answer. It will take a bit of time I would imagine when you're not thinking about it, and then after a week or two - you can determine whether one thing or the other was causing your irritability.
That’s helpful advice, thank you! I have a couple of weeks coming up between jobs so won’t be cycling really. So that’ll give me an opportunity to see whether just running here and there still leads me to feel this way, or whether it’s just when everything’s done together. Process of elimination. Thanks.1 -
Are you bored while exercising? I get very irritated when I'm bored and running and cycling, for me, are dull and tend to get me in that edgy mood.0
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When I’m stressed sometimes it takes 2 workouts to clear out the stress. After the first workout I get a wave of anger or stress until I work out again. Try working out harder or working out 2 days in a row.0
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