Nausea when lifting weights.

ChaoticMoira
ChaoticMoira Posts: 103 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I recently have taken up weight lifting, and have been experiencing nausea mid-workout. I have read up on it and it appears to be common. I am following all the guidelines; have always been good with staying hydrated, try to eat both protein and some carbs about an hour or two before my workout.

I am trying to not overexert myself, but also that is kind of hard when you are suppose to lift a reasonable amount.

My question is, if anyone else dealt with this when they were new to lifting, how long did it take your body to adjust, and go away?

Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,596 Member
    I think you’ll need to try some things to find out what’s causing the nausea then you can address it. If it’s acid reflux (bending down to deadlift can worsen it) then a good old antacid can solve it. If it’s blood sugar related, then you may just need to change your pre-workout snack (carbs are great but if I don’t eat protein with them my blood sugar spikes then plummets), so maybe experiment with fruit and yoghurt, dried fruit and nuts, a protein bar. If it’s low blood pressure related then plenty of fluid and electrolytes will help (my hubby has low blood pressure and will get dizzy and feel sick when he stands up from hyper extensions).

    Do you notice it after a certain exercise, length of time or point during the day?
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I have had this in the past, too. It SUCKS! It's very difficult to pinpoint why it happens sometimes and not others.

    One time I went to the gym for my usual circuit training using the upper-body machines. On the 2nd or 3rd time through the cycle, I had a wave of nausea that sent me to the lobby chair for about 45 minutes. I just sat there, sipping water from my water bottle, while it went away enough for me to change and slink home. I was just glad it didn't make me throw up, which would have been really embarrassing. (It's a corporate gym, so we all know each other.)

    So, here's what I think helps:

    - Do a warm up on a cardio machine for at least 10 minutes when you first get there.
    - Minimize caffeine right before, particularly coffee.
    - Make sure you have some carbs before the workout. This can be difficult when you are cutting, as weight lifting doesn't burn that many calories. Still, an apple or banana right before the workout can make all the difference.
    - Add electrolyte powder to your water. I'm not sure if this does all that much, but it can't hurt! I commonly use Nuun tabs.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    ...definitely experienced if I ate too much before lifting. I usually just have a piece of toast about an hour before. I've also experienced this if I haven't eaten enough before lifting. I usually carry a granola bar with me. Also experienced this if I have had too much coffee before lifting. I can sip coffee while lifting, but chugging a full mug or 2 or 3 before the gym is not the best.

    I've also flat out thrown up from heavy lifting. Major exertion going on there...
  • ChaoticMoira
    ChaoticMoira Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks all. I am just back home after my workout today and feel fine, thank goodness. Hopefully it won't happen anymore. Just to be sure this time I made sure to eat about 3 hours before, and had a protein shake about 45 minutes before my workout. I used milk so there was some carbs in there too. I kept meaning to do the shake in the first place but had been forgetting to.

    I was worried too because it was my first time doing dead lifts which work so many muscles at a time.
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    I think you’ll need to try some things to find out what’s causing the nausea then you can address it. Do you notice it after a certain exercise, length of time or point during the day?

    Yeah that is what I was planning. But there are articles which say it is common just from working ones muscles harder than the body is used to. And if it was just that, I was just curious how much time it might take for my body to adjust.
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    It sucks! ... Do a warm up on a cardio machine for at least 10 minutes when you first get there.

    It really does suck man. I had been wanting to shift my workouts more towards weight training for like a month. I was waiting on my trainer... So yeah I was all jazzed to finally get started and then boom. I was like wtf.. Thanks, I did warm up better this time as well. So that might have helped.
    deputy_randolph wrote: »
    ...definitely experienced if I ate too much before lifting. I usually just have a piece of toast about an hour before. I've also experienced this if I haven't eaten enough before lifting. I usually carry a granola bar with me. Also experienced this if I have had too much coffee before lifting. I can sip coffee while lifting, but chugging a full mug or 2 or 3 before the gym is not the best.

    I've also flat out thrown up from heavy lifting. Major exertion going on there...

    Heh heh, so basically, beware of all sorts of things when lifting, including lifting itself. lol
    I mean it makes sense. I have never focused on heavy weight training in the past and I am finding how exhausting it is. Your muscles take a hit.

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    This is a bit of an out of a limb one but I’m putting it out there as you are new to lifting and it happened when you were deadlifting.

    As well as feeling nauseous did you have cold sweats and were light headed?

    If so it could have been Vasovagal Syncope.
    This just means your breathing was off causing your blood pressure to drop.
    Either breathing too fast during set up or holding your breath too long when doing the lift can affect your blood pressure and cause these symptoms.

    They are not dangerous and one just had to sit or lie until the episode passes. Unless you pass out and hurt yourself no medical attention is needed.

    It is more often than not a one off event where the body is just trying to self regulate.

    Over 5-6 years I’ve had it almost happen a couple of times when lifting but recognized what was happening so plonked myself down on the floor until it passed. Both times were when I was generally agitated and distracted so not lifting well.

    (First time was in a posh hotel over dinner and the hotel called the paramedics because I’d passed out. That is where I had the above explained to me but I’m sure there is more detailed info to be found by googling.)

    Cheers, h.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    Check your BREATHING technique. Many people hold their breath through exercising. This increases the blood pressure up to 3x, especially when lifting challenging resistance.
    The standard rule of thumb is to inhale on the easiest part of any exercise and exhale on the difficult part of it. So on a squat you inhale as you descend and exhale as you ascend (you can hold your breath for a short moment as you start ascent, but make sure to exhale once you're past sticking point).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    @middlehaitch and @ninerbuff 's posts are very interesting. I don't think it's been a breathing issue for me. And, I've never figured out exactly what it is. I have very good endurance on cardio (swim, ride, or run for an hour or more), but I need to be careful lifting weights or I sometimes get nauseated. And, it doesn't go away immediately when I stop.

    I listed the warm-up first because that has been the most reliable preventative.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    @middlehaitch and @ninerbuff 's posts are very interesting. I don't think it's been a breathing issue for me. And, I've never figured out exactly what it is. I have very good endurance on cardio (swim, ride, or run for an hour or more), but I need to be careful lifting weights or I sometimes get nauseated. And, it doesn't go away immediately when I stop.

    I listed the warm-up first because that has been the most reliable preventative.
    But breathing during a cardio workout is different than that of weight lifting. Cardio is more of a cadence breathing whereas how you inhale and exhale when you lift weights can cause things like dizziness, nausea, light headedness if done incorrectly. Worth a shot to see. Worst that happens is that you learn if your breathing technique is correct.



    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • Sportertje354
    Sportertje354 Posts: 50 Member
    edited July 2021
    As a general rule I learned not to eat up to 2 hours before excercise, to avoid having issues like throwing up (which I can still have the tendency to do sometimes when excertion is higher, idk i throw up and keep excercising if needs be, not saying that is the best thing in the world maybe, but anyway, back to the point) Just realize feeling sick can be part of excercise, and maybe you are excerting yourself too much, or making some movements which are throwing your inner balance off.

    So I would avoid eating maybe in the hour before, and eat after the training maybe and max 2 hours before.

    Over whether or not to eat protein after or before training I have heard different things. Some say after, some say as long as you get it during that day.

    I tend to eat light before excercising, and eat more expansive after. I do make sure I have enough water, with supplements in it, with me, but those are more fast carbs, stuff like that, nothing heavy

    Afaik Mexican boxers are known to train in the morning before eating. Sometimes I train like that, and it can be okay, or cause hunger gnaws, which aren't the worst, but can be annoying, and maybe affect the intensity

    Lack of food can cause nausea too, so maybe you need to look at what you are eating the night and days before, and not just before the training.


  • ChaoticMoira
    ChaoticMoira Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks all. As I mentioned in the update above, my last workout went well, and I made sure to eat appropriately. I have another workout today, and will do the same thing, so we will see how that goes.

    I don't believe my breathing is an issue, as that is something I already pay attention to. Since I am just starting, I take my movements fairly slow focusing on my breathing and form. I do not get dizzy or lightheaded, it was just the nausea.



  • BrightEyedAgain
    BrightEyedAgain Posts: 259 Member
    Light bulb!! I've been having trouble with dizziness during my last two strength workouts and couldn't figure out why. My trainer wasn't sure either, but now, after reading this thread I bet it's my breathing!!! I'll ask her to pay close attention to it next time and see if that helps. I've just moved from machines to bigger weights, so I'm still learning the proper form. I've always been a little prone to dizziness, but I've been careful to eat before the worktout and everything, so I was baffled why this was happening. So glad I came and read this thread!!! Thanks to all the people who chimed in with their knowledge. I've been really bummed to think maybe I wouldn't be able to do deadlifts and squats, but I bet I can if I do the breathing right. Yay!
  • ChaoticMoira
    ChaoticMoira Posts: 103 Member
    Just as an update, so far it has not happened again. I have been making sure to get food, plus the protein shake. I did notice a slight uneasiness to my stomach on a day that I didn't get that protein shake in though; not full nausea, but I could feel the difference. I think compound movements and an empty stomach was the culprit.

    BrightEyedAgain wrote: »
    Light bulb!! I've been having trouble with dizziness during my last two strength workouts and couldn't figure out why. My trainer wasn't sure either, but now, after reading this thread I bet it's my breathing!!! I'll ask her to pay close attention to it next time and see if that helps. I've just moved from machines to bigger weights, so I'm still learning the proper form. I've always been a little prone to dizziness, but I've been careful to eat before the worktout and everything, so I was baffled why this was happening. So glad I came and read this thread!!! Thanks to all the people who chimed in with their knowledge. I've been really bummed to think maybe I wouldn't be able to do deadlifts and squats, but I bet I can if I do the breathing right. Yay!

    Let us know if focusing on your breathing helps. I hope it does. It might help someone else as well to hear back from you too.

  • BrightEyedAgain
    BrightEyedAgain Posts: 259 Member
    It seemed to help last night when I was doing squats and deadlifts again. Those are what set me off before. But the dizziness has always come and gone for me, so I'll have to see how it goes over the next week or two. But I think it helped so far.
  • MichelleMcKeeRN
    MichelleMcKeeRN Posts: 450 Member
    I do best at the gym on an empty stomach. I try not to eat for a couple hours before the gym. I typically eat right after the gym. Also, a belly full of water can make me nauseated. I can drink 1/2 gallon of water during a workout without feeling bad. I just have to take a reasonable drink instead of downing a pint of water each time I am thirsty.
  • MichelleMcKeeRN
    MichelleMcKeeRN Posts: 450 Member
    If I am dizzy, it is likely from not breathing enough during my workout. I use to be really bad about holding my breath and I would get dizzy. Being mindful of this has helped a lot.

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