Exercise and fainting?

[Crossbow]

I googled for it but found way too much information and I couldn't wade through those long words. So please keep it simple.

I've been in a 1,200 calorie diet for about 10 days. Quite simple: lean meat, veggies, legumes, fruits and some milk in very small portions. No problems here, I've done this before and it always worked.

Last Wednesday I exercised for nearly 2 hours (water workout + underwater spinning) and about half an hour later I felt dizzy and nauseated. But I forgot about it later. Then on Friday the same thing happened, only this time I got drenched in sweat and was very close to passing out completely. I was in juice shop and looked around to see if there was any hot strong guy to support me if I fell, so that I could sigh and look all delicate and helpless, but there wasn't any, so you see how frustrating the whole experience was. Kidding aside, it's just an overall unpleasant experience and I'm not used to this.

I'm not in any medication and I'm not diabetic or have any heart condition. I had those checked last year when my father had heart problems. That's why it's so problematic to find good info, google just wants to convince me I have to have those to nearly faint after exercise. Oh, and my blood pressure has always been in the normal range.

I gather there is something missing in my diet? Basically, how can I do cardio for two hours without fainting like a Victorian virgin later?

Perhaps your problem is that you are trying to exercise too much and too soon.

If you have not been regularly exercising at you the level you discuss, then an intense and extended workout coupled with a new diet program could cause the fainting and nausea problems you have been having. So try this, keep to your diet but use a shorter and less intense workout. Then, gradually work up to a longer and longer workout.

Please be careful, do not over do it, and if you keep having problems, then see a doctor.

 

[strathmeyer]

Claus - to lose a couple of kilos, that's why.

Most people want to lose fat, and not muscle.

 

[Deetee]

You have exercise-induced hypoglycaemia. Other posters above have indicated some of the metabolic background predisposing you to this. Basically your liver is unable to generate sufficient glucose (through gluconeogenesis) for your requirements. Your symptoms are fairly classical for hypoglycaemia, especially the dizziness, weakness and sweating.

See here and here. (The uncached page is inaccessible)

 

[Luciana]

Thanks, everybody. Some of you used words a tad too long, and lots of lingo that were entirely lost on me... but I guess I got the gist of it.

Why underwater workout? Because it was a fun and low-impact way of resuming exercise, something I slacked last year. And my gym is too crowded this day. You end up spending an hour on what you could do in 35 minutes just because you're taking turns in the equipment. And you can't even stretch without bumping into people.

In the past I have nearly passed out while at the treadmill (quite a few times, actually) but then it's only a matter of stopping and calling it a day. What I found strange this time is that the feeling came almost 30 minutes later, even though I felt perfectly fine while exercising. So if there's no warning, how am I supposed to know if I'm overdoing it?

Anyway, it's refreshing to know it's nothing really worrisome, though I'll sure try and avoid it. Unlike some perverts, I don't fancy reaching the point of nearly collapsing. If only it involved good wine.

politas: you find 1,200 too few calories? It's not, I assure you, because I want to lose weight. Actually, I wish I could keep this number forever, not for weight loss, but because eating small portions make me feel so much sharper. But I have a sweet tooth, unfortunately. It's a wonderful feeling to get ready to bed and find out I have some 300 calories to "use". Pass me the Oreos! No, kidding, but it goes to show that once you take your mind off food, 1,200 calories can even seem excessive.

Greco: "Or don't exercise the big leg muscles together with the rest of the body." That's complicated in a bike, specially if I'm standing up with most of my body out of the water. So it's a lot of it in the quads.

I'll try Gatorade while exercising next time.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Or fish and chips afterwards.
It worked for Alf Tupper.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Need pictures of Luciana in a swimsuit to really get a grasp on what the problem is.

 

[rdaneel]

All those big words and they missed the most important reason to avoid Gatorade.

IT'S AWFUL!!

 

[Dustin Kesselberg]

Trust me...Gatoraid is the key.

Also i'm not talking about eating a big meal. Just a power bar. Something small. You don't even need to eat all of it.



Do your workout and bring along a bottle of gatoraid. Once you start to feel faint and sick feeling then take a drink of the gatoriaid and rest a few minutes and it will go away.

Try it.

It will work

 

[joe87]

Maybe you should try some canned oxygen when you feel faint.
Have you taken your pulse and blood pressure when you feel faint? Get a blood pressure monitor and see if your pressure gets very low, or your pulse is very slow or fast. That may give your doctors a clue as to what is happening. You REALLY should get a stress EKG test, to rule out heart abnormalities - you can have those at any age. Also, go off your diet for a week and see if the problem gets better.

 

[Doubt]

All those big words and they missed the most important reason to avoid Gatorade.

IT'S AWFUL!!

True. Mostly when warm. But I still use it. There are other choices these days.

Hypoglycaemia is the most likely cause. You need to replace some of those calories you are burning right after the workout. Not a lot of food, but something with some suger and protein right after the workout. By right after I mean well under an hour afterwards.

And stay hydrated. You will lose fluids working out in the water. I don't know the mechanics of the fluid loss, but I have experienced it enough.

Having a sports drink during a one hour workout would not be a bad thing, but I bet they don't allow you to do that since the spinning is done in the water. However a sports drink may not really be needed assuming the rest of your diet is okay and the duration of the workout is not to long.

 

[Dustin Kesselberg]

The people telling you not to use gatoraid have no personal experience with working out. I do.

Try it and it will work.

 

[Doubt]

The people telling you not to use gatoraid have no personal experience with working out. I do.

Try it and it will work.

No. Many of them have tried other sports drinks that taste better.

I still use gatoriad because my stomach is used to it and it is available at most of the longer races I do.

Also most people engaged in moderate physical activity don't need it. Those that are only doing moderate activity and do need it should take a closer look at their diet.

 

[El Greco]

Cold sweat and weakness are indeed symptoms of hypoglycemia but dizziness and nausea are much more characteristic of lactic acidosis.

Anyway, a sports drink during exercise or some other carbs pre-exercise may prevent that. A sports drink of course need not be a commercial one, it can be anything with 6-8% carbohydrates (when I want one I usually make my own with glucose and water). You could add protein or fruits or make it more or less thick, depending on what exactly you're after but this is rather off-topic.

Or you could get used to training in that state, it shouldn't take too long and the symptoms will subside.

 

[Hellbound]

When I was working out heavily (admittedly for gaining mass rather than weight loss), I'd make "shakes" of skim milk and fresh fruit for drinking after my workout. I usually added by protein powders and such to this .

But anyway, might be an idea.

El Greco: I'd have to disagree with you that nausea and dizziness are not symptoms of hypoglycemia. In fact, these usually affect me before the weakness, and I've never gotten cold sweats (this is in non-exercise hypoglycemic situations). From webmd:

Mild hypoglycemia can cause nausea, a jittery or nervous feeling, cold and clammy skin, and a rapid heartbeat.

Moderate hypoglycemia often makes you feel irritable, anxious, or confused. You may have blurred vision, feel unsteady, and have difficulty walking.

 

[madmonk76]

Isn't a normal colorific intake around 2,000 per day? 1,200 is a pretty severe starvation diet, and would quite easily explain faintness after heavy exercise.

Actually, that depends on her size to begin with.
2000 sounds about right for an active, adult male.

When I was pregnant and breast feeding, my doctor recommended uping my calorie intake by about 250 calories (to 1500 calories) a day. I hardly think cutting 50 calories qualifies as a "severe starvation diet".

 

[Deetee]

Luciana, apart from the hypoglycaemia and dehydration, be aware that if you hyperventilate (as some people can do during intense workouts) you will blow off too much CO2 (from the lungs, you people!) making your blood more alkaline, which results in the familiar symptoms of dizziness, disorientation and cramps/tingling in the extremities.

Perhaps you are experiencing a mix of overlapping symptoms from all 3 of these conditions.

 

[Luciana]

On Monday I only exercised for one hour and today will be the same, because I'm dealing with the flu. So chances are I won't know until Friday if Gatorade and a power bar will allow me to workout and not worry about collapsing like a Victorian lady later (but I'm sure they preferred horseback riding to water workout).

Around here it's common to see people carrying bottles with coconut water, which apparently also hydrates faster than water, and it's, uh, natural, but that has a higher fat content, so I'm skipping it for now.

I found out they have bottle-holders for the bikes, so you can just ask to have those installed. I feel so unsmart for not having paid attention...

Huntsman - juice shops are big in Rio exactly because after workout everybody goes get some. They come up with the weirdest mixtures and yeah, lots of those protein powders. I was after a beet-carrot-acerola juice when the world started to spin around me.

 

[blutoski]

Actually, that depends on her size to begin with.
2000 sounds about right for an active, adult male.

When I was pregnant and breast feeding, my doctor recommended uping my calorie intake by about 250 calories (to 1500 calories) a day. I hardly think cutting 50 calories qualifies as a "severe starvation diet".

Yes, that's a common mistake. I'm an active male, but below average height, and I've determined that I maintain at about 12-1300cal/day.

I up it when I'm training two workouts a day, or doing an open-water swim on the weekend, but only to about 1500cal.

 

[Hellbound]

Around here it's common to see people carrying bottles with coconut water, which apparently also hydrates faster than water, and it's, uh, natural, but that has a higher fat content, so I'm skipping it for now.

Just wanted to address this. To my knowledge, nothing hydrates faster than water. Gatorade hydrates you slower, coconut water hydrates you slower, etc, etc,. When treating dehydration, we would give Normal Saline (water at a salt concentration equal to the body, about .9% IIRC), not Lactated Ringer's (which is basically gatorade IV without sugar, has added electrolytes).

Reason being, your cells absorb water via osmosis, and it's controlled by the relative concentrations inside the cell vs. outside. This is also the reason overhydration can cause problems (drinking too much water without getting food/salts.electrolytes), because the cells keep absorbing water long after they reached the amount they need (can cause brain swelling and eventual death).

In any case, pure water has a lower concentration of solute than water+anything, and gets absorbed more quickly.

Now, I'm willing to be shown I'm wrong in this, but to date, I've not found evidence of it (a lot of claims from various people selling miracle drinks, but no evidence). IF anyone more knowledgable can weigh in on it, feel free

 

[Aardvark]

).

Around here it's common to see people carrying bottles with coconut water, which apparently also hydrates faster than water, and it's, uh, natural, but that has a higher fat content, so I'm skipping it for now.

I am not sure of terminolgy here, but the clear liquid that comes from the inside of a coconut has some sugars and salts only, no fat.

Fats and oils do not mix with water, you would see a cloudy or muddy drink.

However if you press the white flesh of the coconut, you get a white milky liquid which we call coconut milk in the UK and this does contain oil.

Oils and fats are the same in most ways, except oils are in a liquid state at room termperiture, and fats are still solid.

I would still recommend you to make up your own drink with either water or fruit and water. I always avoid manufactured sugar, sucrose or corn syrup containing drinks, plus if you make your own with fruit, you are getting a portion of anti oxidant vitamins and friut sugars or fructoses which are less damaging to teeth than glucose or sucrose.

Just wait and watch me get shot down for these comments!!!!

We rely too much on convenience manufactured foods, why eat a food bar, nature makes them for you, nuts, bananas, seeds, sultanas or raisins from california.

When I ride my bike I do not use Gatorade, I drink water and carry fruit.