Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Lightheaded when starting out on a run
Quote | Reply
Lately, I’ve been getting lightheaded about two miles into a run and can’t figure out what the deal is. The feeling is similar to low blood sugar. I usually try to push through it and it eventually goes away but I’m trying to figure out what is causing it. I thought it may have been from drinking coffee with a little cream and a little Splenda so I cut out the Splenda. Still happened. Tried eating a little something beforehand, still happened. Tried going without anything other than water and it still happened. It’s been going on consistently for a few months now and it’s happened before but not this regularly. I always drink coffee well before a race and have never had any issues. The other thing I’ve monitored is my pace starting out. I usually start slow for a mile and gradually pick up the pace. The thing about this is it almost always goes away so if my run is long enough, I will get through it but it’s a struggle for about a mile.

Any ideas?

Team Zoot
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [jeepguy2358] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
How's your blood pressure?
Do you get light headed under any other circumstances?
Last edited by: Ai_1: Nov 14, 20 10:00
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
This may be an "exercised-induced migraine-like reaction." I have had similar episodes with visual scotomas during the first few miles of a long run Often triggers are early morning runs, lack of good recovery and sleep, and hot temps. I would recommend seeing your physician if headaches worsen with exercise, chest discomfort or loss of consciousness with running. Hope this is helpful.
Last edited by: drgarstang: Nov 14, 20 10:38
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ai_1 wrote:
How's your blood pressure?
Do you get light headed under any other circumstances?

Blood pressure is fine. I went to the dr and had it checked a few weeks ago and never really get lightheaded under any other circumstances. I’ve checked my HR before starting, when I’m lightheaded and after and it all seems to be inline. No spikes or drops.

It feels like a blood sugar issue but the strange thing is that I can continue and push through and it typically goes away. For example, today I did a 7 miler and it came on around mile 2 - 2.5. I maintained my pace (which wasn’t fast) but around mile 4 it went away and dropped my pace by 1 minute per mile and felt great. It’s strange.

Team Zoot
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [drgarstang] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
drgarstang wrote:
This may be an "exercised-induced migraine-like reaction." I have had similar episodes with visual scotomas during the first few miles of a long run Often triggers are early morning runs, lack of good recovery and sleep, and hot temps. I would recommend seeing your physician if headaches worsen with exercise, chest discomfort or loss of consciousness with running. Hope this is helpful.

Thanks! No headaches, but one thing you mentioned that could definitely be a trigger are hot temps. It’s still humid here in SC. I can’t recall having any issues when it’s been cooler during the winter. Other than being lightheaded, I haven’t experienced any other issues. That’s why I was thinking it might be blood sugar related.

Team Zoot
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [jeepguy2358] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Issues with inner ear blockage can cause a sensation like this. Essentially the tubes in your ears get blocked and inflamed which screws up the body’s way of determining orientation, inducing dizziness or vertigo. You can look up benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as a start

Strava
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [jeepguy2358] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
jeepguy2358 wrote:
Ai_1 wrote:
How's your blood pressure?
Do you get light headed under any other circumstances?


Blood pressure is fine. I went to the dr and had it checked a few weeks ago and never really get lightheaded under any other circumstances. I’ve checked my HR before starting, when I’m lightheaded and after and it all seems to be inline. No spikes or drops.

It feels like a blood sugar issue but the strange thing is that I can continue and push through and it typically goes away. For example, today I did a 7 miler and it came on around mile 2 - 2.5. I maintained my pace (which wasn’t fast) but around mile 4 it went away and dropped my pace by 1 minute per mile and felt great. It’s strange.


It likely is rebound hypoglycemia. Bunch of info below on the matter of hypoglycemia. Read the how-to-fix section. Ironically, another way to fix (not listed) is "push through" with a slight reduction in pace, and your body may stabilize blood sugar levels.... I just don't list that in my "how-to-fix" section for my clients because it feels terrible to do so and there might be better ways. Fun fact: hypoglycemia doesn't affect actual performance as much as it FEELS like it should. It feels terrible for sure. But if you have the grit to push through it, performance is surprisingly minimally affected.

Common symptoms of mild/moderate hypoglycemia:
1. Fatigue/exhaustion
2. Inability to complete routine exercises/tasks
3. Intense Hunger
4. Nausea or stomach discomfort/pain
5. Shakiness
6. Lightheadedness
7. Weakness
8. Sweating
9. Irritability
10. Tingling sensation around mouth, feet, or hands.
11. Generally feeling like you’re dying (maybe that’s just me??)

Common causes of hypoglycemia:
1. Rebound hypoglycemia, ie. blood sugar crash. Most commonly recognized in children after they eat candy, run around like crazy and then start wailing. Ironically, the same thing happens in adults, we just (usually) don’t cry about it. The surest way to induce rebound hypoglycemia would be to consume a high glycemic index meal 40-70 minutes prior to exercise, and NOT consume any high glycemic index foods during exercise. Even in cases of more moderate or low glycemic index food consumption in that time window before exercise, rebound hypoglycemia is remarkably common. Another common way to create rebound hypoglycemia is to either consume too little intra-workout carbs during a portion of training, or to delay post-workout carbohydrate consumption by more than 10-15 minutes especially if intra-workout carbohydrate consumption was on the lower end of the spectrum for the work output or duration of exercise.

2. Intense exercise in the absence of carbohydrate or minimal carbohydrate. Work out for long enough or hard enough, without sufficient carbs, and you’ll surely begin to experience mild hypoglycemia.

3. Prolonged period of no food consumption. Don’t eat for 12 hours, and you’re likely to experience some level of hypoglycemia as your body works hard to run in a low carb environment.

How to prevent it:
1. Don’t eat 31-75 minutes prior to exercise.

2. If you must eat in that dreaded window, be sure it’s a balanced meal, low in fat, AND ensure that you have intra-workout carbs during your workout and are actively drinking them IMMEDIATELY from the onset of exercise or even just before you start, and throughout the entire workout.

3. If you need to eat closer than 90 minutes to your training, try to do it 10-20 minutes before training, and make it something very easily digestible (like intra-workout carbs) so that it’s not sitting in your gut doing nothing while you train.

4. Ideally, eat ~2 hours prior to training. The more complex the meal is, with more fat and more fiber, the longer before training is advisable.

5. In cases of workouts lasting 75 minutes or more, you MUST have intra-workout carbohydrates, or you’ll surely risk the onset of at least mild hypoglycemia by the end of your training session.

How to FIX it, if it happens:
1. If you’re in middle of workout, drink 10-50g of carbs depending on how much you have left, and how far behind you are on your “scheduled consumption” assuming the target was to drink steadily until the end of the workout, at which point, you’d be out of intra-workout carbs.

2. If you’re not training, reduce activity level (sit) if possible. Drink 4-12oz water, depending on thirst, and consider moving all or part of the next meal’s healthy carbs to right now. Wait 20 minutes. If it persists intensely, consider adding 20g more healthy carbs, or moderate-moderately high GI carbs like banana, melon, mango, white rice, skim milk, most breads.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub
Last edited by: DrAlexHarrison: Nov 15, 20 6:42
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Awesome post Alex, great info for everyone to have!

Strava
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [rsjrv99] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
rsjrv99 wrote:
Awesome post Alex, great info for everyone to have!

Thank you! Happy to provide info when I've got it handy.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
DrAlexHarrison wrote:
jeepguy2358 wrote:
Ai_1 wrote:
How's your blood pressure?
Do you get light headed under any other circumstances?


Blood pressure is fine. I went to the dr and had it checked a few weeks ago and never really get lightheaded under any other circumstances. I’ve checked my HR before starting, when I’m lightheaded and after and it all seems to be inline. No spikes or drops.

It feels like a blood sugar issue but the strange thing is that I can continue and push through and it typically goes away. For example, today I did a 7 miler and it came on around mile 2 - 2.5. I maintained my pace (which wasn’t fast) but around mile 4 it went away and dropped my pace by 1 minute per mile and felt great. It’s strange.


It likely is rebound hypoglycemia. Bunch of info below on the matter of hypoglycemia. Read the how-to-fix section. Ironically, another way to fix (not listed) is "push through" with a slight reduction in pace, and your body may stabilize blood sugar levels.... I just don't list that in my "how-to-fix" section for my clients because it feels terrible to do so and there might be better ways. Fun fact: hypoglycemia doesn't affect actual performance as much as it FEELS like it should. It feels terrible for sure. But if you have the grit to push through it, performance is surprisingly minimally affected.

Common symptoms of mild/moderate hypoglycemia:
1. Fatigue/exhaustion
2. Inability to complete routine exercises/tasks
3. Intense Hunger
4. Nausea or stomach discomfort/pain
5. Shakiness
6. Lightheadedness
7. Weakness
8. Sweating
9. Irritability
10. Tingling sensation around mouth, feet, or hands.
11. Generally feeling like you’re dying (maybe that’s just me??)

Common causes of hypoglycemia:
1. Rebound hypoglycemia, ie. blood sugar crash. Most commonly recognized in children after they eat candy, run around like crazy and then start wailing. Ironically, the same thing happens in adults, we just (usually) don’t cry about it. The surest way to induce rebound hypoglycemia would be to consume a high glycemic index meal 40-70 minutes prior to exercise, and NOT consume any high glycemic index foods during exercise. Even in cases of more moderate or low glycemic index food consumption in that time window before exercise, rebound hypoglycemia is remarkably common. Another common way to create rebound hypoglycemia is to either consume too little intra-workout carbs during a portion of training, or to delay post-workout carbohydrate consumption by more than 10-15 minutes especially if intra-workout carbohydrate consumption was on the lower end of the spectrum for the work output or duration of exercise.

2. Intense exercise in the absence of carbohydrate or minimal carbohydrate. Work out for long enough or hard enough, without sufficient carbs, and you’ll surely begin to experience mild hypoglycemia.

3. Prolonged period of no food consumption. Don’t eat for 12 hours, and you’re likely to experience some level of hypoglycemia as your body works hard to run in a low carb environment.

How to prevent it:
1. Don’t eat 31-75 minutes prior to exercise.

2. If you must eat in that dreaded window, be sure it’s a balanced meal, low in fat, AND ensure that you have intra-workout carbs during your workout and are actively drinking them IMMEDIATELY from the onset of exercise or even just before you start, and throughout the entire workout.

3. If you need to eat closer than 90 minutes to your training, try to do it 10-20 minutes before training, and make it something very easily digestible (like intra-workout carbs) so that it’s not sitting in your gut doing nothing while you train.

4. Ideally, eat ~2 hours prior to training. The more complex the meal is, with more fat and more fiber, the longer before training is advisable.

5. In cases of workouts lasting 75 minutes or more, you MUST have intra-workout carbohydrates, or you’ll surely risk the onset of at least mild hypoglycemia by the end of your training session.

How to FIX it, if it happens:
1. If you’re in middle of workout, drink 10-50g of carbs depending on how much you have left, and how far behind you are on your “scheduled consumption” assuming the target was to drink steadily until the end of the workout, at which point, you’d be out of intra-workout carbs.

2. If you’re not training, reduce activity level (sit) if possible. Drink 4-12oz water, depending on thirst, and consider moving all or part of the next meal’s healthy carbs to right now. Wait 20 minutes. If it persists intensely, consider adding 20g more healthy carbs, or moderate-moderately high GI carbs like banana, melon, mango, white rice, skim milk, most breads.

Wow! Thanks Doc! This is spot on. I don’t have issues when I eat much earlier (like before a race) and it does go away if I take a gel or something similar during the activity. I’ve also been eating before but it’s typically around 45 minutes prior. Thank you very much for the info!

Team Zoot
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [jeepguy2358] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I get this lightheadedness too sometimes when I first start running but it always fades. I also have orthostatic hypotension too which means I get a “head rush” nearly every time I stand up from lounging. It sucks!
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [BallsJesus] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
You're welcome!

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [jeepguy2358] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Do you, by any chance, drink a lot of caffeine during the day? Because when I do, it dehydrates me. I typically do my run later in the day and I find myself starting off feeling fine and then, part-way into the run feeling like this. It's the dehydration.
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [JoeO] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
JoeO wrote:
Do you, by any chance, drink a lot of caffeine during the day? Because when I do, it dehydrates me. I typically do my run later in the day and I find myself starting off feeling fine and then, part-way into the run feeling like this. It's the dehydration.

I drink a ton of coffee throughout the day but drink as much or more water. Plus my runs are usually first thing in the morning. With that being said, sometimes I will drink 1/2 an energy drink before a swim if I am really struggling to wake up. I don’t seem to have any ill effects. I was wondering if it could be caffeine but it doesn’t appear to be.

Team Zoot
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [jeepguy2358] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Could still be dehydration. Might not, of course but at least try having a glass of water or something before an early run.
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Really, that is fantastic. Realizing I have been in that spot multiple times. The “dreaded window”. Thank you!

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
Quote Reply
Re: Lightheaded when starting out on a run [JoeO] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
JoeO wrote:
Do you, by any chance, drink a lot of caffeine during the day? Because when I do, it dehydrates me. I typically do my run later in the day and I find myself starting off feeling fine and then, part-way into the run feeling like this. It's the dehydration.

Another potential explanation for the heavy caffeine-consumer (guilty as charged!) feeling this way is that caffeine, especially in higher doses is a pretty substantial appetite suppressant, which tends to cause increased risk of hypoglycemia from the simple mismatch of calories consumed (too few) to the expenditure (more than consumed) in earlier parts of the day where blood caffeine concentrations are higher. When the stimulant / appetite suppressant wears off, you risk hypoglycemia at the onset of exercise.

Further, the diuretic effect of caffeine isn't as substantial as I once thought it was. Turns out, drinking a pot of coffee (or several energy drinks) makes you pee a whole lot, not because of the caffeine but because you're consuming a super-low-electrolyte beverage in large quantities and diluting your blood. The kidney's response is to allow more water into your bladder to equilibrate blood sodium, primarily.

I tested this at home a bit by consuming normal amounts of fluid and taking even higher caffeine doses via caffeine pills and powder (up to 1,600 mg in a day). Vastly reduced urine production compared to when coffee or energy drinks are consumed! If caffeine were as much of a diuretic as thought, I'd have been peeing my brains out. lol

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub
Quote Reply