I normally (like many of you) have an AM and a PM session. I get through all my AM workouts fine. I’ll wake up, have coffee and a piece of ezekiel bread w/ a T of almond butter and a banana.
I’ll get done and follow this:
9:00
Oatmeal w/ banana, blueberries, walnuts
10:15
Apple w/ a handful of almonds/walnuts
12:00 - 1:00
Salad w/ chicken
2:15
Oatmeal w/ banana
5:00
bread w/ almond butter
Then, I’ll start my PM workout around 6:00… Problem is about 15 minutes into the workout (mostly happening during runs, easy intensity) I’ll get very weak and dizzy. I’ll normally stop for a minute and kind of crouch down until I feel a little better. I’ll continue, but make it back home in a weak, almost fatigued daze.
Am I under-fueling? I get routine blood work every three months for an unrelated condition (low platelet count) so my CBC comes back perfectly fine…
Thoughts? Suggestions?
It doesn’t happen every time, but it’s kind of scary when it does. Could it just be anxiety?
If it isn’t a some other medical condition (low blood pressure?),and you should get this specifically checked out, I’d suggest the following pre-workout protocol:
But you sound like someone with a healthy diet so I’m out of suggestions.
I think we would need to know a lot more for a scientific explanation (exact amount of food eaten, your height, weight, age, any medical conditions and medications, body composition, nature of the workouts, temperature and humidity, heart rates, etc, etc)
But for a simple start - I suppose you are drinking water throughout the day in between said meals? It that is the case, it seems you diet is utterly deficient in salt. Your body needs salt to retain the water to keep your blood flowing and your blood pressure up. Sounds like you are near fainting from dehydration. Also, have you been checked for diabetes? You are eating a predominantly carb based diet it seems.
I think we would need to know a lot more for a scientific explanation (exact amount of food eaten, your height, weight, age, any medical conditions and medications, body composition, nature of the workouts, temperature and humidity, heart rates, etc, etc)
But for a simple start - I suppose you are drinking water throughout the day in between said meals? It that is the case, it seems you diet is utterly deficient in salt. Your body needs salt to retain the water to keep your blood flowing and your blood pressure up. Sounds like you are near fainting from dehydration. Also, have you been checked for diabetes? You are eating a predominantly carb based diet it seems.
Good luck with your training.
Height: 6’
Weight: 172
Age: 24
2nd season in triathlon, FOP-MOP in AG in local races.
I’ve always been fairly active (surfed/skateboarded all my life) and never went through some super unhealthy, out of shape phase.
No medical conditions (other than low platelet count)/ no medications
I’m doing predominately threshold work on the bike (trainer), 2000-2500 swimming per workout, and a Barry P running setup (~35 mpw) w/ predominately Z2 running mixed in with some tempo work.
Live in FL, so it’s been getting pretty muggy/humid outside as of late.
I could be completely off the mark, but with dehydration, shouldn’t your urine be yellow? Mine is always crystal clear w/ the massive amount of water, but if I’m deficient in sodium, I’d be peeing the water right out, right?
Also, suggestions for alternatives to the high carb? Diabetes runs in my family and it’s always in the back of my mind.
This is a problem that I’ve also had although my eating ‘regimen’ is not nearly as formalized as yours. The workaround that I’ve come up with is to treat the afternoon workout the same way as I would an AM endurance race: Eat a balanced meal (not a snack) ~3 hours before the workout and then fast until racing. It is ok to eat something light such as an apple, banana, gel, etc. within 15 min. before the start.
I will state outright that I am not a physiologist or endocrinologist and insulin is a complicated hormone that plays many roles in the body. But, I know that the rationale behind the ‘3 hour rule’ for endurance racing relates to insulin release after eating, i.e. after you eat the pancreas releases insulin which causes blood sugar to drop and your body’s cells to begin anabolic metabolism. In most individuals this process runs it course in 3 hours, so insulin levels are returning to baseline and blood sugar is being maintained by release from stored glycogen. In this way the body is better primed to enter the highly catabolic state of vigorous exercise. I’m sure this is an oversimplification, but it something that I intuitively grasp as I always find that once I get through the dizzy/fatigue period (usually comes on 15-20 minutes in) I am good to go for the remainder of the workout suggesting that I am not truly bonking or in an under-fueled state.
Two other things that I would suggest: (1) If possible a midday nap (even just 15 min) could work wonders for the quality of your afternoon session. There is no substitute for sleep. (2) If you have the time, try doing a longer very easy warmup prior to your afternoon session. If your running, just walk for the first 15-20 min, or spin on the bike. Again this gets back to the idea that it takes time for the body to shift metabolic gears.
Everyone is different. I would let the anxiety go and start experimenting with timing and composition of your meals to figure out what works for you. And always get enough sleep!
I normally (like many of you) have an AM and a PM session. I get through all my AM workouts fine. I’ll wake up, have coffee and a piece of ezekiel bread w/ a T of almond butter and a banana.
I’ll get done and follow this:
9:00
Oatmeal w/ banana, blueberries, walnuts
10:15
Apple w/ a handful of almonds/walnuts
12:00 - 1:00
Salad w/ chicken
2:15
Oatmeal w/ banana
5:00
bread w/ almond butter
Then, I’ll start my PM workout around 6:00… Problem is about 15 minutes into the workout (mostly happening during runs, easy intensity) I’ll get very weak and dizzy. I’ll normally stop for a minute and kind of crouch down until I feel a little better. I’ll continue, but make it back home in a weak, almost fatigued daze.
Am I under-fueling? I get routine blood work every three months for an unrelated condition (low platelet count) so my CBC comes back perfectly fine…
Thoughts? Suggestions?
It doesn’t happen every time, but it’s kind of scary when it does. Could it just be anxiety?
So I havent even read through all of the other posts and want to point out I feel your pain.
My fix was just starting to take multivitamins now on top of upping my carb intake.
Im 30 and only been into the sport for a little under a year now and was having some similar issues.
Headaches, dizzy, fatigued on an easy run and profuse sweating.
I have heard some issues from other triathletes who have low iron so I still suggest seeing your doctor when you have time.
Could be underfeeding and blood sugar issues. Try beefing up the noon and 2:15 meals (more carbs) and perhaps skipping the 5:00 meal (or moving it earlier by an hour).
I do a lot of 3 a days (2 a day is easy) and I get this sometimes. I think it’s related to electrolyte imbalances. Might even be calcium and magnesium levels as much as potassium and sodium (you get plenty of that in all sorts of food).
2nd can be overreaching, even in a short duration. I tend of have issues when it’s my 3rd day of 200+ TSS workouts and probably my 9th session for the week already. My HR runs too low, or rather seems to lag a little too much. I just ease off a bit and after 15-20 minutes it recovers.
I think it’s a combination of both. I think lack of sleep contributes as well.
I’m type 1 diabetic, if you were running low blood sugar on any workout you wouldn’t recover from it without carb intake.
I agree with a few others, add some carb.
Also if your concerned about diabetes you can test yourself. Just buy a meter and test strips at any walmart. Test strips are really expensive without a prescription though.
On days where I double-up, which are most days, I have an extra Powerbar during the day, and depending on how I feel I toss a Nuun tablet into my water every now and then.
The dizziness only comes back when I’ve had several big days in a row, and when I haven’t increased my calories to compensate. I’m not little by any means (5’8" 155 lbs), but it doesn’t mean I can just live off the fat of the land and not eat anything.
