Exercise induced nausea is a fancy way of saying that one’s feeling light headed or vomiting during a workout. It’s quite a common problem and although it has no dire effects, it can be neutralized to prevent a poor workout and further symptoms which can be frustrating and non-motivating towards further physical exertion.

Typically the symptoms occur due to several causes:

  • High heart rate or BPM (beats per minute) or overexertion
  • Low blood sugars
  • Dehydration or overhydration
  • Motion sickness

To prevent exercise induced nausea, it is crucial to understand the cause. Once that is determined, it is possible to prevent nausea from occurring. If the cause of nausea comes from overexertion whereby one’s heart rate is raised above the suggestedBPM for one’s age the best solution is to rest or slow your heart rate down by performing drills at a lower level of intensity. Once your body has become acclimated to the workout exercises then you may scale your training level higher.

Often times, exercise induced nausea is caused by poor nutrition both pre and post-workout. The cure for this symptom is simple: eat. However, it is best to stick to small, high carbohydrate, low fat meals an hour prior to working out and small to medium, high carbohydrate, high protein, low fat meals thirty-minutes after a workout. The carbohydrates translate into creating energy for the body and the protein helps replenish and grow muscle tissue. For a better understanding of what to eat and when read May’s article on the importance of post workout nutrition.

Overhydration before, during or after exercise can cause nausea, diarrhea, confusion, and muscle tremors. If the water consumption is significant enough, it can even be fatal. Excessive water consumption reduces or dilutes electrolyte levels in the body. Although, it is important to keep your electrolyte level high in order to prevent your muscles from weakening or contracting uncontrollably (cramping), it also important to hydrate or rehydrate properly to avoid nausea. The recommended serving before and during a workout is 17 to 20 ounces of fluid 3 hours prior to working out with an additional 7 to 10 ounces roughly 15 minutes prior to exercise.

Finally, motion sickness, when exercising, is caused by closing your eyes or scanning your eyes while moving. By locking your eyes on one point, this exercise induced nausea may be prevented. It has also been discovered that abdominal exercises during the middle of a workout may cause nausea.

Hopefully these tips can help prevent poor workouts and feelings of frustration and promote a healthy exercise regime. Good luck in your training everyone.