Why Do You Feel Sick After Lifting Weights & How to Stop it?

Working out in the gym and lifting weights along with strength training is undoubtedly one of the best ways to keep fit and build muscle mass in your body. However, some people feel sick after lifting weights and are not able to work out properly. Let us understand why you feel sick after lifting weights and how to stop it with effective ways.

Weight lifting has a plethora of advantages associated with it like improving the density of your bones, helping create better balance and posture and giving your body a toned look. Though weight lifting is great for your body, sometimes it so happens that after lifting weights you start to feel sick and nauseous and may also vomit all of a sudden. This is more common in people who are new to weight lifting or have started lifting weights after a long gap.

Let us analyze why you feel sick after lifting weights and how to stop it from happening in the future.

Here are some of the most common reasons as to why you feel sick after lifting weights:

• Hormonal and Chemical Changes – Like other forms of exercises, your body undergoes several hormonal and chemical changes when you perform weight lifting exercises. This can have a negative impact on your blood and also speed up the nervous system, with sudden surge of the adrenaline hormone. The excited nerves, especially in the bowel and the stomach cause the sick feeling during the weight lifting process. This is the commonest cause of why you feel sick after lifting weights.
• Dehydration – Since you sweat heavily while lifting weight, your body might get dehydrated, which is another reason why you feel sick after lifting weights. The problem may be more during summer and if you have just recovered from an illness.
• Overdoing the Weight Lifting – If you are a beginner in the world of weight lifting and overdo it from the very first day, the chances of feeling sick after lifting weights increases tremendously. When you lift weights, the chemicals in your body undergo extensive changes which can cause the feeling of sickness. Even if you are a seasoned weight lifters, overdoing or lifting too much weights for a long time can make you feel sick after lifting weights.
• Low Blood Sugar Level – This is another common reason why you feel sick after lifting weights. When you perform weight lifting which is a type of resistance exercise, the stored glucose in your muscles starts getting utilized. At the same time the brain too requires glucose to function well. However, as glucose starts getting used up from the body, a lack of glucose level in the brain can make you feel sick after the weight lifting exercise.
• Improper Breathing – Improper breathing during exercises is a common cause, which explains why you feel sick after lifting weights. Improper or shallow breathing during your weight lifting session can bring down your body’s energy level and also prevent the muscles from functioning properly during weight lifting. As shallow breathing prevents muscles from getting the required amount of oxygen and in turn they take away that oxygen which was meant to be supplied to the brain. When the brain gets insufficient oxygen, it makes you feel sick and weird and may also lead to a state of unconsciousness in severe cases.

Most people often think that it is alright to feel sick after lifting weights, but that’s not true. There are simple yet effective ways by which you can stop feeling sick after lifting weights and enjoy a perfectly balanced work out.

Let us see how to stop feeling sick after lifting weights:

• Since dehydration is a common cause of feeling sick after lifting weights, a good way to stop this feeling is to drink at least 2 to 3 glasses of water before you start lifting weights. It is also important to keep drinking small amounts of water in between your weight lifting rounds. This will help replenish the fluid lost from the body in the form of sweat and prevent you from feeling sick after lifting weights.
• Eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates at least 2 hours prior to your weight lifting session. By doing so, you will ensure that your blood sugar levels remain steady, which is a great way to stop feeling sick after lifting weights. Another great option is to have sports drinks both before and after the weight lifting regime to maintain sugar levels in your blood.
• No matter how keen you are to build a perfect body, never over-strain yourself when lifting weights. The best way to stop feeling sick after lifting weights is to go slow and increase the weights gradually without stressing your body in any way. This applies to beginners and to those who are getting back to their weight lifting regime after a gap of several weeks or months.
• In most cases, your gym trainer will ask you to repeat 2 to 3 sets of any given weight lifting exercise for optimum results. In such a scenario, it is advisable to take at least 2 minutes rest between each set, irrespective of the weight lifting that is being done, to prevent the body from getting over-tired which can cause a feeling of sickness. This is one of the simplest ways to stop feeling sick after lifting weights.
• Make sure that you breathe well when you exercise. During the weight lifting session, breathe in and breathe out deeply and properly without hurrying up. This will help the entire body, especially the brain to get sufficient amount of oxygen as you lift weights. Proper breathing is one of the most effective ways to stop the feeling of sickness after lifting weights or any exercise, for that matter.

Now that you know how to stop feeling sick after lifting weights, it is important for you to follow the tips mentioned above every time you hit the gym. It is good that you are conscious about your health and wish to build muscle strength. But remember that your body should be comfortable with your exercises or else you might have to face serious issues in the future. Take all the necessary precautions to avoid feeling sick after lifting weights and enjoy a regular work out.