5 Reasons You Get a Headache After Exercise

Pushing through an intense workout can be a self-affirming personal experience—not to mention all the good it does for your mind and body. The last thing you need after making all that progress is a debilitating, progress-halting headache. If you don’t pay attention to your water intake, however, headaches can result from becoming dehydrated during exercise.

Even if dehydration isn’t the cause behind your headaches after exercise, staying hydrated before, during, and after a workout is essential to your body’s recovery and function. DripDrop’s precise formula is designed to be the fastest way to hydrate, unlocking a hydration shortcut that allows your body to absorb fluids and electrolytes more quickly.

So, what can you do to stave off a headache after exercise? Let’s explore some causes behind headaches to better understand how to avoid this pesky pain after what should be a rewarding workout.

Common Causes of Headaches After Exercise

Low Blood Sugar

The importance of eating before any strenuous activity cannot be understated. Exercise causes the body to expend calories, a unit of energy the body receives from food and drinks, which are often from carbohydrates that are turned into glucose. Glucose is one of the brain’s favorite fuel sources, but many other parts of your body rely on glucose, too, like cells, organs, and muscles.

Exercising causes your body to use more glucose than usual, drawing on reserves in your muscles and liver. When your body restores these glucose reserves, it starts to draw sugar from your blood, which is why it’s essential to eat a healthy carbohydrate-heavy meal before a workout to give your body plenty of energy. A post-workout meal is also essential

If you’re wondering, “Why do I get a headache after exercise?” and you haven’t been consuming enough carbs before your workout, this could be the cause behind the pain.

You can experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including headaches, if your brain isn’t receiving enough glucose. Other possible effects include sweating, faintness or dizziness, shaking, confusion, nausea, and hunger.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a common issue, with some studies suggesting up to 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated without even realizing it. If you feel thirsty, that’s the first sign your body is not getting enough hydration, and hydration is vital to numerous bodily functions.

Dehydration occurs when our bodies lose more water than they take in. Because exercise typically causes increased perspiration, our bodies lose more water than normal, requiring a higher intake of water and electrolytes.

A dehydration headache is a result of the brain shrinking, which puts pressure on nerves and creates pain. Bodily tissues, including the brain, shrink when you’re dehydrated.

The best way to get rid of a dehydration headache is to rehydrate. But water alone won’t help your body function at its best—you need electrolytes, too. DripDrop is formulated with three times the electrolytes found in the leading sports drink and just half the sugar. It’s a fast way to hydrate, unlocking a hydration short to help your body absorb water and electrolytes quicker.

Not Breathing Enough

Have you ever noticed that, sometimes, you’re unconsciously holding your breath if you’re concentrating? If you experience a headache after exercise, you could be doing the same thing during physical exertion as you do during mental exertion.

Exercise or exertion increases heart rate, placing more demand on you to provide oxygen to the brain and your muscles. This can be especially prevalent during strength training or core work, which both require exertion levels that may trigger that unconscious breath holding.

Exertional Headaches

Often described as throbbing pain on the side of your head, exertional headaches can be caused by any physical activity from coughing and sneezing to running and lifting. These kinds of headaches can last anywhere from minutes to days. If you’re exerting yourself at high altitudes or in warm weather, you’re more likely to develop an exertional headache.

There are two types of exertional headaches: primary and secondary.

Primary exertional headaches occur through unknown bodily means, but health experts hypothesize they’re caused when exercise or other exertion causes blood vessels to dilate.

Secondary exertional headaches are also caused by physical exertion, but these headaches are due to an already-present underlying condition. These underlying conditions can range in severity from sinus infections to major medical emergencies like tumors. Symptoms include head pain, but may also include vision problems, stiff neck, vomiting or congestion. A secondary exertional headache should prompt those affected to seek medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any underlying issues.

Exercise-Induced Migraines

The exact cause of migraines may still be unclear, but for some, environmental factors and triggers such as physical exertion can bring on this crippling form of headache.

While it’s true that migraines are more likely in certain people — women, adults between 25 and 55, and those with an established family history — physical activity may bring on pain specific to one region of the head, sensitivity to light or sound, nausea, or vertigo. If you’re part of the 25-30% of people who experience migraine aura, you may also see wavy lines, flashing lights or sparkles.

Migraines can ruin your day, as the pain and symptoms associated with them are more severe than a primary exertional headache. If you experience an exercise-induced migraine, stop exercising and go rest in a dark room until the feeling passes.

How to Avoid Headaches after Exercise

Preparing for Exercise

If you regularly experience a headache after exercise, there are steps you can take to minimize your risk of this painful symptom.

Prepare your body by warming up, stretching, practicing good posture and wearing shoes that promote good posture while working out.
Following a reliable sleep schedule and getting enough sleep each night is also essential.
If you exercise outside, avoid working out for long periods of time during the heat or at high altitudes.
Maintain a healthy diet and eat energizing foods before and after a workout.

Stay Hydrated

Keeping your body hydrated—and providing it with the electrolytes that keep it running—can make a big difference when striving towards a healthy post-workout feeling. Drinking enough water before, during and after workouts can reduce the risk of headaches.

However, water may not be enough to properly replenish your body after a workout. Enhance your water with DripDrop, an electrolyte drink mix based on oral rehydrated science to provide the precise ratio of electrolytes and glucose needed after a workout.

Replenishing lost fluids and electrolytes may also help relieve a dehydration headache and avoid headaches after exercise in the future.

Fight Dehydration Headaches with DripDrop

If you frequently experience headaches after exercise, you may be suffering from dehydration headaches. Your body may require more water when you exercise because it’s losing fluids through perspiration. Drink water throughout the day and especially before, during, and after a workout.

But your body needs more than water to function at its best. DripDrop is packed with electrolytes you need and is designed with a precise formula to employ a hydration shortcut, making it the fastest way to hydrate. Plus, it’s available in a range of delicious flavors.

For a zero-sugar option, try DripDrop Zero—all the same hydrating benefits with none of the sugar.