Training Headaches: Causes and Preventions
by Teige West
A few months ago I added a few new exercises to my strengthening routine. A few hours after my third training day, my head started to ache and throb until I had to go home and lay down. I’ve never had a migraine, but I was certain that my level of discomfort was close to migraine-level. My neck was tight, my shoulders were knotted. I took some ibuprofen and by dinner, I was good to go again. For the next week, my headache came back every day that I did my upper body strength work, and sometimes the day after I lifted. I didn’t yet realize the link between the new exercises and the headaches, so I made a doctor’s appointment and she thought I was having tension headaches—I neglected to mention the new exercises. After another week, I took a few days off and my headaches disappeared. Finally, I made the connection—I was doing exercises that required pushing weight above my head, and for whatever reason, this motion triggers headaches for me.
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Exercises headaches, or exertion headaches, are common for people (and even moreso for those prone to migraines). When you train, whether you’re lifting, sprinting, or doing drills, your blood pressure rises to get blood flowing more quickly around your body. And when your blood pressure rises, the vessels in your brain dilate which can cause pressure and pain; migraines are also causes by dilated blood vessels, so if you are a migraine sufferer, you should be aware that exercise can be a trigger. Generally, exertion headaches are simply uncomfortable and frustrating; they are rarely a cause for greater concern about your health. However, if you are having continuous headaches, go see your health provider to make sure that you don’t have an underlying issue, which could be serious. Also, if your pain is preceded by an injury, such as a hard fall or getting hit, stop your activity immediately and see a doctor. And if your pain is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, mental fog/disorientation, or trouble speaking, you may have a concussion, or even something as serious as an aneurysm, and those are two issues that need to be addresses immediately.
Below you will find the most common causes of exertion headaches, and preventative measures you can take to make your training more comfortable.
1. Dehydration
The number one cause for post-workout headaches is dehydration, especially in hot weather. Your body is mostly water, which should convey the importance of drinking water and low carb hydrating liquids. When your body is dehydrated, your brain will contract and pull away from the skull, which doesn’t just sound unpleasant—it can feel unpleasant, too. The solution is easy: drink more water before, during and after you work out. Buy a reusable water bottle and carry it with you to work or school, and to practice and training, and keep it filled up. The rule of 8 glasses of water a day is probably not enough for an athlete of your level, especially if you’re training more than 60 minutes at a time. If you can’t drink while you train, hydrate before and after. Water is the best option because water doesn’t have extra sugar or other extra calories that you most likely want to avoid. However, if you’re training for more than 90 minutes, or in very hot, humid weather, or you are already dehydrated from a sickness or other issue, you need an electrolyte drink to balance the minerals in your body. Keeping your body hydrated will prevent the #1 cause of exertion headaches.
2. Low Blood Sugar
The second most common cause of exertion headaches is a dip in blood sugar. When you exercise, your body is using up energy more quickly than when you’re watching TV, working at a desk, or doing any other low-effort activity. Even if you’re counting carbs and calories to trim down, you absolutely must give your body the energy needed to perform. If you train early in the morning, eat breakfast. Many people can’t eat early in the morning, or prefer not to, but even a small snack is preferred to working out on an empty stomach. Your body must have fuel! Generally, you should eat something before and after training, although your pre-workout snack shouldn’t be heavy—you don’t want a full meal right before you train. If you work out later in the day, try to have a meal at least 2 hours before you train, and then your snack about 60-30 minutes prior to exercise. You should eat again within 30 minutes after working out to refuel your muscles and prevent a dip in blood sugar. Choose snacks that combine fat, protein and slow-burning carbs (i.e. not sugar carbs like candy or soda), such as
• nut butter or cheese and crackers or rice cakes
• yogurt and granola with fruit
• peanut butter and a banana or an apple
• turkey and cheese on one slice of bread or on crackers
• trail mix with nuts and fruit
• egg and toast
• soup (a good post-workout snack in the winter)
If you’ve recently made a change to your diet, make sure that you haven’t cut too many non-sugar carbohydrates, which can result in low blood sugar. Slow-burning carbs are necessary for you to fill full and for you to have the energy needed for training. Suddenly cutting your caffeine intake can also cause a persistent headache, so if you’ve recently cut soda out of your diet, the decrease in caffeine can cause a headache that should subside after a few days. You may want to try tea for a small amount of caffeine that may help lessen your symptoms.
3. Too much strain on the upper body muscles
Straining the upper body can put stress on the neck and shoulders and cause muscles spasms, which can trigger headaches. Stress is often the cause of tense upper body muscles, and, admittedly, we live in a society that often brings a lot of anxiety into our lives. The obvious solution is to eliminate the stressful situation, but that’s usually not possible; however, there are ways to manage your worries. Talk to someone, especially your trainer or coach, if you feel overwhelmed. Take time for yourself. Get outside and enjoy a nice day. Spend time with friends and family. You can also alleviate the tension in your upper body by using heat: a heating pad, a warm bath, and the stretching exercises at the end of this article.
In addition to stress, poor hurdling form can put tension on the upper body. If you find that your neck and shoulders are particularly sore after a training day of drills or form work, talk to your coach or trainer. They may be able to pinpoint what you need to work on to help relieve some of the tension in your upper body.
Finally, certain strength training exercises can also strain the neck and shoulders. Pull-ups, lifts, and any exercise where you push weight above your head can cause upper body pain and headaches. Make sure you are using proper form and posture when you lift. Start new exercises with less weight and fewer reps until you build your muscles and stamina. If you continue to have pain with certain lifts, find new exercises that work the same muscles, but in a different way and see if your pain subsides.
4. A sudden increase in blood pressure
Warming up before intense exercise is absolutely necessary to prevent injuries. But an improper warm-up can cause less-serious, but still frustrating issues like muscle cramps or headaches. When you rush into intense exercise, your body begins to pump blood more quickly and more suddenly, which will rapidly raise your blood pressure. This can result in a quick, painful headache. The solution is easy: even if you’re pressed for time, raise your heart slowly and stretch before you begin your vigorous training. It’s better to take the extra time to warm up and forego part of your training, rather than risk injury or a headache that forces you to quit early.
Explosion drills can also cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. The solution is to warm-up, and to put these drills in the middle of your workout, when your heart rate is up and when you’re not exhausted and more prone to injury.
5. High blood pressure
As an athlete, you should regularly see a doctor for a physical to check your blood work. A schedule of intense exercise and the dietary modifications that you may choose can impact your body in ways you may not be able to notice over the long term. A good check-up with bloodwork can identify issues that can derail your training. While exercise is recommended as a way to lower resting lower blood pressure, and your training means that you most likely do not have a blood pressure issue, you should still make sure that persistent exertion headaches aren’t cause by an underlying blood pressure issue.
Stretches for the Neck and Head
If you do have head pain and neck tension from strength exercises, here are some exercises you can do to relieve the tension in your upper body. These stretches are intended to be done very gently.
1. Trapezius Stretch: Sit up straight in a chair. Place your left arm behind your back. Place your right hand on top of your head with your fingers pressing in the left side of your head. Tilt your head slightly to the right and gently pull your head to the right and hold for 10 seconds. You should feel a stretch in your shoulders. Repeat on the other side.
2. Stand with your feet evenly spaced, shoulder-width apart. Place your left arm behind your back. Grasp your left forearm with your right hand and tilt your head to the right. Gently pull on your left arm until you feel a stretch. Hold 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
3. Place your right hand behind the back of your head. Pressing gently with your hand, push your head so that your chin moves toward your chest. Hold 20 seconds. You can also move your head slightly to the left or right to target muscles on each side.
4. Turn your head, looking over your left shoulder, as far to the left as you comfortably can. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Conclusion
Headaches can derail your schedule and become a frustrating annoyance, but there are ways to prevent and manage the pain. Stay hydrated, eat well, and always stretch and warm-up properly. Start new drills or exercises with moderation. Use heat—warm baths, saunas, hot tubs or heating pads—to improve blood flow to muscles. Once you’ve eliminated the potential causes for exertion pain, always see a doctor if your headaches persist to make sure you don’t have a more serious issue.
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