Exertional Headache After Exercise: Cause and Easy Solution

Athlete with exertional headache after exercise

Headaches after exercise (or so called exertional headaches or headaches on exertion) are very common in modern athletes and people who exercise (Turner, 2003). The cause of the headache may sometimes relate to allergic triggers in the air or some other environmental effects on the human body. However, most of the cases of headaches after exercise are due to reduced oxygen levels in the brain during and after exercise. Over 180 Russian MDs tested hundreds of their patients and found that such headaches exist only in people who have less than 30 seconds for the body oxygen test.

Why could brain oxygenation get reduced? It is all in the way we breathe during exercise. Once we start to lose carbon dioxide (overbreathing), brain oxygen levels immediately drops. Later, breathing remains heavy (after exercise), and it also causes pain in muscles and slow recovery rates.

Hyperventilation causes low O2 and headaches This image on the left (done with PET scan) shows the effects of one minute of hyperventilation on oxygen availability in the brain. (PET scans reflect oxygen content in cross-sections of the brain). The cause of low oxygen levels in the brain is low arterial CO2 (hypocapnia) that leads to constriction of blood vessels (arteries and arterioles) and reduced blood and oxygen supply to the nerve cells.

Have you done running, cycling or skiing with very fit athletes? What is their noticeable difference? They breathing pattern is lighter and easier. They do not gasp for air. Many of them have no problems talking and exercising at the same time. Lighter breathing increases CO2 and O2 levels in the brain. Really healthy people have light and easy breathing at rest too.

Girl runing Medical studies found that for most people mouth breathing during exercise reduces arterial CO2. Only very fit athletes are able to keep high CO2 in the blood during exercise due to their lighter and easier breathing even at high intensities. Therefore, oral breathing has the same effect on brain oxygenation as hyperventilation (or overbreathing). It causes reduced CO2 and O2 levels in the brain cells. Since oxygen and carbon dioxide are fundamental for normal nerve cell functions, headaches on exertion are body cries for more oxygen and breathing retraining or breathing normalization.

In order to test these ideas, go for a lighter form of exercise, but with nose breathing only. Most people can eliminate these headaches if they use strictly nasal breathing (in and out) and slightly reduced intensity of physical exercise. With over 30 seconds for the body oxygen test, it is very unlikely that one can get headache after exercise.

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Reference Web Pages: Breathing norms, Medical Graphs and Tables about Breathing Rates (Minute Ventilation) and Body Oxygen in Healthy, Normal and Sick People
Breathing norms Parameters, graph, and description of the normal breathing pattern
6 breathing myths 6 myths about breathing and body oxygenation (prevalence: over 90%)
Hyperventilation Definitions of hyperventilation: their advantages and weak points
Hyperventilation Syndrome in the Sick. Table 1. Western scientific evidence about prevalence of CHV (chronic hyperventilation) in patients with various chronic conditions (34 medical studies)
Normal Minute Ventilation in Healthy Subjects: Easy and Light Breathing (14 Studies)
Hyperventilation Prevalence Present in Over 90% of Normal People (24 medical publications)
HV and hypoxia How and why deep breathing reduces oxygenation of cells and tissues of all vital organs
Body oxygen test How to measure your own breathing and body oxygenation (a simple DIY test)
Body oxygen in healthy Table 4. CP (body oxygen level) in healthy people (27 medical studies)
Body oxygen in sick Table 5. CP (body oxygen level) in sick people (14 medical studies)
Buteyko Table of Health Zones with clinical description of most common zones
Morning HV Morning hyperventilation effect or how and why critically ill people are most likely to die during early morning hours

References: CO2 Effects Web Pages
Vasodilation: CO2 expands arteries and arterioles facilitating perfusion (or blood supply) to all vital organs
The Bohr effect How and why oxygen is released by red blood cells in tissues
Cell Oxygen Levels and oxygen transport are controlled by alveolar CO2 and breathing
Oxygen Transport depends on breathing and these two effects (Vasoconstriction-Vasodilation and the Bohr effect) are parts of two diagrams that summarize influences of hypocapnia (low CO2 content in the blood and cells) on circulation and O2 delivery
Free Radical Generation takes place due to anaerobic cell respiration caused by cell hypoxia. Hence, antioxidant defenses of the human body are also regulated by CO2 and breathing
Inflammatory Response is controlled by breathing since hypoxia leads to or intensifies chronic inflammation through over-expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1, while normal breathing reduces these processes
Nerve stabilization takes place due to calmative or sedative effects of carbon dioxide in neurons or nerve cells
Muscle relaxation or relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2, while hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and, sometimes, aggression and violence
Brochodilation - dilation of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) by carbon dioxide, and their constriction due to hypocapnia
Blood pH regulation and regulation of other bodily fluids
CO2: Lung Damage Healer: Elevated carbon dioxide prevents injury and promotes healing of lung tissues
CO2: Skin and Tissue Healer
Synthesis of Glutamine in the Brain, CO2 fixation, and other chemical reactions
CO2 myth "CO2 is a toxic waste gas" myth
Breathing control How is our breathing regulated? Why hypocapnia makes breathing uneven and erratic

References
Turner J, Exercise-related headache, Curr Sports Med Rep. 2003 Feb;2(1):15-7.
Indiana University Center for Sports Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

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