[SamuelBRoberts]

Has anyone else had this happen to them?
I get really awful headaches the day after I work out. Today it shut me down for almost the entire day, and I almost missed some important deadlines.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it caused by not drinking enough water or something?

[Windom Earle]

In most cases headaches are caused by dehydration.

If problems persist however, please consult your doctor.

[John Michael Kane]

As Windom said, it is usually dehydration. The only time I've had headaches is when I haven't had enough to drink before, during or after a workout. Your body is 72% water, better make sure you aren't draining it through sweating too much via working out.

[Sherman]

Dehydration can be serious. A few months ago, I ate some poisoned food and got bad diarrhea, losing all my water and becoming seriously dehydrated. I went to sleep and woke up at night with muscle cramps in my legs. The pain was so bad that I almost passed out several times. This happened all night. I somehow made it through the night, and went to the doctor in the morning, who said that my muscles spasmed because I lost electrolytes. When you lose electrolytes your muscles can actually stop working. He gave me potassium pills and had me drink those electrolyte solutions you can buy in a drug store. He said eating one banana a day can avoid the problem. So, you don't just want water, but need to have electrolytes.

[SamuelBRoberts]

(02-08-2017 12:24 AM)Sherman Wrote:  

So, you don't just want water, but need to have electrolytes.

It's what plants crave, after all.

That's what I was thinking it might be. I've got a nice waterbottle with a locking top, I'll take it with me next time. Thanks!

[Luvianka]

You are heavily dehydrated. Lots of water is the only solution.

[Steelex]

You may have a nutrient deficiency. Best to get blood work done. Head aches are a sign of a problem.

[monster]

Could be neck strain as well. Some lifts unless you're careful strain neck muscles, which trigger headaches in me. I have to watch the tension in my neck on presses especially. I use a yoga wheel to stretch to counteract the tension.

[Oz.]

There's an app that was recently offered for free on the app store called WaterMinder. It helped me out a lot with my water consumption and I also noticed that I wasn't drinking nearly enough water for my lifestyle

[BetaNoMore]

(02-07-2017 11:59 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:  

Has anyone else had this happen to them?
I get really awful headaches the day after I work out. Today it shut me down for almost the entire day, and I almost missed some important deadlines.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it caused by not drinking enough water or something?

How severe? Where is the pain, the quality and how long does it last? HOw long has this been going on?

If it's severe and persisting, it's always good to go see a doc.

[PUA_Rachacha]

I've had this too. Only after I would go jogging on the weekends. Would clear up by mid-week.

I attributed it to dehydration like most say and would drink copious amounts of water. Didn't really work. Maybe I sweated out too much salt? So I ingested more salt, but that also didn't work. I was going to go to a doctor but decided to abstain from jogging for a weekend. Lo behold, no headaches. I still go jogging now and again, but something about the pounding on the neck gives me a tension headache.

[SamuelBRoberts]

(02-08-2017 01:17 PM)BetaNoMore Wrote:  

How severe?

Severe enough that I can't work the day after. I'm doing work that was technically due yesterday right now.

Quote:

Where is the pain, the quality and how long does it last?

It's a dull headache that lasts for the entire day.

Quote:

HOw long has this been going on?

I'm not sure. I'm not exactly a stranger to chronic pain in my head (Don't fuck up your posture. It's bad news.) so it honestly took me this long to realize that "Hey, this is happening the day after I work out."

Quote:

If it's severe and persisting, it's always good to go see a doc.

I'm taking a big water bottle with me next time I go (Which would normally be today, but I'm taking the day off.) and if that doesn't help I think it's time to go see the doctor. I've had bad luck getting any kind of help from primary care physicians for anything that wasn't a cold or a flu. Do you happen to know what kind of things they should look for?

[John Michael Kane]

For anyone having regular headaches, muscle aches or slow recovery, try to take a nice bath in magnesium chloride flakes. Many men are deficient in magnesium, which is a precursor to headaches, muscle aches, and all manner of problems. It will also help you recover faster and sleep better. I think there's a thread on this forum going over the different ways magnesium can be beneficial. Search for it and read it over, there's some solid info in there.

[SamuelBRoberts]

Is that different from just plain old magnesium epsom salt?

[John Michael Kane]

Magnesium chloride is a type of salt that originally comes from seawater. It is often taken orally to resolve mild hypomagnesemia (magnesium deficiency), or it may be given intravenously for those who have severe deficiencies. In some situations, magnesium chloride is used as an emergency medication for a heart attack. Different types of supplements may have varying amounts of elemental magnesium, which means that not all magnesium in the supplement is available for absorption by the body. Magnesium chloride has approximately 12 percent magnesium available for absorption. Alternatively, magnesium sulfate, or that found in Epsom salt, contains only 10 percent magnesium available for absorption.

I've used both, and I think both help.

I buy my flakes in bulk from this ebay seller: http://www.ebay.com/usr/homengardenprodu...2749.l2754

You can buy a huge 15 bag for only $39.99, or you can also try smaller quantities that the seller offers: http://www.ebay.com/itm/15-Pounds-Magnes...Sw2xRYTvsS

Our over-reliance on petrochemicals in farming has led to a number of soil deficiencies, including magnesium. If you use the flakes to soak in a bath, that works great. You don't always need to soak in a bath either. You can heat the flakes up over a stove and mix with water to create magnesium "oil". It will create a filmy substance like the feeling of just coming out of the ocean. If you put it in a spray bottle and cover your skin with it, it will help you relax post-workout or just before you want to calm down and go to sleep.

Just be careful not to spray it near your eyes or any open wound, as it will sting like a mother!

[king bast]

(02-08-2017 12:29 AM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:  

I've got a nice waterbottle with a locking top, I'll take it with me next time. Thanks!

Hang on a second...you mean to say that you didn't even take a water bottle to workout?

You've got to have water, its pretty basic stuff.

[BetaNoMore]

(02-08-2017 04:14 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:  

(02-08-2017 01:17 PM)BetaNoMore Wrote:  

How severe?

Severe enough that I can't work the day after. I'm doing work that was technically due yesterday right now.

Quote:

Where is the pain, the quality and how long does it last?

It's a dull headache that lasts for the entire day.

Quote:

HOw long has this been going on?

I'm not sure. I'm not exactly a stranger to chronic pain in my head (Don't fuck up your posture. It's bad news.) so it honestly took me this long to realize that "Hey, this is happening the day after I work out."

Quote:

If it's severe and persisting, it's always good to go see a doc.

I'm taking a big water bottle with me next time I go (Which would normally be today, but I'm taking the day off.) and if that doesn't help I think it's time to go see the doctor. I've had bad luck getting any kind of help from primary care physicians for anything that wasn't a cold or a flu. Do you happen to know what kind of things they should look for?

The chances of any ailment being super serious is rare. Anytime a differential diagnosis is done, you basically rule out the most likely and work your way up.

That said, you shouldn't be having headaches that severe after regular exercise. You said it's severe enough that you can't work the next day right? There's no use in speculating what it is over the internet without a full history, labwork, proper diagnostics and a proper diagnostician but definitely go get it checked out just to rule out anything that could be more serious.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[PhDre]

Are you very thirsty and/or is your urine dark? If not, I don't believe it's dehydration.

I would rather guess that you are suffering from glycogen depletion.
Have you tried to increase your carb and sugar intake on workout days?

[Hannibal]

I'm going to guess that you're holding your breath while repping out heavy weight and it's causing headaches.

It could be dehydration as many have said, but you might want to make sure it isn't also a pressure headache. They're not fun, I used to get them from deadlifts years ago.

On the concentric (positive portion of the rep) exhale lightly. Inhale on the eccentric. "Breathe behind the wall" it the usual advice, meaning you brace your abs and breathe lightly.

It could also be improper form for an exercise like backsquats, where the bar is rolling onto your neck or you're leaning too far forward. Or bench pressing where you're attempting to press really hard into the bench with the back of your head without even realizing it.

My advice is to drop the weight and focus on your breathing form, or perhaps switch from regular bench to incline and backsquats to front squats and see if that doesn't do anything. Maybe do some trap specific exercises like shrugs as well (to give the bar more muscle to rest on for backsquats).