Feeling dizzy while running is an unpleasant phenomenon that can happen to anyone. If you experience mild dizziness during training, you can determine the reason why it occurs to somehow influence it.
Dizziness during running can range from mild irritation to serious instability, which can affect the quality of your training or enjoyment afterwards.
This condition can be accompanied by a multitude of symptoms, such as a feeling of losing balance, blurred vision, nausea, a heavy or floating head, or weakness. Symptoms can suddenly manifest during or after running or gradually increase.
Main causes of dizziness while running
1. Drop in blood pressure
If you experience sudden dizziness or dizziness immediately after particularly intense running, the cause may be low blood pressure.
During running, your cardiovascular and muscle systems actively contract, transferring blood from the lower limbs back to the heart and other parts of the body, especially the brain. When you suddenly decrease the intensity or stop, your heart and muscles quickly return to their usual pace, which reduces circulation and leads to dizziness or weakness.
Although it is not always possible to prevent a drop in blood pressure, you can make the sudden drop more gradual. To do this, gradually transition from intense running to a calmer one, and also smoothly transition to walking instead of abrupt stops.
Give your body enough time to gradually and slowly return to a normal state of rest.
2. Dehydration
Nausea and dizziness are symptoms of dehydration. In addition to losing fluids, you also lose electrolytes, especially sodium, which helps maintain water balance and proper body function. An electrolyte imbalance can also cause dizziness.
The best way to prevent dehydration is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Also, drink one or two glasses of water an hour before going for a run.
In addition, don't forget to take water with you on long workouts, especially during training in the heat. Try to drink about 200-300 ml every 30 minutes.
3. Low blood sugar level
Food is energy, and if you skip meals, you won't have the fuel needed for the required exertion. Going for a run on an empty stomach means you risk completely running out of steam around the second kilometer and experiencing all the effects of dizziness or even fainting.
If you don't have diabetes, preventing this is easy, simply eat properly at the right time.
Instead of exercising on an empty stomach, eat a light meal that includes carbohydrates (cereals, whole grain bread, and pasta products).
4. Improper breathing
If you tend to hold your breath or use shallow breathing during running, your heart may not pump enough oxygen-rich blood to your brain.
Breathing during running should be rhythmic, breathe deeply, try to inhale with your abdominal muscles. To be sure, maintain a conversational pace. This means that you should be able to talk while running without gasping for breath. If you can no longer control your breathing during running, reduce the intensity of your training or stop to rest and recover. You can also synchronize your breathing with your steps while running.
Ignoring dizziness can lead to fainting.
Both in themselves are not dangerous, but fainting while running can lead to injuries. Even sudden dizziness while running at high speeds can lead to a loss of balance and a fall to the ground. Depending on your surroundings and the speed of your run, you may subsequently hit your head, sprain an ankle, or scrape your knees and elbows.
If you are running and start to feel that you may lose consciousness, stop running immediately and sit down. This will help reduce the risk of serious injury from a sudden fall.
To protect yourself in such situations, use ID bracelets, which have contact information necessary for getting help or medical services. ID bracelets are a solution that can save your life if you ever become a victim of unforeseen circumstances. In such cases, the bracelet will speak for you if you cannot.