# Exertion Headaches



## salmiakki (Jun 19, 2013)

Hey guys, I'm looking for insight from people that train hard 
I don't know if this is the right subforum to post about this but here it goes:

I've been battling what I can only describe as "exertion headaches" every single gym session for the last 3 weeks (thanks, workout log!), and have admitted that it might not go away if I ignore it, I've done the stretches on Kelly's video (youtube: Vf3TPLt5mkY, can't embed links yet :-$) a couple of times and it helps subsidize the pain, but apparently it isn't helping to prevent it.

I take 200mg caffeine pre-workout and have done so for about 6 months, I've tried going fasted, fasted with BCAAs, and having a protein and fiber rich small meal 2 hours prior... it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Anyone has had experience with it, something I might have overlooked?


----------



## Bro Bundy (Jun 19, 2013)

I know if u train hard u have to eat.I dont train unless i have 3 meals in me


----------



## DF (Jun 19, 2013)

The only reason I was getting headaches was because of high BP.  Have you had yours checked?


----------



## AlphaD (Jun 19, 2013)

Dfeaton said:


> The only reason I was getting headaches was because of high BP.  Have you had yours checked?



^^^  This.  Check your blood pressure, lower your sodium intake and drink lots of water.


----------



## PillarofBalance (Jun 19, 2013)

I get headaches in the back of my head as though I was smashed with a hammer. It comes from a tight upper back and neck. Try some myofascial release on those areas.


----------



## DF (Jun 19, 2013)

PillarofBalance said:


> I get headaches in the back of my head as though I was smashed with a hammer. It comes from a tight upper back and neck. Try some myofascial release on those areas.



POB have you ever tried looking behind you to see if your fiancee is standing there with a hammer??  You may wanna check next time.


----------



## #TheMatrix (Jun 19, 2013)

PillarofBalance said:


> I get headaches in the back of my head as though I was smashed with a hammer. It comes from a tight upper back and neck. Try some myofascial release on those areas.


 I get
  the  exact  same  thing... right  shoulder  by  neck n  every  step I  take  feels  like  my head  is  pounding....I  literally  walk  looking  at  the floor  to  ease  the  throbbing  ache


----------



## Azog (Jun 19, 2013)

When I oly lifted, I would get this strain in my neck/scalp and it would cause extreme headaches when training. Coaches called it a "pulled scalp muscle". All I know is it sucked. Only thing that helped was stretching and taking it easy for a few days. I couldnt even jerk off without this thing killing my brain. Shit sucked...specially not jerkin it for like a week. Biggest thing for me was avoiding overhead work. In particular behind the neck push presses, which typically caused the initial problem.


----------



## grind4it (Jun 19, 2013)

That's fucking crazy talk! I've NEVER not jerked off for a week....not sense the age of 10.

Back on topic. I would check my blood pressure. That's a pretty typical side of high blood pressure.



Azog said:


> When I oly lifted, I would get this strain in my neck/scalp and it would cause extreme headaches when training. Coaches called it a "pulled scalp muscle". All I know is it sucked. Only thing that helped was stretching and taking it easy for a few days. I couldnt even jerk off without this thing killing my brain. Shit sucked...specially not jerkin it for like a week. Biggest thing for me was avoiding overhead work. In particular behind the neck push presses, which typically caused the initial problem.


----------



## Azog (Jun 20, 2013)

grind4it said:


> That's fucking crazy talk! I've NEVER not jerked off for a week....not sense the age of 10.
> 
> Back on topic. I would check my blood pressure. That's a pretty typical side of high blood pressure.



It was seriously fucked up. I wouldn't notice the strain, so I would begin to spank it. The nearer to bustin' I got, the worse the strain and headache would get. Then bam, nut busted and full on fucked headache achieved. Talk about a double edged blade... You know the pain is for real when you are too hurt to jerk off hahahaha.


----------



## salmiakki (Jun 20, 2013)

To everyone who said to check BP, I'll do it ASAP =), thanks for the heads-up!
Azog, I also noticed them while beating it too!

So until I get my BP checked seems I'll have to do more stretches and take some time off (


----------



## salmiakki (Jul 2, 2013)

A little update on this issue if anyone visits this topic looking for solutions.
They're gone, completely gone. I know this might be frustrating, but I've seen on other forums it's possible to go away on its own, and that's what happened, so if anyone has it, it might be gone in some weeks (took me about a month of shitty workouts though)
I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, but I did take two 400mg ibuprofen every day from friday into the weekend for some hip pain I was enduring, I don't know if it might have helped though.
Getting my BP checked is still on my to do list, I'm booking a trip to Barcelona in August and I don't want any bad surprises!


----------



## sfstud33 (Jul 2, 2013)

Ibuprofin is an anti inflammatory - so you may have had something that responded to it.

I know i get headaches when im seriously overheated. So another thing to try might be working out in a cooler environment just to see how it goes.


----------



## superman4hire (Jul 3, 2013)

Are you breathing normal during sets? Not holding your breath or delayed breathing on explosive sets. It may seem like a silly question, but I've seen guys do some crazy shit over the years. Holding breath on heavy sets, etc.


----------



## salmiakki (Jul 3, 2013)

sfstud It's winter here in Brazil (for all it's worth lol) so if anything it's cooler than usual

superman4hire I usually do the valsalva maneuver and it's pretty common when lifting heavy, helps build intrabdominal pressure keeping everything tight


----------



## ATLRigger (Jun 21, 2020)

Azog said:


> It was seriously ****ed up. I wouldn't notice the strain, so I would begin to spank it. The nearer to bustin' I got, the worse the strain and headache would get. Then bam, nut busted and full on ****ed headache achieved. Talk about a double edged blade... You know the pain is for real when you are too hurt to jerk off hahahaha.


Exactly as I’m experiencing


----------



## Sicwun88 (Jun 21, 2020)

Could be BP?
For me if I'm having headaches & train,the workout usually helps it pass!


----------



## ATLRigger (Jun 21, 2020)

So 25 mins of treadmill this morning, then on my second set of pull-ups I got a terrible exertion headache.  
Gonna try magnesium supplements. 
Cutting sodium out for the next few days too.
And no sex for the foreseeable future til I get these under wraps.


----------



## nissan11 (Jun 23, 2020)

I was getting the pain in the back of the head for a while. I went to my doc, got an mri and everything was fine. Resting blood pressure was good.
It turns out the headache was as many folks suggested already, blood pressure expanding vessels against nerves in the head. The recommended remedy was to breath deeper and more often when training. That fixed the problem for me. 
I still get the headaches during sex now and then when I subconsciously hold my breath with a high heart rate.


----------



## Redemption79 (Jul 10, 2020)

Any recent bloodwork?  If you're taking/have taken androgens, high hematocrit levels could cause headaches during exercise as well.


----------

