About two weeks ago, I scored a personal best 4:47 on Fran (25# dumbbells). Afterwards I sat there speechless for about 20 minutes. I had a throbbing headache and it hurt to do anything but sit motionlessly. At the time, I thought it was just a depletion of salt and electrolytes. I drank some water and ate Shot Bloks. But, I had a dull headache for two days afterwards.
The headaches went away until I started doing full weight thrusters a few days later. I thought I had popped some blood vessels in my head or something, and it had me a little scared.
I can't be sure, but it seems to be an exertional headache--one created from simultaneously trying to breath hard while unintentionally holding my breath. This phenomenon also happens when you sneeze or cough really hard. The effects are usually a sharp pain in the head followed by a dull pain in the occipital area that can last from a few minutes up to 48-hours.
There's nothing I can do about it for the moment. I'll just take it easy and not lift heavy things. I'm just getting over a cold anyway. Once I start back up, I'll try exaggerating my breathing to get out of the habit of holding my breath.
These headaches are brutal.
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4 comments:
Breathing Ladders may help. It's kinda like when you eat ice cream too fast..whew that can hurt! Breathing ladders even in non-lifting movement.
Mike,
I've had this happen before, in the first days of my Crossfit Journey. The only thing that makes it go away is time.
I theorize that these headaches are caused by the rapid rise in blood pressure stemming from the compensatory heartrate increase that follows maximum metabolic output.
Lie flat, take deep breaths, and wait.
Best,
Jon
I never thought of that and it makes a lot of sense.
I haven't been getting the headaches lately, but I've also been better about breathing and keeping the weights manageable.
I have to admit that I haven't been pushing the intensity either. Very un-CrossFit-like, I know.
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