I work out at lunch every day. I try and eat a small snack prior to my work out but I don’t like to eat too much because I get too full to really work out well. I don’t feel hungry or feel like I am lacking energy. Once I am done and showered I get a case of the shakes. It isn’t really noticeable but I am trying to put on my makeup and go eat lunch. It only lasts a few minutes and once I go eat I feel better which leads me to believe it has something to do with my blood sugar levels. Any idea what would cause this?
Low pottasium, sugar, water are leading causes. High caffeine or other stimulant is another thing to look at.
Are you on any supplements? Many contain ‘uppers’ like caffeine or other innocent sounding herbs.
how do you drink a whole case of shakes?
just kidding…is it your whole body shaking or just the part(s) you worked out?
I drink coffee (espresso) in the AM but that is usually a couple of hours prior to my workout and no supplements. Low potassium or sugar could be the culprit. Maybe I will try a banana prior to my workout.
It is usually my hands that shake. I notice when I try to put on my eye make up…really funny to watch. And I usually run or use an eliptical machine so it isn’t the part I worked out being shaky.
case of shakes…funny!
Here’s a Staff Report about the shakes while rock climbing. Perhaps it has something to do with the way you work out?
my first response would be that you aren’t doing a cool down, are you? Try walking for five minutes after running…this lets the muscles relax, expanded capilaries return to normal size, and built up blood in the muscle (ie the “pump”) to be removed.
my second response would be to eat the banana after you workout, not before. The “sugar crashes” that might be the culprit here are actually situations where blood glucose concentrations decrease below a “normal” level, leading to a massive fight or flight response to try to get more glucose into the blood.
Epinephrine and norepinephrine are released to get the body back to some homeostasis and normal levels of blood glucose. The problem is that when blood glucose gets too low, the brain can’t function very well and this can actually be dangerous.
As a result, the body tries to make the liver or muscle give up some of that glucose to feed the brain. But if enough insulin is present, this can’t be accomplished and some serious problems could result.
Remember, though, a quick way to prevent this from happening is to eat some carbohydrates. The glucose will appear in the blood and there will be no problems.
Guilty as charged. I only have an hour for lunch. I try to fly to the gym, get changed, work out for 30 minutes, shower, change back , put on make up and grab a bite to eat at my desk all in an hour before my scrooge boss (who thinks working out involves pressing remote control buttons) notices I have been gone for 63 minutes…maybe I should work out for 20 minutes or pack a sandwich and eat the banana while I cool down…thanks or that bit of advice.
I have type 2 diabetes, and I need to exercise to help lower my glucose level. But if I push myself too hard I go into hypoglycemia - I get the shakes, cold hands, cold sweat and light-headedness, plus extreme hunger. If these are your symptoms, you might want to mention this to your doctor. I keep some glucose tablets with me at the gym, and pop a couple when I need them. And it took a while for me to learn to pace myself so this doesn’t happen too often.