# Vomiting during exercise **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187 "2009-01-20T19:28:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/1 "2009-01-20T19:28:35Z")
I’m aware I’m posting two threads about vomiting in one night so I apologise for that! They are completely unrelated to one another-this question I was just thinking about while I was running this morning. Why does exercise cause someone to be sick or to feel sick? My friend was sick during her run recently and I was just wondering what causes this as opposed to being sick when you are ill. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/2 "2009-01-20T19:33:35Z")
Barring actually being sick in some way, it’s thought to relate to the high levels of lactate during intense exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/3 "2009-01-20T19:36:36Z")
I believe it has something to do with shifting blood flow to your muscles and away from non-workout essential areas like the stomach. I’ve always found the effect most pronounced during heavy leg routines (leg presses, squats etc) and especially exacerbated by eating too heavily or too soon before a workout (2 - 3 hours for me before a leg day, less for upper torso workouts). ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/4 "2009-01-20T19:38:25Z")
I used to engage in some extremely strenous and extended physical exertion, even though I was in pretty good shape. Loosing my lunch at some point was a fairly common occurance. After a brief break I was good to go again. Of course I’ve spent my whole life pretty much on the constant edge of queasyness for whatever reason, though it hasnt killed me yet. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/5 "2009-01-20T19:41:42Z")
Here’s an add-on to the OP’s question. On the occassions I have worked out to excess and thrown up it has always been accompanied by a cold sweat. Is this also a normal thing for others to experience? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/6 "2009-01-20T19:49:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Here’s an add-on to the OP’s question. > > On the occassions I have worked out to excess and thrown up it has always been accompanied by a cold sweat. Is this also a normal thing for others to experience? Without the throwing up i often get that…a very very cold sweat! But I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/7 "2009-01-21T03:24:00Z")
In Junior High the out of shape kids would always be retching after a run. Even on _Leave It To Beaver_ it was a problem. When Ward comments to Wally how much better he has been at track Beaver chimes in with “Yeah, he doesn’t even get sick under the bleachers anymore.” ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/8 "2009-01-21T08:20:57Z")
Could it be related to dehydration? I notice that the only times I feel ill during exercise is when I haven’t kept hydrated during the activity. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/9 "2009-01-21T09:26:55Z")
Similar here. I’ve only come very close to being ill when I’m dehydrated and my throat is dry and it triggers its own gag reflex. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/10 "2009-01-21T13:09:26Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Could it be related to dehydration? I notice that the only times I feel ill during exercise is when I haven’t kept hydrated during the activity. It is a common effect o dehydration. It happened to me twice in my martial arts class. Unfortunately, it also usually means that you’re dehydrated enough that even if you drink water right away, you’re not going to feel better right away. **Hippos** , if your friend was running, perhaps she was affected by a version of the “runners’ trots” which affects 20-50% of distance runners. It can be cramping and nausea or diarrhea and flatulence. It may affect runners during or right after a workout, which is why marathon routes are lined with port-a-potties. I don’t believe the mechanism that triggers runners’ trots is actually know, but it has been hypothesized that it may be caused by the churning of the bowels caused by the motion of running or blood being diverted away from the digestive tract to go to the legs. However, in my experience, it’s dehydration is what makes me want to yarf. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/11 "2009-01-21T13:18:04Z")
> [@Jeff](#): > > Here’s an add-on to the OP’s question. > > On the occassions I have worked out to excess and thrown up it has always been accompanied by a cold sweat. Is this also a normal thing for others to experience? That’s related to dehydration and is a sign of over-exertion. Sweating to excess pulls liquid form the bloodstream and eventually blood volume drops which may make you feel “cold”. Some people get [goosebumps as their early warning sign](http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:0MYtg8BjmTUJ:health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx%3Fcp-documentid%3D100171066+exercise+dehydration+%22cold+sweat%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=ca) to take it easy and rehydrate. (Google cache link, not sure how long it will function.) ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/12 "2009-01-21T15:24:49Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Could it be related to dehydration? I notice that the only times I feel ill during exercise is when I haven’t kept hydrated during the activity. I Sometimes get sick when I drink too much, too fast or when the water is too cold ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/13 "2009-01-21T17:36:15Z")
Another really common reason why people feel dizzy and what to upchuck during exercise is low blood sugar. Lots of people feel nauseated or woozy because they like to get up and workout first thing in the morning before breakfast. It used to happen to me when I ran in the morning. Then I got into the habit of eating an apple or a single piece of toast before my run. IME, it’s not nearly as barf-inducing as dehydration. Big workout with low blood sugar made me want to barf. Big workout dehydrated made me want to BARF. But it probably depends on your specific body, so YMMV. Also, BOTH dehydration and hyponatremia (too much water) can make you feel like upchucking, so you have to really pay attention to your hydration and water intake. They are opposite afflictions but they have the same initial symptoms. Other possibility: some people, like my girlfriend, just get plain ol’ motion sick from exercising. It’s way more common than you think. My GF doesn’t get it running or anything, but can’t do yoga without wanting to hurl. I’ve seen guys get sick from doing crunches with their eyes closed too. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/14 "2009-01-21T17:47:10Z")
Consuming small electronics is probably a factor, too. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-during-exercise/482187/15 "2009-01-21T18:05:07Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Consuming small electronics is probably a factor, too. Nah, cellphones just give me the farts.