Nausea, Weakness, Stomach Discomfort When Skating

[SkatEn]

As mentioned in the title, I just experienced nausea, weakness, and stomach discomfort when at skating today. Well, I do get those from time to time at the start of each session. It's just that today was especially bad.

Half an hour of on-ice warm up later, my arms are clammy and I was nauseous and bending at the waist. I wouldn't call it pain, but definitely discomfort.

So I went to google about nausea and exercising and found motion sickness, blood pressure, glucose level etc related issues. I had breakfast this morning (okay, overly heavy, like 2 and half slices of butter cake and a glass of carrot juice, but those probably got digested when I reached the rink 3 hours later), and I don't know how to identify what's wrong with me.

I don't want to waste any more lesson time sweating without any reason (I was just doing moves but perspiring a lot) and not do stuff that I could be doing. Granted, this sick feeling left on its own, but the experience left having a bad feeling for the whole session.

Has anyone else experienced something like that? Did you find out what's wrong and how to deal with it?

[sdfigureskater]

I have a question for you... Do you feel sick if you try a different type of heavy work out other than skating? I'm wondering if this would have the same effect? Does type 2 Diabetes run in your family? Have you googled the symtoms for type 2?...and do any of the other symtoms apply? I'm glad that you're not ignoring your symtoms... I think that as skaters, we sometimes get used to just "toughing" things through... but I'm glad that you're listening to your body, and not simply ignoring how you feel :) I hope that you've been researching online...it's really amazing how much you can learn! When I developed a hard to diagnose injury last year, it seemed like the Dr's where a little useless. They just wanted to prescribe, prescribe, prescribe, more and more ansaids, ibuprofin, etc! I had to research the muscles and tendons myself to figure out what was wrong. I finally did though, and you can learn a lot on your own too :) Best of luck to you... let us know how you're doing!:)

[kayskate]

If you ate a high carbo breakfast, which it sounds like you did w the cake, my guess is your blood sugar crashed and you were hypoglycemic. Does not mean you are diabetic, necessarily. Try eating a more balanced breakfast including protein, fiber and complex carbs. Bring a snack to the rink. Not a sugar snack. Maybe a peanut butter sandwich. If you are having this problem regularly, definitely have it checked out.

Kay

[sk8er1964]

I'd suggest that you ask a doctor.

[doubletoe]

None of that sounds normal. Please see a doctor!

[jp1andOnly]

your blood sugar probably dropped. If I dont eat a snack like nuts or a granola bar before i skate my blood sugar drops like a rock and i get lightheaded, stomach ache, clammy, shakes, woozy. Because I skate after work it usually has been several hours after i have eaten lunch. A snack tides me over and i dont get the woozy/clammy feeling

[fsk8r]

your blood sugar probably dropped. If I dont eat a snack like nuts or a granola bar before i skate my blood sugar drops like a rock and i get lightheaded, stomach ache, clammy, shakes, woozy. Because I skate after work it usually has been several hours after i have eaten lunch. A snack tides me over and i dont get the woozy/clammy feeling

this sounds most likely. I have similar problems skating after work and before dinner and have to snack at the right time to get the food to digest. I'm normally on granola bars and bananas to keep my blood sugar up.

It's also not uncommon to feel nauseous after a lot of exercise (probably for similar reasons). If you've ever watched a marathon race on television it's not uncommon to see even the elite athletes vomiting at the side of the road.

[SkatEn]

I have a question for you... Do you feel sick if you try a different type of heavy work out other than skating? I'm wondering if this would have the same effect? Does type 2 Diabetes run in your family? ... ... Best of luck to you... let us know how you're doing!:)
I get quite similarly unwell doing off-ice sessions, which usually is tolerable (run, sprints, plyometrics, conditioning) until off-ice jumps. Dizziness + nausea + jumps = terrible idea. But then again, it's only sometimes. Other times I'm fine. And my maternal grandmother and uncle have diabetes. Hmm. I think I should get it checked if this continues to happen...

...blood sugar crashed and you were hypoglycemic. Does not mean you are diabetic, necessarily. Try eating a more balanced breakfast including protein, fiber and complex carbs. Bring a snack to the rink. Not a sugar snack. Maybe a peanut butter sandwich. If you are having this problem regularly, definitely have it checked out.

Kay
I normally have a quite healthy breakfast, but it still happens. Maybe the time period between eating and skating is too long. I'll bring something to eat before skating next time and see how that goes. And no more cakes/sugary food before skating!:)

I'd suggest that you ask a doctor.
None of that sounds normal. Please see a doctor!
If this happens too many times, I'll get it checked out! Thanks! :)
your blood sugar probably dropped. If I dont eat a snack like nuts or a granola bar before i skate my blood sugar drops like a rock and i get lightheaded, stomach ache, clammy, shakes, woozy. Because I skate after work it usually has been several hours after i have eaten lunch. A snack tides me over and i dont get the woozy/clammy feeling
Sounds like what I should do. Drats, that means I'll have to bring one more portion of muesli - I normally have that for after-skating snack. I usually have something to eat after skating if not I tend to zone out and feel weak. Ha, and people say skating isn't a sport...:P
this sounds most likely. I have similar problems skating after work and before dinner and have to snack at the right time to get the food to digest. I'm normally on granola bars and bananas to keep my blood sugar up.

It's also not uncommon to feel nauseous after a lot of exercise (probably for similar reasons). If you've ever watched a marathon race on television it's not uncommon to see even the elite athletes vomiting at the side of the road.
:lol: I normally turn my head away when they show runner emptying their stomach. Ewww. Mine is at the start of exercise though. =(

Thanks guys. So it could be the food I eat, the time I eat, or my body that causes those symptoms. I'll do some trial and error and see if I can fix it before seeing a doc!
:);)

[Isk8NYC]

Have you eaten that brand of cake and carrot juice in the past with no issues?

I've found that Luna and Z bars give me the wierdest food reaction, so I stopped eating them. I ate one before I had to teach and felt nauseous for the entire 2 hours I was on the ice. They seem to stick in my craw, so to speak, never quite reaching my stomach; it was as if my stomach tube was blocked. It took two days to go away.

This left me with a dilemma since I coach for several hours and I wanted to stay and skate afterwards. The snack bar is okay, but it's a time-eater because I end up talking to people in the lobby instead of getting back on the ice.

I bring my own trail mix now: some toasted nuts, a little cereal, and dried cranberries or raisins. A bit of cheese and a water bottle rounds it out. Much better than fried Mozzarella sticks from the snack bar.

[Sessy]

First of all, the carrot cake and such could cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop rapidly (myself, I'm prone to hypoglycemic episodes after binging on stuff like that) towards the 3 hours mark. Secondly, electrolytes. It's not enough to just drink water if you're perspiring heavily, you need a little bit of salt or sugar in there too. And obviously, hydration. That's another point I found out for myself through trial and error. I'm myself also prone to similar stuff to what you're describing when my stamina is low (in this regard, how are your iron levels? is your blood capable of delivering enough oxygen to your muscles?) and also when I have an ear or sinus infection.

[Sessy]

This left me with a dilemma since I coach for several hours and I wanted to stay and skate afterwards. The snack bar is okay, but it's a time-eater because I end up talking to people in the lobby instead of getting back on the ice.


Have you tried bananas? Nature's sports snack in a natural, handy package.

[Isk8NYC]

Have you tried bananas? Nature's sports snack in a natural, handy package.
Bananas (and other fresh foods) don't travel well in my skate bag, lol. I tend to toss things in on Monday and let them fend for themselves all week long. I'll put a bag of trail mix in an outside pocket and if it gets crushed, it's fine on Thursday night. It's ugly, not spoiled. Bananas and other fresh fruit require special handling, but they are a good snack when I remember to grab one on the way out of the door. I usually eat one on the way to the rink anyway.

[Sessy]

They actually make special cases to carry bananas around in (also, for apples and eggs) from hard plastic but... well that won't protect against spoileage indeed.

[jwrnsktr]

Something no one has mentioned is that this could be a cardiac issue. I'd see a doctor.

[sk8lady]

I get something similar from time to time and I assume it is a blood sugar drop since it clears up quickly if I drink some gatorade or have an orange. You should check with your doctor to rule out something more serious.

[Query]

Or maybe you just have the flu? Or zillions and zillions of other things with the same symptoms.

There are so many conditions with similar symptoms, those of us without medical training have trouble diagnosing ourselves. If you look on-line at symptoms lists, you have probably had most of the symptoms (other than death) of virtually every disease and disorder that exists. That doesn't mean you have had all those diseases and disorders.

It's kind of fun. Are there any diseases whose symptoms you haven't had? Maybe you have black plague, avian flu, anthrax, opportunistic diseases caused by immunity disorders, etc! Maybe all of them!

Mold grows in many ice rinks. You could have an allergy. Of course, an allergy might occur even if you don't exercise, just a little slower, so it would likely happen if you stay in the rink a couple hours without exercise.

If you can't fix it out by experiment (eating stuff with sugar, and/or electrolytes - try a sports drinks, etc.), you may need a doctor's help to figure out which particular thing is the problem. We who aren't doctors can only guess, and we often guess wrong. Doctors guess too, but they know what issues are most common in your area.

[SkatEn]

Have you eaten that brand of cake and carrot juice in the past with no issues?

I've found that Luna and Z bars give me the wierdest food reaction, so I stopped eating them....

I bring my own trail mix now: some toasted nuts, a little cereal, and dried cranberries or raisins. A bit of cheese and a water bottle rounds it out. Much better than fried Mozzarella sticks from the snack bar.
Yep, I had those before without issue. But I didn't eat the cake nor drank the juice before skating though.

I suggest muesli mix! Less sugar too. Or there's always a wholewheat pasta salad to eat, though it isn't very convenient for an on-the-go snack.

First of all, the carrot cake and such could cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop rapidly (myself, I'm prone to hypoglycemic episodes after binging on stuff like that) towards the 3 hours mark. Secondly, electrolytes. It's not enough to just drink water if you're perspiring heavily, you need a little bit of salt or sugar in there too. And obviously, hydration. That's another point I found out for myself through trial and error. I'm myself also prone to similar stuff to what you're describing when my stamina is low (in this regard, how are your iron levels? is your blood capable of delivering enough oxygen to your muscles?) and also when I have an ear or sinus infection.
I had cake and carrot juice. Haha I think you misread. But yes, still high sugar levels. I'm guessing it was hypoglycemic attack that happened. Doctor suspected mild anemia, but I refused a blood test, so I just take iron supplements when I feel bad. Sometimes I feel like I have low blood pressure (sitting to standing, squatting to standing), especially when I don't get enough sleep. Again, I don't check that out because the obvious solution is to sleep!

Something no one has mentioned is that this could be a cardiac issue. I'd see a doctor.
8O Wow. Cardiac issue? I had ECG done about 5 years back. One abnormal, one normal. Cardiologist said I'm fine... And I'll see a doctor if this keeps happening, thanks!
I get something similar from time to time and I assume it is a blood sugar drop since it clears up quickly if I drink some gatorade or have an orange. You should check with your doctor to rule out something more serious.
For you, how long does it take to clear up after having a sports drink?
Or maybe you just have the flu? Or zillions and zillions of other things with the same symptoms.

There are so many conditions with similar symptoms, those of us without medical training have trouble diagnosing ourselves...

It's kind of fun. Are there any diseases whose symptoms you haven't had? Maybe you have black plague, avian flu, anthrax, opportunistic diseases caused by immunity disorders, etc! Maybe all of them!

Mold grows in many ice rinks. You could have an allergy.

If you can't fix it out by experiment (eating stuff with sugar, and/or electrolytes - try a sports drinks, etc.), you may need a doctor's help to figure out which particular thing is the problem. We who aren't doctors can only guess, and we often guess wrong. Doctors guess too, but they know what issues are most common in your area.
Nope, no flu. I feel normal before and after that episode, but when I started feeling dizzy and nauseous, I really felt bad. Haha, I wish it's an allergy, but nope, I don't think so. It cleared up while I was in the rink! I'm guilty of googling symptoms and signs before seeing a doctor :giveup: can't help it!

Update
I skated yesterday, but with a different diet. Had watermelon for breakfast, my logic being that it's light. On the way to the rink, I stopped by to get a Portugese egg tart (if you haven't tried these, you haven't enjoyed life! :D). I felt fine after reaching the rink at 11.05am.

11.15am Did some very light stroking around (I was trying out my champion cords imitation) and still felt fine. 11.25ish am Slowly I felt myself started to become dizzy and I kept going off the ice to take literally a bite of Carman's fruit muesli every few minutes and drink water
11.40am Getting quite dizzy though not as bad as last week's. No nausea, but it's the same kind of sick feeling. A little jello arms. Finished my muesli bar and started on my raisins.
12noon Lesson. Dizzy but getting better and eventually felt okay before the halfway mark. I remember telling myself to breathe.

So thus, I still got sick, but to a lesser degree. :frus: I'n guessing it's a food/diet thing.

[fsk8r]

Update
I skated yesterday, but with a different diet. Had watermelon for breakfast, my logic being that it's light. On the way to the rink, I stopped by to get a Portugese egg tart (if you haven't tried these, you haven't enjoyed life! :D). I felt fine after reaching the rink at 11.05am.

11.15am Did some very light stroking around (I was trying out my champion cords imitation) and still felt fine. 11.25ish am Slowly I felt myself started to become dizzy and I kept going off the ice to take literally a bite of Carman's fruit muesli every few minutes and drink water
11.40am Getting quite dizzy though not as bad as last week's. No nausea, but it's the same kind of sick feeling. A little jello arms. Finished my muesli bar and started on my raisins.
12noon Lesson. Dizzy but getting better and eventually felt okay before the halfway mark. I remember telling myself to breathe.

So thus, I still got sick, but to a lesser degree. :frus: I'n guessing it's a food/diet thing.

Watermelon is actually very high in sugar despite being a fruit and giving the perception of being healthy. Try some form of complex carbs for breakfast which will take your body longer to breakdown.

And how long have you got between breakfast and when you skate. Skating around noon, is when my body is saying it's lunchtime, so I'm most likely to get sugar dips then, especially when exercising. The complex carb at breakfast time is most likely to last longest, but if you're doing a lot of hard skating at that time, you might want to play around with eating sandwiches and the like an hour or so before you skate to top up your reserves. If I'm skating before meal times I have to eat something reasonably substantial before I skate and I've had to play around with the timing to get a sensible length session out of my body.

[BatikatII]

A quick test to see if it's a blood sugar thing (not from a doctor but because I used to have something similar) is to take along a small packet of raisins. If you start to feel faint, or nauseous, eat the raisins. If you feel better almost immediately then it's likely a blood sugar related problem. Raisins are very high in fruit sugar so if your body responds by feeling better then that is probably the cause, or one of them but you should then get yourself checked by a doctor in case it is an indicator of diabetes or so they can advise on diet/timing of meals and exercise to minimise problems.

An alternative may be some type of IBS problem which could relate to the stomach cramps and/ or both.

If you like it, then porridge is a good long lasting breakfast that helps avoid the sugar dips.

[Sessy]

Grapes and grape products are also high in readily-available glucose/dextrose. You can try dextro-energy candy for a quick uplift in a low blood sugar too, they're supposed to help within minutes (but the effect wears off after 15 to 20 minutes, you're supposed to take half a square each quarter hour).

Definitely voting in favour of oatmeal porridge here btw.

Another point of concern is your refusal to take the blood test and just taking iron instead. Aenemia can happen even in case of iron overdose, because to form hemoglobin you also need folic acid and the B-group vitamins. Without knowing if you're actually short in iron, randomly taking it can result in an iron overdose, which has nausea and vomiting as one of its signs!