Why Exercise Can Cause a Headache
Headaches can follow a strenuous workout and usually occur within an hour or
two. As a migraine researcher I wanted to find the reason why. That is to say
I was not satisfied with the common answers of dehydration or lack of magnesium.
In order to answer the question of why exercise can cause a headache we must
first look at what is taking place in the body during a workout. Simply stated,
exercise is muscles in motion and when muscles are used in a repetitive motion
they need a higher level of blood flowing to them. Muscles have the ability to
generate and secrete a chemical called nitric oxide, which is a messenger molecule
that tells the blood vessels to expand to increase the amount of blood flow to
the muscles.
While a person is working out, the nitric oxide is used efficiently in the
arms and legs to expand the blood vessels to provide more blood to the muscles;
however, after the workout has ended, the body has an abundance of nitric oxide,
which is no longer needed by the muscles, and there is little or no reuptake
mechanism for the body to get rid of the unneeded nitric oxide. You may have
noticed that your blood vessels are more visible after a workout.
High levels of nitric oxide in the body can be the cause of headaches. To illustrate
how effective nitric oxide is in expanding blood vessels and to begin to explain
the reason this causes the side effect of a headache, we can look at the use
of nitroglycerin for heart attacks which invokes this same principle that has
the side effect of a horrific headache. When nitroglycerin (same ingredient used
for dynamite) enters the body, it quickly turns into nitric oxide, which in turn
rapidly expands the blood vessels to ease pressure on the on the heart. This
is like using a larger straw versus a smaller one. The reason for the headache
that follows is basically the same mechanism in play that invokes a migraine
headache.
In order to understand this better, we need to look at what happens in the head
to cause the pain of a typical
migraine headache. It all revolves around a long
nerve that is located on the outside of the brain starting in the temporal lobe
area and running forward on each side and then branching out to go behind the
eyes and meet at the sinus cavity, while another branch runs down the jaw line.
This nerve, called the trigeminal nerve, is intertwined with tiny hair-like blood
vessels.
Just as the blood vessels in the arms and legs expand because of the presence
of nitric oxide, so do the tiny blood vessels surrounding the nerve endings expand.
The tissue of the muscles can accommodate the expanding blood vessels, but since
there is little additional room in the head, the expanding blood vessels in this
area put pressure on the nerve endings with a pinch-like effect and that is what
is felt as the pain
of a headache.
Protein drinks and other supplements that are often used to enhance the effects
of exercise can make matters worse, because these may contain ingredients that
increase the amount of nitric oxide in the body. Many people who eat yogurt as
a healthy treat after exercise may not realize that it contains acidophilus which
changes to nitric oxide in the body. For more information on this subject see
migraine
triggers.
Migraine Prevention: We have found that slow warm-ups may be helpful in preventing
headaches associated with workouts. If you have a history of migraines beyond
that of having only post-workout headaches, you may want to try the all natural
Tuliv
Migraine Defense product designed to help prevent migraines. Most of our
clients who use Migraine Defense for the prevention of migraines report that
headaches associated with workouts subsided and became much more manageable.
Naturally, one of the most important things to do to avoid headaches is to become
aware of those things that may trigger an attack, especially anything that elevates
the level of nitric oxide in the body, and avoid these things.
If you have any questions about this article or migraine prevention, please call
1-866-367-5953 or send email to Questions@Tuliv.com.