Feeling Dizzy 15-20 minutes into my runs....whats going on?

It could be hunger/dehydration, though it seems like you have that covered.

Besides pre-run snack, do you eat enough?

Tryingtohelp wrote:

It could be hunger/dehydration, though it seems like you have that covered.

Besides pre-run snack, do you eat enough?

Yeah I think so, I mean I eat what I consider a normal diet. And this only happens every so often.

Oh, another thing I forgot to mentions was that I had very low motivation to run today also which is unusual. Usually I look forward to training but today it seemed like a chore.

I use to have something like this. It usually happened when I didn't want to run to begin with.. if that makes any sense. If I started to feel really light headed, I would just slow my pace way down and try to relax as much as possible and focus on form or an even stride.

- Also make sure you take vitamins? enough Iron?

This happens to me quite often. I have a feeling it has something to do with blood sugar, but I don't know for sure. I stick with it for 10-15 minutes and it always passes.

Have the same issue exactly in addition to feeling very uncoordinated if I ate more then about 2 hours before.

Same here. I would feel unmotivated. Go anyway then feel dizzy and weak. Only happened now and then but sucked. I think it was poor diet and poor sleep. I was pushing myself in college and not eating enough and staying up late studying - just totally draining at times and the body rebels I guess.

roxo wrote:

This happens to me quite often. I have a feeling it has something to do with blood sugar, but I don't know for sure. I stick with it for 10-15 minutes and it always passes.

Ditto, I get that not so fresh feeling sometimes in the beginning to half way point on a run, but it almost always burns off, and sometimes followed by a really good second half. Good training in some ways for the marathon if it comes on to know that it will usually pass.

Wow, glad to see this seems relatively common.

So does anyone have an explanation for this phenomenon, if it is indeed a common occurence?

I still feel a little loopy at work this morning. I can function but Im just not all there. Ive been sleeping and eating well so I dont think thats a factor

My guess is that it's a blood sugar thing. I have been running for 20 years and I began to have blood sugar issues of the last 3-4 (age 25-29). At least I suspect blood sugar because of the symptoms. First issue I have is like yours. I get lightheading, dizzy, wobbly and even see spots about 15min into my run, but it goes away after a while. I noticed this happens when I eat sugar foods like Orange Juice close to the run. I think it's some kind of blood sugar spike. If I stick to complex carbs like bread I dont notice it.

This problem has also coincided with frequent drops in blood sugar after a long workout. I end up dizzy and my speech is slurred. So basically I'm thinking that my body is having trouble regulating blood sugar. This is only a recent problem for me also.

Geez I hope Im not developing issues related to blood sugar regulation. Isnt that essentially what diabetes is? Or can it be temporarily induced through exercise?

bump

Find someone with a blood sugar meter and ask to borrow it.

Interesting

Could be an inner ear infection or virus.

Moar carbs.

I can't eat anything 2 hours before I run. If I do, I get dizzy as you have mentioned. Orange juice has high glycemic index and will spike your blood sugar, leading to insulin being dumped in your blood stream binding all the blood sugar, and leaving you dizzy and weak until it normalizes again.

I do almost all of my runs in the morning, after not eating for 9 hours. I have no bonking issues up to two+ hour runs. Anything over that and I use Gu.

Solution - don't eat before you run.

You are eating too close to your runs. Its worse if its something sweet

Thanks Ill try that. Usually I eat 2 hours before I run, but Ill push it to 3 hours and see if that helps.

I feel better knowing others have the same thing happen to them...i thought i was having a stroke or something the first time