In the hustle and bustle of an average morning routine, nutrition often takes the back seat. Those who hit the gym before starting their day at the office might feel either drained or even face the fear of fainting or blackouts. Elevated heart rate, exasperating breath, and head-spinning visions may be early signs of a blackout.
From lifting heavy weights to maxing out on cardio, mornings at the gym are all about stretching your limits. However, morning workouts also boost endorphins, helping you take on the day. But sometimes, “hitting your PR might not be the best thing to do everyday,” Fittr CEO Jitendra Chouksey, also known as JC, told financialexpress.com. Let’s understand first why blackouts occur and how to avoid them.
Why do blackouts occur?
Blackouts or fainting typically occur due to a sudden, temporary drop in oxygen levels. As the Fittr CEO explained, blackouts are normally caused by drop in glucose levels due to an extremely high or low heart rate. More than a dip in oxygen, “the body accumulates carbon dioxide, but you are not able to get rid of it,” JC told financialexpress.com, a phenomenon explained by the term exasperation.
Some early signs of a blackout include dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness, nausea, changes in vision, and a sensation of warmth or paleness. The elevated heart rate after running too fast on the treadmill or doing a weight-intensive workout can lead to excessive sweating, resulting in an overall loss of electrolytes and body salts.
Nutritionist and founder of JustBe, Nidhi Nahata, told financialexpress.com that dizziness may also occur as a result of “low blood sugar, especially in heat, sleeping debt, and even inadequate ventilation in gyms.”
How to avoid blackouts?
Nahata also remarked, “Your body will always whisper first; if we listen, we won’t make it scream.” Implying that your body knows best and it will always give you signs about the habits that may or may not suit your lifestyle. JC warns his clients not to lift heavier than they can everyday. While it is healthy to push your limits, but only when competing. “PRs are something that you attempt maybe once a week or once in two weeks,” the Fittr CEO told financialexpress.com.
Ideal meals
“While there is no cookie-cutter approach,” said JC, a pre-workout meal will depend on one’s personal preferences, according to the expert. However, he advises eating simple carbs, which give a glucose boost to the body. This includes fruits, oats, beets, and electrolyte drinks, which can boost nitric oxide. While he personally prefers working out on an empty stomach, he revealed to financialexpress.com, energy bars were not described as an ideal workout snack since they are “loaded with carbs, sugar, and glycogen,” he remarks.
On the other hand, before going into a high-intensity workout, Nahata advises fitness enthusiasts to grab “date, ripe mango, poha, idli, small toasts, or small oat smoothies to restock the glycogen in the liver and muscles.”
Here are two diets you can choose from, as shared by the nutrition expert with financialexpress.com.
15 to 30 minutes before (very early start): 1 banana, 2 dates, and 6 to 8 almonds; 1 slice of whole-grain toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter; or coconut water with a teaspoon of salt and a tiny ripe banana.
Half an hour or an hour before: Power smoothie: banana, water or soy milk, 2 tablespoons oats, 1 tablespoon chia, 1 scoop plant protein, 1 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon (half before and half during activity). • 90-120 minutes before: a small potato or pea sandwich on whole-grain bread, poha with peanuts and lemon, or two idlis with sambar.