Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesPreventionTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Prevention
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve ever experienced aheadacheafter working out, you may be wondering why it happened. A headache after exercise is commonly described as pulsating pain on both sides of the head. This type of headache generally lasts from a few minutes to up to 48 hours following physical activity.
This article reviews some of the causes, treatments, and prevention methods for exercise-induced headaches.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Exercise-induced headaches occur after strenuous physical activity such as running, weight lifting, cycling, or swimming. This type of headache can occur as increased circulation around the head and scalp causes blood vessels to vasodilate (enlarge) to increase blood flow.
The two categories of exercise headaches are:
Exertional Headache
Exertionalheadaches are headaches that arise with physical activity. These usually develop soon after performing physical activity or activities that require “bearing down,” such as:
Dehydration
Physical exercise without adequate water intake to replace lost fluids can lead todehydration.
Low Blood Sugar
Your muscles use fuel in the form of sugar to supply energy for physical exertion. Intense physical activity may drop your blood sugar during a strenuous workout.
Prevalence of HeadachesNearly 50% of the general population has suffered or suffers from a headache disorder.Headaches affect people of any age, race, income level, and gender. However, they tend to be more common in women.
Prevalence of Headaches
Nearly 50% of the general population has suffered or suffers from a headache disorder.Headaches affect people of any age, race, income level, and gender. However, they tend to be more common in women.
Strategies to prevent exercise-induced headaches include:
Talk to your healthcare provider about medications that may help prevent headaches during exercise, including:
Primary exercise headaches are more common in hot weather and high altitudes, so consider these factors before working out.
Although exercise can cause a headache for some people, many experts say that getting regular exercise can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines.
If you get a headache following exercise, you should see your healthcare provider for a physical to ensure you don’t have an underlying medical condition. Diagnostic tests that can rule out underlying health conditions that may be causing your headache includemagnetic resonance imaging(MRI) orlumbar puncture(spinal tap).
It’s also important to talk to your provider about medications to help manage your headaches. Most exercise-induced headaches are harmless. They typically respond well to OTC medications used for other types of headaches, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) and NSAIDs.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Exercise-induced headaches can be frustrating, especially if you regularly exercise. Fortunately there are ways to prevent them, like staying hydrated, warming up before exercise, and eating a small meal before working out. There are also treatment options available. Talk to your healthcare provider about medications that may help manage or prevent headaches after exercise.
Some of the positive effects that exercise has on the nervous system are:Better cognitive functionRegulation of circadian rhythmEnergy balanceIncreased metabolismImproved stress responseMaintenance of mobilityOverall physiological health
Some of the positive effects that exercise has on the nervous system are:
Exercising too much can lead to exhaustion and other health problems. In some cases, working too hard can even do more harm than good. Symptoms of too much exercise include:Feeling tired and needing more restDepressionDeveloping mood swings or irritabilityInsomniaPainful muscle sorenessBecoming injured from overusing musclesLack of motivationGetting sickWeight lossAnxiousness
Exercising too much can lead to exhaustion and other health problems. In some cases, working too hard can even do more harm than good. Symptoms of too much exercise include:
Some headaches may require a trip to your healthcare provider or urgent care. The following factors influence when you should worry about a headache:
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Migraine Foundation.Primary exercise headache.Upadhyaya P, Nandyala A, Ailani J.Primary exercise headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(5):9. doi:10.1007/s11910-020-01028-4National Headache Foundation.The complete headache chart.Arca KN, Halker Singh RB.Dehydration and headache.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2021:15;25(8):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-021-00966-zBrun JF, Dumortier M, Fedou C, Mercier J.Exercise hypoglycemia in nondiabetic subjects.Diabetes Metab. 2001;27:92-106.Ahmed F.Headache disorders: differentiating and managing the common subtypes.Br J Pain. 2012;6(3):124-132. doi:10.1177/2049463712459691American Migraine Foundation.Exercise and migraine.Morgan JA, Corrigan F, Baune BT.Effects of physical exercise on central nervous system functions: a review of brain region specific adaptations.J Mol Psychiatry. 2015;3:3. doi:10.1186/s40303-015-0010-8National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Are you getting too much exercise?.Harvard Health Publishing.Headache: when to worry, what to do.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Migraine Foundation.Primary exercise headache.Upadhyaya P, Nandyala A, Ailani J.Primary exercise headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(5):9. doi:10.1007/s11910-020-01028-4National Headache Foundation.The complete headache chart.Arca KN, Halker Singh RB.Dehydration and headache.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2021:15;25(8):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-021-00966-zBrun JF, Dumortier M, Fedou C, Mercier J.Exercise hypoglycemia in nondiabetic subjects.Diabetes Metab. 2001;27:92-106.Ahmed F.Headache disorders: differentiating and managing the common subtypes.Br J Pain. 2012;6(3):124-132. doi:10.1177/2049463712459691American Migraine Foundation.Exercise and migraine.Morgan JA, Corrigan F, Baune BT.Effects of physical exercise on central nervous system functions: a review of brain region specific adaptations.J Mol Psychiatry. 2015;3:3. doi:10.1186/s40303-015-0010-8National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Are you getting too much exercise?.Harvard Health Publishing.Headache: when to worry, what to do.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Migraine Foundation.Primary exercise headache.Upadhyaya P, Nandyala A, Ailani J.Primary exercise headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(5):9. doi:10.1007/s11910-020-01028-4National Headache Foundation.The complete headache chart.Arca KN, Halker Singh RB.Dehydration and headache.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2021:15;25(8):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-021-00966-zBrun JF, Dumortier M, Fedou C, Mercier J.Exercise hypoglycemia in nondiabetic subjects.Diabetes Metab. 2001;27:92-106.Ahmed F.Headache disorders: differentiating and managing the common subtypes.Br J Pain. 2012;6(3):124-132. doi:10.1177/2049463712459691American Migraine Foundation.Exercise and migraine.Morgan JA, Corrigan F, Baune BT.Effects of physical exercise on central nervous system functions: a review of brain region specific adaptations.J Mol Psychiatry. 2015;3:3. doi:10.1186/s40303-015-0010-8National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Are you getting too much exercise?.Harvard Health Publishing.Headache: when to worry, what to do.
American Migraine Foundation.Primary exercise headache.
Upadhyaya P, Nandyala A, Ailani J.Primary exercise headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(5):9. doi:10.1007/s11910-020-01028-4
National Headache Foundation.The complete headache chart.
Arca KN, Halker Singh RB.Dehydration and headache.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2021:15;25(8):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-021-00966-z
Brun JF, Dumortier M, Fedou C, Mercier J.Exercise hypoglycemia in nondiabetic subjects.Diabetes Metab. 2001;27:92-106.
Ahmed F.Headache disorders: differentiating and managing the common subtypes.Br J Pain. 2012;6(3):124-132. doi:10.1177/2049463712459691
American Migraine Foundation.Exercise and migraine.
Morgan JA, Corrigan F, Baune BT.Effects of physical exercise on central nervous system functions: a review of brain region specific adaptations.J Mol Psychiatry. 2015;3:3. doi:10.1186/s40303-015-0010-8
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Are you getting too much exercise?.
Harvard Health Publishing.Headache: when to worry, what to do.
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