Runners are prone to hair loss! 6 Symptoms to watch out for

Certain physical discomfort symptoms are particularly prone to occur in runners. Therefore, if you can understand the causes and improvement methods of these symptoms in advance, even if you suddenly feel unwell, you can deal with it calmly and resolve it quickly. Now, let’s learn how to prevent it before we start running!

No. 1: Heat stroke

● Causes and symptoms:

Staying or exercising for a long time in an environment with high temperature and humidity can easily cause the body temperature regulation mechanism to not function normally, leading to confusion, headaches or convulsions. In addition, lack of sleep and hangover can also make you more susceptible to heat stroke, so when you know you have the above symptoms, you should stop running and have a good rest to prevent heat stroke.

● How to prevent and improve:

The human body has a physiological mechanism to evaporate sweat and take away heat energy to prevent excessive rise in body temperature. However, this mechanism can only work smoothly when the body is adequately hydrated. To this end, replenishing water is one of the ways to improve heat stroke. When running outdoors, it is recommended to wear a breathable and cool mesh sun hat or wrap a wet towel around your neck to protect the back of your head which can regulate body temperature.

No. 2: Anemia

● Causes and symptoms:

There are three main reasons for anemia caused by running: the first is excessive sweating that leads to iron loss; the second is that running requires a lot of muscles, which increases the demand for iron and leads to a decrease in iron in the blood; the third is that every time you land, the impact on the soles of your feet damages the red blood cells in your blood vessels. All of the above may lead to anemia, which in turn may cause dizziness, dizziness when standing up, edema, fatigue, decreased concentration and memory, and other problems.

● How to prevent and improve:

Do not be too confident in your physical strength and over-train, and actively supplement iron through diet. You can eat more red meat and red fish, liver, spinach or komatsuna, white radish leaves or turnip leaves, deer tail vegetables, soybeans, etc. If the above foods can be taken together with vitamins, their absorption effect will be better. On the contrary, the tannic acid in coffee, black tea, green tea, and oolong tea will hinder the absorption of iron. Therefore, please avoid drinking the above foods before running or within 1 hour before and after iron intake.

No. 3／Sports Fatigue

● Causes and symptoms:

Sometimes, when we do long-term exercises such as running and cycling, we suddenly feel weak and unable to move. This is because there is a lack of glycogen, the energy source stored in the liver and muscles, which means "lack of fuel." In addition to unsteady feet and dizziness, you may also feel numbness in your hands and feet, and in severe cases, you may even lose consciousness.

● How to prevent and improve:

In principle, the patient will recover as long as he or she quickly replenishes glucose or sweets; but if the patient still cannot recover after resting or calorie intake, he or she should seek medical attention immediately to prevent more serious rhabdomyolysis and endangerment of life. Therefore, when participating in long-distance races such as a full marathon, be sure to drink water and take food at the supply stations, or bring energy drinks with you when running.

4. Dehydration

● Causes and symptoms:

Dehydration is caused by excessive sweating, diarrhea, and insufficient water intake, which leads to a lack of water and salt in the body and a decline in physiological functions. Initial symptoms include fatigue, headache, and nausea, and in severe cases, loss of consciousness may occur, so you must be extra careful. Basically, if you lose more than 3% of your body weight in sweat, your body functions will decline significantly, leading to a dehydration crisis.

● How to prevent and improve:

If you hardly drink water for reasons such as not wanting to go to the toilet, worrying about lowering your body temperature, or being afraid of gaining weight, you can easily become dehydrated. The best way to prevent it is to drink water in moderation at the right time, such as every 15 to 20 minutes. In addition, it is recommended to drink 50 to 100 ml each time in winter, and 100 to 150 ml each time in summer. If you feel "dry mouth and tongue", it means that your body has begun to become dehydrated. Even if you don't want to drink water, please replenish water and moisturize your mouth.

No. 5: Hyponatremia

● Causes and symptoms:

Before and during exercise, consuming a large amount of water causes the salt (sodium) concentration in the blood to be too low, which reduces physiological functions. When the symptoms are mild, you may experience shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, nausea, and swollen hands and feet; when the symptoms are severe, you may lose consciousness or even fall into a coma.

● How to prevent and improve:

As long as you replenish water at the right time, it can be effectively prevented. In principle, the amount of water that the human body can digest within one hour is about 400 to 800 ml. Anything exceeding this will cause a burden on the gastrointestinal tract and affect physiological functions. When running a full marathon, I recommend drinking 100 ml of water every 15 to 20 minutes; in winter when you sweat less, drink 50 to 100 ml, and in summer, drink 100 to 150 ml. In addition, when replenishing water, do not drink it in large gulps, but sip it slowly in small sips to avoid feeling like vomiting.

No. 6 / Headache

● Causes and symptoms:

Headaches during and after running are often caused by dehydration, muscle fatigue, hyponatremia, and sometimes by lack of oxygen in the body. Because after strenuous exercise, oxygen cannot be distributed throughout the body, causing the oxygen concentration in the blood to decrease and causing hypoxia. The cause of hypoxia is mostly related to excessive exercise intensity or incompatibility with physical fitness. It is recommended to re-plan the training menu.

● How to prevent and improve:

Generally speaking, headaches caused by dehydration are due to poor blood circulation caused by insufficient water in the body, and can be improved by simply replenishing water. Headaches caused by muscle fatigue are caused by low blood sugar, which can be improved by eating candy or drinking sports drinks. As for headaches caused by hyponatremia, you can eat some salt and sugar. Finally, if the headache is caused by lack of oxygen, it is recommended to lie down, take deep breaths, and have a good rest.

This article is from Caishi Culture's "Learning to Jog from Scratch"