[Sportsandrec] workout question

[Kelly Thornbury]

Sarah, 

No, this should not be considered normal. First, you want to consider if you are performing these activities (rowing versus treadmilling versus elipticalling...I may have made the last two verbs up) under similar conditions. Is there a chance you are eating something different or at a different time related to the activity for example. Are you working out in each activity at a similar level of exertion? There aren't really any good formulas to compare VO2 (oxygen consumption) levels between the different activities, so a rough estimate would be to check your heart rate. Of the three exercises you mentioned, rowing engages the most muscle groups with the greatest force of contraction and will generally put the most physiological stress on the body, so you may just be working out at a higher intensity without realizing it. Would you feel nauseous if you rowed at a lower intensity? 

Some individuals find it harder to breathe in a rowing position as opposed to "standing" activities because the body is "crunched" up. At relatively similar heart rates is your breathing approximately the same? Again, this is a little difficult to evaluate because of the different muscle groups involved, so evaluate this on a "roughly" basis. Keeping this next statement as politically correct as possible, but in general individuals who are more over-weight may find it more difficult to breathe in the rowing position. Just a general statement not reflective on you personally. 

Outside of exercise, do you get light-headed or dizzy when you stand from a seated or laying position (orthostatic hypotension)? When you stand up, your blood pressure momentarily drops until your body can compensate by constricting blood vessels. Most people never notice this, some are readily affected, and exercise can exasperate this issue because more blood is shifted to working muscles. 

If you eliminate eating/drinking patterns, differences in activity intensity, and orthostatic issues, then maybe the rowing position is causing a vascular or neurological compromise, like occluding a vein or something. This is doubtful, but a slight possibility. 

Whatever suggestions you get herein, you should consult a professional. Your general practitioner is probably not the best, unless she/he has an exercise physiology or sports medicine background. Try contacting your local university and talking to one of their exercise physiology professors. Another option may be to contact someone like the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine...I think you can email questions like this, but I've never tried this personally. 

My unprofessional advice would be to try rowing at a lower intensity level, and if you still feel nauseous then stop this activity until you get a more professional evaluation.  


On Feb 22, 2013, at 8:17 PM, sarah harris wrote:

> 
>   Good evening. I have a model d rowing machine from Concept 2. I often feel nauseous during and shortly after using the machine. Is this what is supposed to happen? I don't feel sick when I use a machine such as a treadmill or elliptical. Thank you. 
>     Sarah 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
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