Can I keep with karate? (light-headedness, exhausted..)

[tori]

6 years ago

[Killer Miller]

Well, I did also stipulate in my statement "If the doctor say he's fine,"

- Killer -

[fujau]

Hi everybody,

although this is my first post (and I registered 30 seconds ago) I've been reading some posts here since I started MA (19th September!). First, some information: I am 25, 5'6'' (172cm), 145 lbs (66 kg) and not as slim as this sounds, I still have some fat in my stomach and somewhere else. Since I am able to remember, I just can't train with high intensity for "long time". I feel light-headed at best, at worst it was blurred vision and head-aches.

Besides karate (which I have always wanted to do, since childhood), I play basketball in a friendly league, and have no problem warming up and playing with high intensity. By the way, I don't have any diabetic problems (I have not asked a doctor about my symptoms, yes, I know, I know... but had surgery two times about 6 years ago with lots of analysis and I was fine).

The first two days of karate had a quite high (for my body standards, at least) warming up, and I started feeling light-headed. I stopped and waited for it to pass, and kept with it. I tried to eat more on karate days (pasta, almonds, drink more water) and seemed to help, I didn't felt bad. So long so good, but our sensei is out for three classes and one of his black belts is training us. And todays wam up was higher than usual, 15-20 minutes of running+jumping+abs+push-ups. I have no problem with either exercise (Sunday I did around 120 push-ups and abs, in series of 20 reps), but doing a bunch of them while running and keeping a high rhythm...Well, I felt light-headed but stayed. Then stretching. I was somewhat unstable, but did them. After that, oi-tsuki, yodan uke and some more blocks. Almost ok, although I had less and less power. Then twooi-tsuki in a row, with power. It was harder, I couldn't move my arms quicker. And then three in a row, and I had to leave. I was totally depleted and dizzy. Stayed in a side to avoid disturbing the class, and as I wasn't getting any better, I walked out, and made a gesture to our teacher to show I was dizzy. I am not sure if he saw it, he didn't seem too worried.

Well, after too much talking, I am doing Shito-Ryu karate, and I love it. I like katas, and I like very much my sensei. But will these problems hinder my possibilities with karate? I'd like to progress, in rank and in knowledge. If I can't, I want to know, sooner the better.

Thanks everybody

Hi John

When you get these dizzy spells just take your pulse you might have a Arrhythmia on your heart It sounds like if you go too anaerobic it triggers the heart. If your pulse is irregular then its a good chance it is out of rhythm

BUT PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT A DOCTOR.

But I have the same problem as soon as you push into that zone my heart will go into fibrillation I get dizzy dont feel well it is not life threatening as such just makes you more pron to strokes Plus it is not nice when there is something you enjoy doing gets in the way.

Even at 25 these thing can plague you dont worry just get it checked out then you can adjust your training accordingly.

take care

[JohnKeats]

Hi again,

sorry I turned off watching the post so I didn't get the answers. First I'll clarify some things.

This has happened to me throughout my life, not only in karate. When I was in HS, too. I tried to eat more, and that seemed to help. At 18-19 I had two surgical operations, and was tested for almost everything (hormone levels, anemia, quite a lot of things, including a few cardiograms). I had no problem, and the symptoms I have now are exactly the same I had then. I have no problems with basketball, if I just warm up slightly and then play hardest. The problem comes when I warm for a long time with too demanding exercises.

I have tried drinking more water (one of the operations was related to my hands sweating too much... now they don't, but my body sweats a lot and I'm prone to lose too much water), drinking sport drinks to renew salt levels, eating bananas daily too(as I also had some problems with cramps in my legs, but they stopped after getting fit), eating more the day before, or the day in which it took place. And it is almost the same.

Well, I may be holding my breath when I train, it is something I have seen me doing sometimes. Today I have karate again, probably with the same warm-up. Let's try to breath. I'll keep you informed.

By the way, hello everybody and thanks for all answers.

EDIT: Also, my question about if I can keep with karate, is not if I will get used to these things (sure I can not!), but if hard warm ups and such will be always necessary.

[fujau]

Hi again,

sorry I turned off watching the post so I didn't get the answers. First I'll clarify some things.

This has happened to me throughout my life, not only in karate. When I was in HS, too. I tried to eat more, and that seemed to help. At 18-19 I had two surgical operations, and was tested for almost everything (hormone levels, anemia, quite a lot of things, including a few cardiograms). I had no problem, and the symptoms I have now are exactly the same I had then. I have no problems with basketball, if I just warm up slightly and then play hardest. The problem comes when I warm for a long time with too demanding exercises.

I have tried drinking more water (one of the operations was related to my hands sweating too much... now they don't, but my body sweats a lot and I'm prone to lose too much water), drinking sport drinks to renew salt levels, eating bananas daily too(as I also had some problems with cramps in my legs, but they stopped after getting fit), eating more the day before, or the day in which it took place. And it is almost the same.

Well, I may be holding my breath when I train, it is something I have seen me doing sometimes. Today I have karate again, probably with the same warm-up. Let's try to breath. I'll keep you informed.

By the way, hello everybody and thanks for all answers.

Check your pulse when you are having a attack

[Tiger1962]

By the way, I don't have any diabetic problems (I have not asked a doctor about my symptoms, yes, I know, I know... but had surgery two times about 6 years ago with lots of analysis and I was fine).

I'd like to progress, in rank and in knowledge. If I can't, I want to know, sooner the better.

There are plenty of people with (even worse) various illnesses and conditions, and I have seen people who have handicaps that can still train in martial arts. What I am trying to say is I would not assume the worst. Talk to your doctor and then take it from there.

As far as warm-ups go, it is important to warm-up sufficiently no matter what your age is. Not warming up is putting yourself at risk for injuries. Some people may think that the younger you are, the less warming up you will need. Not true.

To get your question about the dizziness answered, I'd say talk to your doctor because only he can give you the correct answer knowing your history and background. That's what I would do if this were happening to me.

[white owl]

Yes I agree with tiger1962, check with your doctor just to be safe, but this problem usally happens to new people to ma. Ma is very demanding of your body, it take alot out of you if you practice hard and you are not use to it. But there are rewards at the end of the day.

mine are usally new bruises,lol.

[bushido_man96]

I have no problems with basketball, if I just warm up slightly and then play hardest. The problem comes when I warm for a long time with too demanding exercises.

Also, my question about if I can keep with karate, is not if I will get used to these things (sure I can not!), but if hard warm ups and such will be always necessary.

My concern here lies in these statements. You state that you can play basketball at a high level, and not have these problems. If this is the case, then I don't understand why warming up at a high level would be any different. It seems inconsistent.

Perhaps you should take about 15 to 20 minutes of your own time before class to do a light warm-up, prior to going into class. That may help.

[Killer Miller]

That's the part that threw me off as well thinking it's probably a breathing issue.

- Killer -

[JohnKeats]

Because I just play for 5-6 minutes each quarter. I am not 30+ minutes jumping and running straight. I have thought about warming up lighter before, but for now is a little hard to arrange the time.

Yellow (and higher) belts told me that in the exam it will be around 1 hour of more or less what we do that gets me dizzy, and then our katas and forms. And I am not sure if I can.

By the way, a few classmates also told me it is just my body adapting to new demands, as some of you say.

Yesterday I was also dizzy (when it happened, around 120-140 bpm, but it was the same when I was warming around), but after about 5 minutes of laying down it went and I could finish my class.

Tuesday second round, hope I'm fine by then, and thursday our sensei comes back. Probably he'll tell us if we are ready for belt promotion (13th December).

Again, thanks for all your answers.