Modern medicine refers to post-exercise headaches as exercise-induced headaches and attributes them to multiple contributing factors. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from sweating are among the most common causes. Sweating heavily during exercise causes a rapid drop in body water, depleting crucial electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. This alters blood concentration and affects cerebral blood flow, which can trigger a headache. It is similar to a filtration system failing to operate properly due to an insufficient water supply.
In addition, high-intensity workouts can temporarily raise blood pressure and cause blood vessels around the brain to dilate. During vasodilation, neighboring nerves can become irritated, producing headaches. Some studies also suggest that nitric oxide released during exercise may contribute to dilating cerebral blood vessels and triggering head pain. Beyond this, overexertion causes lactic acid to accumulate in the muscles, while stiff neck and shoulder muscles can compress nerves, leading to tension headaches.
For individuals who experience migraines, exercise can serve as a potent trigger. Stimuli that occur during exercise, such as changes in body temperature, an increased heart rate, and blood pressure fluctuations, can activate the trigeminal nervous system in the brain, leading to a migraine attack. What Donguibogam describes as the depletion and imbalance of qi and blood corresponds in modern medicine to rapid shifts in metabolism and neurological responses. In short, the brain sends distress signals when the body's homeostasis is disrupted.
While exercise is beneficial to health, ignoring physical limits and overexerting the body can produce adverse effects. Thorough preparation and care, such as adequate hydration, appropriate intensity regulation, and pre- and post-exercise stretching, are essential to preventing exercise headaches.
