Dizzy After Squats???

Hi.  Something weird happened to me after my first set of squats.  After lifting about 80% of body weight for 15 reps, I stood up and took a massive head-rush (like sometimes happens when you stand up too fast).  It felt like my head was spinning for about 60 seconds, and I thought I was going down for the count.  I just stood still and hung on to a machine 'til I came back to normal.  Thought I was going to faint.  Any ideas why this might've happened to me?

This was toward the end of my lower-body routine.  I had already did leg presses, hamstring curls/lunge super-sets and some shoulder work.  After the dizzy episode I dropped the weight on the squat machine and finished one more set (I was targeting 3-sets), then went on to do my final sets of quad-extensions and lateral shoulder raises.  I felt fine after I was finished.

I thought maybe it was low blood-sugar, but I had my usual pre-workout Cliff bar to fuel-up.  I hate working out on a full-stomach.  But it was kind of late in the evening (about 8:30).  Meals earlier that day were lunch at noon, healthy snacks around 3pm and the cliff-bar on my way to the gym.  I had been hydrating all day and during the workout.

Was also my first time back at the gym after about a week and a half vacation.  In the past I have felt slightly dizzy after squats a few times before, but not like I was going to faint.  I figured the large lower body muscles were sucking down my blood-pressure.  Had my bp and normal blood-work checked by doc in June at normal ranges.  Any thoughts?  btw- I'm male, age 52, 170 lbs and ~19% bf. 

Thanks.

 

If you feel dizzy like that, first of all, you stop your workout immediately.  Never continue if you feel even remotely close to passing out.  I'm not sure exactly what led to your dizziness.  You sound like you drank alot and ate enough protein beforehand.  Also, you are correct when you say that alot of blood rushes to the lower body muscles.  That is why squats should typically be done in short sets of heavier weight.  I think 15 may be too many reps for an exercise like squats.  Pick a weight that you can only do 6-8 of.  This will allow for a more explosive and intense set that will work your muscles harder, but will be over faster, hopefully before the bloodrush makes you dizzy. 

dreamsyncd, i agree w/dakatz that 15 reps is a lot.  why so many?  what's your program/what are your goals?

i get dizzy almost every time i do deadlifts.  those, for me, are a killer.  i've made it a habit to hang onto the squat rack when i put the bar down.  however, that hasn't been my experience w/squats.  squats aren't as total-body-depleting for me.  but when i finish my sets of deadlifts, even at 3 reps, i close up shop.  i'm done.

I'm not sure where I heard this, but I think it is because exercising those big muscle groups in your legs and butt get them saturated with blood - thus you can get 'pumped' and also dizzy because all that extra blood in your legs stays there instead of going to your brain.  Doesn't happen WHILE you are doing the squats because the contraction of the muscles acts like a pump to keep the blood moving.  

This has happened to me before, especially when trying to move from squats directly to upright rows or some similar standing still arms-only move.  Usually I try to march in place after squats/lunges for a little bit or between sets, seems to keep this from happening.  OR it could be something serious!  Maybe try not to abruptly stop moving after such exercises and see if that helps, if not see a doc?

My two cents

Happens when you're a bit dehydrated beforehand and go into a heavy squat session - your muscles retain fluid like crazy, and your blood plasma volume drops by quite a bit, leading to dizziness and lightheadedness from a lack of oxygen to the brain.

 Dr. Lowery had some figures on that, IIRC heavy squats could lower blood plasma volume by a few percent, enough to have a significant(though transient) detrimental effect on oxygen transport.

 Make sure you're well hydrated before heavy lifting :)

Hey all.  Thanks for the advice.  It could've been mild dehydration and I was perhaps a bit under-nourished that day.  I typically pound water all afternoon at work, but then no so much during my commute and while running errands early evening.  Glad to hear there are some logical explanations and I'm not alone in the ravages of blood-sucking large muscle groups. ;}

I'm thinking I might focus on proper breathing next time too.  Not sure how much attention I was paying to that form element during the set.

Regarding the number of reps - I'm pretty much into maintaining current weight and while adding lean body mass.  Not trying to bulk cause I've read that big muscles can hamper my golf swing.  I've been following strenghth routines developed by a trainer over the past 6+ months and have had success so far.  Routines get switched-up monthly.  This is kind of a recovery period - last month's lower-bod routines were pretty heavy resistance and supersets - iow more intense; lower reps; heavier weights.  I thought this month was going to be easy until I almost passed out!  ;-P

Thanks again for the info!