While sit-ups are a good exercise to strengthen your core, they may not be everyone’s favorite exercise. Still, they usually shouldn’t make you feel nauseous when you do them. If you feel sick to your stomach or feel the need to vomit during or after a set of sit-ups, it may be due to a variety of reasons. Here’s what might be causing your nausea.
Dehydration
If you’ve heard people emphasize the need to stay hydrated — especially during exercise — there’s an important reason. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that for every hour of sport or fitness activity, people can lose up to 2 quarts (or about 2 liters) of water. The fluid loss can also increase if you’re doing endurance activities like sit-ups, push-ups, and running.
However, unless you've done hundreds of sit-ups in a humid environment, sit-ups by themselves are unlikely to cause this degree of fluid loss. But if you're well into a long and strenuous workout that includes sit-ups, it's important to have a water bottle handy and keep your body well-hydrated. Without drinking enough water, you raise your risk of developing dehydration, which can cause nausea (among other symptoms), according to Cleveland Clinic.
How much water you should drink varies from person to person. Harvard Health Publishing notes that factors like your weight, age, activity levels, local temperature, medication use, and overall health status can all influence the amount of water you need. On average, however, the daily water intake recommendation is about 15.5 cups of water for men and 11.5 cups of water for women.
The American Council on Exercise also recommends drinking 17 to 20 ounces (oz) of water a couple of hours before your workout, and about 7 to 10 oz of water for every 10 to 20 minutes of exercise. Numbers aside, don’t feel the need to get too caught up in drinking the exact amount of ounces. Everyone’s body is different, and you know your needs best. The important thing is to keep yourself well-hydrated throughout the day and keep water with you on the go and during your workouts to prevent side effects like nausea.
Heat Exhaustion
According to StatPearls, a normal body temperature can vary, ranging from 97 degrees Fahrenheit (F) to 99 degrees F. However, when you do a strenuous workout, your body temperature can temporarily go up to 104 degrees F. Most people return to their body temperature by sweating, which is a process that helps the body cool down, according to Cleveland Clinic.
However, factors like working out in hot or humid climates or being dehydrated can prevent your body from sweating. The lack of sweating can make it difficult for your body to get rid of excess heat and raise your risk of developing heat exhaustion, according to MedlinePlus. And if you experience exercise-related heat exhaustion, you may experience symptoms such as nausea, fainting, and dizziness, Johns Hopkins Medicine notes.
To prevent heat exhaustion, drink plenty of water during your workout, exercise during cooler hours of the day, wear loose clothing, and take a break if you’re working out in a hot or humid climate.
High-Intensity Exercise
While exercising is often good for your gut and overall health, in some cases, high-intensity workouts may lead to some unexpected side effects like nausea. One study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology looked at how exercise affects the gut. Researchers found that while moderate-intensity exercises (like yoga and walking) can improve gut function and reduce gut inflammation, high-intensity workouts and prolonged exercising can cause nausea or abdominal pain due to a decrease in blood flow to the abdominal organs.
Sit-ups on their own aren’t a high-intensity exercise, but if they’re part of a fitness routine like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you may have a higher chance of developing GI symptoms like nausea. This doesn’t mean to stop doing HIIT workouts or sit-ups. Instead, listen to your body, avoid over-exerting yourself, and drink plenty of water to keep nausea at bay.
