Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram or Youtube and seen a lifter or strength athlete passing out after a heavy deadlift? What follows is often a slew of people talking about how unhealthy it is for you and how lifters should not be doing that.
Let’s discuss why it actually happens! Lifting to your maximal ranges can cause a drop in blood pressure and oxygen to the brain
What is Syncope (Passing Out/Fainting)
The medical term used to describe a short loss of consciousness is syncope. This is usually a result of low blood pressure where your heart is not able to get enough oxygen to your brain. This is sometimes seen when strength athletes are under large amounts of stress.
1. Bracing (Valsalva Maneuver)
Often times strength athletes will use bracing techniques which include holding your breath in your belly to create intra abdominal pressure. This helps maintain a stable and rigid torso.
It is great because it help to maintain stability during your lift. One of the drawbacks is that you are purposely slowing the oxygen flow to your brain which can increase the chance of syncope.
If a Powerlifter loses stability during their lift during a maximal squat they risk collapsing their torso and suffering a major injury! This is why you will see most powerlifters brace. Although there can be risks it’s hard to argue with the logic when it increases the efficiency and safety for lifters throughout the movement. Another point to note is strength athletes are competing to lift the most weight. So they need to strategically set themselves up in order to do that as efficiently and safely as possible.
When looking at most cases when a lifter passes out using the valsalva maneuver it is usually caused by the sharp decline in blood pressure and lack of oxygen to the brain. But will end shortly after when the pressure is relieved and breathing and blood flow stabilize.
Experienced lifters and competitors will be better tuned to this type of bracing and have a solid understanding of what their body can do. If you are repeatedly becoming light headed from big lifts then you should assess your breathing patterns when lifting.
How to Brace Effectively?
- Belly vs Shallow Chest Breathing: The goal is to increase intra-abdominal pressure common mistake include taking too shallow breaths only into your chest. Watch the video above to learn more about the proper technique.
- Holding too long: Sometimes people especially newer lifters tend to hold their breath too long. Then they will start the next rep right away. If I am doing volume, I like to re-breath after each rep. A slow controlled exhale through your sticking point can also work to regulate breathing while maintaining stability in your torso.
2. Blood Sugar Levels
Blood sugar levels can also greatly impact your lift. If you are training fasted and exert close to maximal levels of force you will be more prone to passing out due to low blood sugar levels.
3. Dehydration
Another factor is passing out from dehydration. This can happen when athletes undergo weight cuts to make weight for their respective weight class. Conditioning outside in high heat, or simply not staying hydrated and drinking enough fluids.
The drop in fluid and blood pressure can result in fainting.
To Conclude
You don’t always have to ring the bells when a lifter passes out from a big lift. It can be from a prolonged Valsalva Maneuver and you usually will not see this happen with a recreational lifter.
Stay safe and lift smart.
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