Being tired after exercise is normal, but exhaustion may be a sign of something serious. Rest is an essential part of a fitness plan because your muscles grow at rest, not while you are exercising them. If you are experiencing fatigue that seems unusual after exercising, talk to your doctor.
Metabolic Diseases
Metabolic diseases are serious conditions that may be behind your exhaustion after exercising. Ten different metabolic disorders, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, can disrupt your muscles' ability to perform chemical reactions associated with getting nutrition out of food. The 10 different disorders are named after the specific substance your body is not processing. These disorders cause not only exercise intolerance but also the atrophy of muscles. Fortunately, these diseases are treatable.
Cardiovascular Disorders
Exercise intolerance may also be a sign of a serious cardiovascular disorder. Heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cor pulmonale result in exhaustion after minimal amounts of exercise. In these diseases, the heart and lungs can't get sufficient amounts of blood and oxygen to the body. All are potentially life threatening, so you should talk to your doctor if you are experiencing chest pain or difficulty breathing in addition to exercise intolerance.
Exercise-induced Asthma
Some people get asthma only after exercising. Symptoms of exercise-induced asthma include coughing, gasping or wheezing after vigorous exercise. Fortunately, exercise-induced asthma is not dangerous as long as it is treated. Medications exist for both long-term relief of the disorder and quick-acting, short-term relief for when you experience symptoms. The Mayo Clinic's website states that you can continue training for highly competitive sports events while treating the disorder.
Other Disorders
Once you have eliminated some of the most common reasons for exhaustion after exercise, consider other possibilities. Exercise intolerance may be an early warning sign of cancer. Fibromyalgia is characterized by a number of seemingly unrelated symptoms, among them fatigue after exercising. In hypopituitarism, your pituitary gland cannot get the right hormones to the rest of your body. The range of diseases that have symptoms of exhaustion is wide, so don't spend time self-diagnosing. Leave it to a qualified medical professional.
References
- Mayo linic.com: Exercise-induced Asthma
- Natural Thyroid Medicine: Thyroid And Exercise Intolerance
- Muscular Dystrophy Association: Facts About Metabolic Diseases of Muscle
- NCBI National Center for Biotechnology Information: Skeletal Muscle Abnormalities in Patients with COPD
- American Heart Association: Exercise Intolerance in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure
- Healing Well: Fibromyalgia: A Plausible Model for Cause and Cure
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