Here is all you need to know about 5 weird ways your body could be reacting to a workout

Have you ever felt lightheaded and spaced out after an intense workout? Or how about sore and itchy after a cardio session? What about the fact that your knees are making a crackling sound after years of being a runner?

Here is all you need to know about 5 weird ways your body could be reacting to a workout.

Reaction #1: You’re Not Hungry—at All

You just finished a long run, bike ride, or soccer game. You expect to be hungry, but actually your not. Strange? Actually no. Adrenaline pumps through your body triggering the fight or flight response, which suppresses some of your bodily functions. Your autonomic nervous system regulates key components of survival which means when you are completing an endurance exercise your blood pressure, heart rate and respiration are more tended to than other less imminent functions like urination and digestion. Therefore you are will not be hungry immediately after your run, even though you just burned some major calories. You should see your appetite return in around 30 minutes.

Reaction #2: You’ve Got a Snap, Crackle, Pop in Your Knees

Since you have been active most of your life you may start hearing the classic rice krispies’ snap, crackle and pop in your knees. This is mildly due to wear and tear of the cartilage and it can occur as early as your late teens and early twenties. This is especially common in runners who participate in long mile events. The ONLY cause for concern is if you are experiencing pain with those crackling sounds which may suggest another underlying issue.

Reaction #3: You’re Salty After Hot Yoga

There is a certain amount of salt in our sweat. If you have ever been outdoors on a hot summer day for some time you may already know what salty skin looks and even tastes like. After hot yoga especially, salty sweat can quickly dry on the skin in gritty blobs or steaks, which happens to be 100% normal. Some people sweat so much salt they even get the white residue on their clothing. However, salt helps keep the right concentration of water in our cells. So seeing salt on the skin is an indicator that you are close to dehydration. Keep a water bottle handy before, during and after any workout even if you do not feel thirsty.

Reaction #4: Your Skin is Itchy and Irritated After a Workout

Many cardio junkies report itchy skin after a nice long walk or run through the park. Intense physical activity can activate skin irritation. Many people experience itchiness from their own sweat and the way it interacts with clothing. Sweaty skin rubbing against cotton clothing often leads to chafing also. If you are experiencing itchiness and a burning sensation look for fabric that glide over your skin more so than rub.

Reaction #5: You Feel Spacey After a Long Run

Have you ever felt like you could not focus or felt weak and lazy after a run? Or you were trying to put a sentence together but couldn’t? Sometimes after a long run or bike ride you are either lacking water or nutrition and that is way you are feeling lethargic and spacey. Carb loading the night before a big event or run lasting long than 60 minutes is a great way to prevent all these symptoms. A good post run nutrition snack or meal containing protein and carbs is great for recovery and energy. Try eggs and oatmeal or lean protein with a baked potato.