Fainting and Seizures: What You Need to Know Before You Run

Seizures (or spasms) and fainting may often go along with running long distances. Here we are analysing the causes, ways to help yourself and your fellow, people who are at risk, and prevention measures that really work. The material has been prepared together with a Partner of Almaty Marathon – KAZMED Medical Center.  

Seizures – their causes, first aid, and prevention 

Seizure is a sudden involuntary painful muscular contraction or convulsive movement, that usually attack calves, feet, hips while running or afterwards.

Why do they happen?

• electrolyte disorders, loss of natrium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium when sweating,
• muscular overfatigue and no exercises,
• jump-start or exceeding a normal pace,
• dehydration,
• insufficient stretching and warm-up,
• vessel response (due to decreased blood flow in a tired muscle).

Other factors that may cause seizures: heat and high humidity, being unprepared for a long distance, sports shoes that are too tight, personal habit to seizures.

What should be done in the first place?

• slow down or stop,
• stretch your stricken muscle gently (e.g., if seizures attack your calf, stretch your toes towards yourself),
• do a gentle massage and pat the muscle,
• if possible, cool the muscle down or have some water or an electrolytes drink.

If seizures do not stop in 10 minutes and are accompanied by confusion, you must seek a doctor’s advice!

How to prevent the seizures?

• through regular exercises increasing your load gradually,
• sufficient consumption of water and electrolyte beverages,
• including food rich with magnesium, potassium, and calcium in your diet,
• stretching before and after running,
• choosing some comfortable shoes.

Fainting – their causes, first aid, and prevention 

Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. Most often, runners may suffer it right after finishing, but sometimes while running too.

Why do it happen?

• Orthostatic collapse is a sudden stop after running intensively. While moving, your leg muscles help pumping your blood to your heart. And in case of a sudden stop, blood may be pooled in lower limbs, pressure drops, and less oxygen come to your brain.
• Dehydration and electrolytes loss.
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in case of insufficient nutrition and while running;
• Overheating (heat stroke).

Be attentive of the prognostic symptoms, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, seeing spots, pallescence, cold sweat, nausea – these all may be noted before fainting.

What should be done in the first place?

• lay the person down on their back and lift their legs up,
• make sure of fresh air,
• loosen tight clothing,
• spray some cool water on their face, if necessary,
• give them some water or a sweet drink after they have recovered,
• if the person fails to recover in 1–2 minutes, address medical professionals.

If fainting recurs, you lost consciousness while running, or feel some symptoms of dehydration (a failure to urinate, thirst, dry mucosae) and heat stroke (temperature above 39 °С, hot skin, disorientation), you must seek a doctor’s advice!

How to prevent fainting?

• avoid sudden stops and walk for several minutes more after finishing,
• have some protein gels/bars when running long distances,
• maintain your fluid-and-electrolyte balance (drink following a schedule, not only when you are thirsty),
• exercise wearing some season/weather-appropriate clothing and avoid overheating.

These simple safety rules and pieces of advice from professionals will help saving your health and finishing a marathon with no problems.

Some Bonus Tips:

• Start running with your usual and comfortable pace, don't let the euphoria of start get you down.
• Have drinks regularly: 150–250 ml each 20–30 minutes.
• Have some sports drinks – they restore not only fluid, but electrolytes as well.
• Exercise and simulate different conditions: clothing, nutrition, hydration.
• Listen to your body: slow down at the first signs of seizures, weakness or dizziness.

We wish you to be light on your feet and hope to see you at the starting line!