Why You May Be Shaking After Your Workout and When to Worry

Why You Might Be Shaking After Your Workout

It's common to feel your muscles trembling or shaking after an intense workout. But sometimes the shaking seems excessive and leaves you concerned. Here's a look at why your body might shake post-exercise and when to see a doctor.

Normal Causes of Post-Workout Shaking

There are several harmless reasons why your muscles may vibrate or quiver after you exercise:

• Fatigue - Strenuous workouts drain your muscles' energy stores (glycogen). As they become exhausted, your nerve cells have trouble keeping muscles contracted smoothly.
• Muscle overload - Lifting weights or performing moves your muscles aren't used to forces them to work harder. This stress triggers shaking.
• Lactic acid buildup - Intense anaerobic exercise causes lactic acid to accumulate, interfering with muscle contraction.
• Low fuel - Carb depletion and dehydration can cause electrolyte imbalances and hypoglycemia leading to quivering.
• Muscle hyperactivation - Your nervous system amps up signals to your muscles during exercise. Afterward, they remain hyperexcited.

How Long Post-Workout Shaking Typically Lasts

For most people, exercise-induced shaking subsides within 5 to 30 minutes after completing your workout as your body recovers. Mild quivering up to a few hours later is also common, especially if you are new to strength training.

Drinking water, eating a snack, cooling down, and resting your muscles speeds recovery and helps stop the shakiness sooner.

When to Be Concerned About Post-Workout Shaking

While exercise tremor is normal, excessive, persistent, or worsening shaking after working out may indicate an underlying condition. See your doctor if you experience:

Shaking That Lasts Hours to Days

Shaking that continues hours or days after your workout is usually not just routine muscle fatigue. It may signal injury, metabolic issues like low electrolytes, or a neurological disorder.

Full Body Shaking

Shivering restricted to your worked muscles is expected. But uncontrollable shaking through your whole body can be a red flag. Causes range from seizures to low blood sugar.

Other Neurological Symptoms

Numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, difficulty speaking, and confusion accompanying the tremors can indicate a serious health issue requiring medical evaluation.

Shaking After Light Activity

Quaking after easy workouts you can normally handle signals an underlying problem. Potential causes include muscle disorders, medication side effects, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Progressively Worsening Shaking

If your post-workout tremors are becoming more pronounced and lasting longer over time, it likely indicates a developing neurological or muscle condition needing diagnosis.

Medical Causes of Severe Post-Exercise Shaking

Some potential medical causes of worrisome full-body shaking after working out include:

Electrolyte Imbalance

Low levels of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium from dehydration, diarrhea, or diuretics can trigger muscle spasms and tremors.

Hypoglycemia

Crash in blood sugar following exercise can cause shakiness, palpitations, and anxiety resembling a panic attack.

Seizure Disorder

Strenuous workouts can unmask seizures in those with undiagnosed epilepsy. Shaking progresses to full convulsions.

Medication Side Effects

Blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, and stimulants may cause tremoring. Exercising while on these meds exacerbates it.

Parkinson's Disease

Neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's worsen with activity. Noticeable post-workout tremors, rigidity, and imbalance can occur.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Those with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia often experience shaking episodes after minimal exertion as their muscles quickly fatigue.

Multiple Sclerosis

MS patients frequently develop tremors worsened by increases in body temperature from working out. Weakness and numbness may also occur.

ALS

Progressive muscle weakness in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis eventually leads to shaking, spasms, and twitches following activity as neurons degenerate.

When to See a Doctor

Consult a physician promptly if you have:

• Ongoing shaking lasting over an hour after finishing exercise.
• Tremors after mild exertion like walking.
• Full body trembling, twitching, or convulsions.
• Worsening tremor episodes over time.
• Associated numbness, tingling, chest pain, or trouble speaking.

A doctor can evaluate your symptoms, review your medications, order bloodwork, and perform neurological exams and muscle tests to determine if an underlying condition requires treatment.

Questions Your Doctor May Ask

To diagnose any concerning underlying cause of exercise tremors, your doctor may ask about:

• When the shaking started and what brings it on
• Duration and exact description of the tremors
• What body parts shake and if it spreads
• Associated symptoms like weakness or numbness
• Frequency, type, and intensity of your workouts
• Family history of tremor disorders
• Existing diagnoses like Parkinson's or MS
• Medications and supplements you take

Self-Care Tips to Stop Post-Workout Shaking

For regular exercise-related trembling, you can try:

• Massaging and stretching shaking muscles.
• Drinking water or sports drinks to rehydrate.
• Eating a snack high in carbs and protein.
• Taking an OTC pain reliever like ibuprofen.
• Cooling down muscles with ice packs or cold towels.
• Resting your body to allow recovery.
• Reducing exercise intensity and duration.

See a physician if self-care does not relieve the tremors or prevent recurrences. They can rule out scary causes and provide prescription medications or physical therapy referrals to stop persistent shaking.

When to Seek Emergency Treatment

Seek prompt emergency care if shaking after exercise is accompanied by:

• Chest pain, palpitations, or trouble breathing
• Passing out or feeling like you may pass out
• Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking, or vision changes
• Vomiting or bloody stools
• Signs of a heat stroke like high body temperature and altered mental state
• Uncontrollable shaking or seizure-like activity

These symptoms suggest potentially life-threatening conditions like heart problems, organ damage from heat stroke, seizures, or stroke requiring emergency evaluation.

Preventing Post-Workout Shakes

You can reduce normal exercise shaking episodes by:

• Eating a carb-rich snack before workouts.
• Staying well hydrated during and after exercising.
• Replenishing electrolytes with

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.