Depression after lifting weights. Advice?

[Nodecaf]

OK, I need some advice from you guys.

I`ve been doing serious strength-training for about 7 years.
What I`ve experienced lately is really something I cant figure out.

After lifting I become very depressed. Im never depressed at other times. I eat or take a shake an hour before working out, maybe a pre-workout shake.
Lift for an hour, hour an a half. Then a shake, and going home to make my meal. While making the meal and eating, and for the next hour or two, I cant even be talked to. I get depressed and in a really shitty mood. Im talking serious depression. Sometimes I eat at my parents house, cus they live right next to the gym, and I`ve let them know that they cant even talk to me during this period.

I was thinking of posting this in the Diet forum, cus I think maybe it may have something to do with my blood-sugar or something.

Just wondering, if any of you have experienced this frequently..

 

[omgitsrick]

I think you're just depressed and the lifting has nothing to do with it, go see a psychologist or get some pills.

Also I think you're supposed to be in a better mood after working out because some chemical gets released.

 

[hunto]

OK, I need some advice from you guys.

I`ve been doing serious strength-training for about 7 years.
What I`ve experienced lately is really something I cant figure out.

After lifting I become very depressed. Im never depressed at other times. I eat or take a shake an hour before working out, maybe a pre-workout shake.
Lift for an hour, hour an a half. Then a shake, and going home to make my meal. While making the meal and eating, and for the next hour or two, I cant even be talked to. I get depressed and in a really shitty mood. Im talking serious depression. Sometimes I eat at my parents house, cus they live right next to the gym, and I`ve let them know that they cant even talk to me during this period.

I was thinking of posting this in the Diet forum, cus I think maybe it may have something to do with my blood-sugar or something.

Just wondering, if any of you have experienced this frequently..

If you feel bad after lifting, and only after lifting, then stop lifting. It won't hurt you to take a month or 2 off, and you might feel better. You have nothing to lose by stopping, awhereas you know you'll feel bad if you keep lifting.

 

[nomilkforsanta]

I've read that lactic acid primes anxiety, and anxiety usually causes depression. There have been studies where they inject lactic acid into subjects eliciting an anxiety attack.

 

[Nodecaf]

If you feel bad after lifting, and only after lifting, then stop lifting. It won't hurt you to take a month or 2 off, and you might feel better. You have nothing to lose by stopping, awhereas you know you'll feel bad if you keep lifting.

Theres no way I`ll stop lift for 2 months. Its only directly after lifting. Lasting about 2 hours.
And like the other poster posted, I not depressed. Days without lifting, Im fine. Im fine all day except after lifting.

 

[oyaji poi]

Take 2 weeks off then, swim or go for nice hikes or something. Write a poem or read a book instead of lifting. Make sure you're eating well, especially enough fats. Eat some ice cream and let your CNS recover for a bit.

And talk to a sports doctor or experienced coach or trainer, they'd probably have some very interesting insights into your experience.

 

[hunto]

I knew a guy who had these same symptoms, and one day, while lifting, with no warning at all, his head came off. Chest blew out in huge chunks too.

 

[magicman531]

I get very irritable after lifting and don't like to be talked to either. especially while im working out. then again i dont like to be bothered anytime

 

[Nodecaf]

Take 2 weeks off then, swim or go for nice hikes or something. Write a poem or read a book instead of lifting. Make sure you're eating well, especially enough fats. Eat some ice cream and let your CNS recover for a bit.

And talk to a sports doctor or experienced coach or trainer, they'd probably have some very interesting insights into your experience.

Thanks mate.
Its hell tho. I always freak out on resting days.

 

[Sieger]

OK, I need some advice from you guys.

I`ve been doing serious strength-training for about 7 years.
What I`ve experienced lately is really something I cant figure out.

After lifting I become very depressed. Im never depressed at other times. I eat or take a shake an hour before working out, maybe a pre-workout shake.
Lift for an hour, hour an a half. Then a shake, and going home to make my meal. While making the meal and eating, and for the next hour or two, I cant even be talked to. I get depressed and in a really shitty mood. Im talking serious depression. Sometimes I eat at my parents house, cus they live right next to the gym, and I`ve let them know that they cant even talk to me during this period.

I was thinking of posting this in the Diet forum, cus I think maybe it may have something to do with my blood-sugar or something.

Just wondering, if any of you have experienced this frequently..

I have exactly the same problem. I feel really bad after lifting weights, after feeling great before the training session. What works for me (even though I don't do it very often because of time constraints) is aerobic exercise, after the weightlifting session. 30-40 minutes and I feel extremely well and relaxed.
But I've always been like that. On the other hand, you've trained for 7 years and only recently started having problems, which means you should see a doctor. Maybe you're really depressed throughout and the physical effort only makes that more evident, by increasing your unwellness from a customary (already) baseline level.

 

[Urban]

What do you think about when you lift?

 

[EZA]

I've read that lactic acid primes anxiety, and anxiety usually causes depression. There have been studies where they inject lactic acid into subjects eliciting an anxiety attack.

Influence of acute physical activity and relaxation on state anxiety and blood lactate in untrained college males

First of all, lactic acid doesn't even practically exist in the blood for all intents and purposes, and I highly doubt the lactate itself be any cause of anxiety. Lactate is a valuable energy substrate intermediary and and is processed and ultimately oxidized and used for fuel in the working muscles, liver, and heart itself. It's what allows anaerobic ****bolism in the first place.

It is certainly possible that high levels of lactate would correspond with increased anxiety because lactate levels are a result of anaerobic met abolism which accompanies strong sympathetic activation, but I highly doubt the actual cause of anxiety has anything to do with lactate accumulation itself.

As for the depression the TS posted, this would seem likely stem from a neurotransmitter regulation problem that is resulting from the exercise. This is a classic symptom of sympathetic overtraining and is common. Try taking 1-2 weeks completely off from lifting weights and only do moderate aerobic activities and I would be willing to bet your post workout depression goes away.

 

[nomilkforsanta]

Influence of acute physical activity and relaxation on state anxiety and blood lactate in untrained college males

First of all, lactic acid doesn't even practically exist in the blood for all intents and purposes, and I highly doubt the lactate itself be any cause of anxiety. Lactate is a valuable energy substrate intermediary and and is processed and ultimately oxidized and used for fuel in the working muscles, liver, and heart itself. It's what allows anaerobic ****bolism in the first place.

It is certainly possible that high levels of lactate would correspond with increased anxiety because lactate levels are a result of anaerobic met abolism which accompanies strong sympathetic activation, but I highly doubt the actual cause of anxiety has anything to do with lactate accumulation itself.

As for the depression the TS posted, this would seem likely stem from a neurotransmitter regulation problem that is resulting from the exercise. This is a classic symptom of sympathetic overtraining and is common. Try taking 1-2 weeks completely off from lifting weights and only do moderate aerobic activities and I would be willing to bet your post workout depression goes away.

It actually does, if you read herbert bensons book "the relaxation response" he talks about the study and gives the peer reviewed journal in the index. This is pretty much of a well known event in psychology most of my teachers at state talked about it during anxiety lectures.

My schools, e-journal site is down, however, after a quick google search I found these.

The Lactic Acid Response to Alkalosis in Panic Disorder : An Integrative Review -- Maddock 13 (1): 22 -- J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci

Can you please post the full journal, the abstract only is jr college style

 

[dexbot]

Are you doing your cool down/aerobic activity after lifting?

 

[Old Man]

I feel better after lifting. I thought strenuous exercise generally makes people less depressed.

 

[Jim J]

Is there a chance that you are overtraining?

If it's not overtraining, maybe it's what you are doing after lifting. Is your house/apartment dirty, dark, or depressing. Are you eating food that you don't enjoy? Maybe you should try and do something fun after lifting. Is there a pool you could hang out at? Natural sunlight is suppossed to relieve depression, so does staring at girls in swimsuits.

 

[Barut]

What do you think about when you lift?

The usual: raping, murder, A Clockwork Orange.

 

[DrBdan]

The usual: raping, murder, A Clockwork Orange.

Weird, I usually think about sunshine and puppy dogs. Well, I guess to each his own :icon_chee

 

[Trudge]

OK, I need some advice from you guys.

I`ve been doing serious strength-training for about 7 years.
What I`ve experienced lately is really something I cant figure out.

After lifting I become very depressed. Im never depressed at other times. I eat or take a shake an hour before working out, maybe a pre-workout shake.
Lift for an hour, hour an a half. Then a shake, and going home to make my meal. While making the meal and eating, and for the next hour or two, I cant even be talked to. I get depressed and in a really shitty mood. Im talking serious depression. Sometimes I eat at my parents house, cus they live right next to the gym, and I`ve let them know that they cant even talk to me during this period.

I was thinking of posting this in the Diet forum, cus I think maybe it may have something to do with my blood-sugar or something.

Just wondering, if any of you have experienced this frequently..

are you on steriods?
if not, are you eating enough carbs or are you just hammering the protien?
try upping your carb in take a little bit to see if that helps because lack of carbs can lead to irritability and anxiety according to some studies

 

[ThePitBull32]

Id go talk to a doc...lifting has the opposite reaction on most people. Hopefully you just need to vent about something, but get it out.