Up to 50 percent of runners report having experienced a headache after running or exercising, according to Dr. Derek Worley, a board certified doctor in sports medicine and internal medicine at Erlanger.
“You can really have it in any sport,” he says, “anything that involves physical exertion.”
While a headache after running is common, and not necessarily something to worry about, regular pain following a workout can discourage some from exercising. Plus, it’s a general nuisance.
And sometimes, it could mean something serious.
Most of the headaches can be chalked up to dehydration and not eating properly, Worley says. However, there are others who experience the pain immediately following runs despite being hydrated and having stretched and eaten properly – something referred to as a “runner’s headache.” The feeling is generally a throbbing pain on both sides of the head.