When it comes to exercise, especially high-intensity efforts, pushing yourself to the point of fatigue is how build muscle and get stronger. So it’s no wonder you feel exhausted at the end of a weightlifting session, sprint interval, or HIIT class.
But what happens when you find yourself yawning? during training? This is something that happens to me from time to time, once in front of a trainer who asked me if he was bored and needed to do more burpees…
In case you’re not familiar with what they are:
I’m not alone: yawning during exercise is a common phenomenon, and it’s most likely to happen during our most intense workouts. See that high-intensity exercise offers about the same energy boost like a cup of coffee, it is unlikely that we are yawning because we are tired or because we are not interested in what we are doing. This reflex is probably being triggered by something else entirely, according to science.
The physiological reason you yawn during workouts
“It’s a common misconception that yawning is to get more oxygen,” explains the Florida-based exercise physiologist. sharon gam, PhD, CSCS. That myth is largely based on a 1987 study that has since been debunked by subsequent research, she says. Instead, although science currently does not know exactly what causes yawning in general (it’s an involuntary reflex, after all), when it happens during a workout, yawning is likely your body’s way of trying to cool down.
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Yawning has been related as a physiological response to higher brain temperatures,” He says chelsea long, CSCS, TPI, exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “The moments before and after a yawn are thought to promote a better warm climate in the brain.”
Because HIIT and strength training often engage many major muscle groups, your body tends to heat up quickly, says Dr. Gam. “You can yawn in response to that rapid rise in temperature to prevent overheating.”
Everyone has a different response to increases in body temperature and dissipates heat differently, says Long. “Some people have heavy sweaters, or turn bright red or purple instead of sweating,” she adds. This could explain why not everyone yawns during workouts. However, if he does, both Long and Dr. Gam say it’s not necessarily something to worry about.
When yawning during workouts is cause for concern
“Yawning doesn’t seem to be related to insecurity or signify a big health problem,” says Long, “but taking note of how you feel and what your breathing mechanics are might help stimulate a better cooling mechanism in the brain. ”
If yawning seems to be a recurring thing and bothers you, he says, using an ice pack on your forehead, wiping sweat off with towels, drinking cooler water and staying well hydrated for exercise might help. Dr. Gam adds that if he experiences excessive yawning, he should have it checked out by a doctor just to make sure there’s nothing else going on that he should know about.
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