Drinking Water During Workout Makes Me Nauseous

I know how important it is to keep hydrated before, during, and after exercising. I do my best to drink plenty of water, but whenever I drink water during a workout it makes me nauseous. If I don't drink anything while I work out I get thirsty, and I know it's not doing me any good. But if I DO drink anything (water, Poweraid, Gatorade, etc.) I really feel like I'm gunna puke seconds later. I have no clue why this happens, do you have ANY ideas? Rita N.

Rita,

I can make a few assumptions here: One is that you are drinking large gulps of water during your workout instead of sips. This can cause nausea: The blood flow in your body during exercise is dedicated to helping you have an efficient workout--the muscles that you are working, the lungs breathing in plenty of oxygen, and your heart beating faster--as a result, blood is diverted away from the GI tract.
Many people feel nauseated, and even throw up, when working out very hard. Your GI tract is disturbed by the presence of having something to attend to when it's not ready to handle it.

If you are drinking a few ounces at a time, I would suggest taking minimal sips just to quench the dryness in your mouth...just a tablespoon or so between sets. If you do this 15 times during your workout (every 4 or 5 minutes in an hour) it will add up to about 8 ounces. This may be enough to keep you hydrated during your workout.

Then drink plenty of water afterwards when it doesn't upset your stomach.

There is also the fact that warmer water is more quickly absorbed than colder water, so if the water you are drinking is very cold you might try bringing a bottle of room temperature water--it will quench your thirst and hydrate you just as well.

I'd love to hear back from you regarding how these steps work!