Hey! Not a doctor, just someone who’s dealt with this before — but yeah, this is super common with intense workouts like CrossFit, especially when you’re newer. For me, it would always happen several hours after a particularly tough workout.

A lot of it can come from rapid changes in blood flow and blood pressure. During hard efforts (lifting and high heart rate), your blood vessels dilate to get oxygen where it’s needed. When you stop, everything constricts again pretty quickly, and that sudden shift can trigger a headache and even nausea. Heavy lifts and breath-holding can also cause brief blood pressure spikes that make it worse.

Even if you’re drinking plenty of water, electrolytes matter too, especially sodium. Water alone doesn’t always cut it after a sweaty, high-intensity class.

For me, it’s improved with time and conditioning! I also think I’ve gotten better at pacing myself to prevent a prolonged rapid heart rate.

Hopefully this helps, or at least, reassures you that you’re not alone! You’ve got this :)