LIFESTYLE

There’s Such a Thing as Being Allergic to Exercise

We finally have an excuse for not working out!

20-October-2017

There’s Such a Thing as Being Allergic to Exercise

Some people are actually allergic to working out, but the story is more complicated than that. In order for you to understand, let us tell you the story of Joe O’Leary, a man for who 30 minutes on the elliptical almost cost him his life.
“My eyes were watering, I was having trouble breathing,” he told Popular Science. “I looked behind me into the mirror, and my eyes were swollen—every part of my face was swollen.” The man was then rushed to the emergency room where doctors treated him with steroids and antihistamines, and diagnosed him with a condition called exercise-induced anaphylaxis.
It turns out that this reaction is not only due to exercising, but also to what he had eaten just before hitting the gym: tomatoes! Doctors explained to him that if he combines tomatoes, peppers, soy or nuts with exercise, the allergic reaction will happen… but if he eats them without exercising, nothing will happen! A very weird – but real – condition.
While this condition is very rare, it can be life-threatening. So if you experience any of those symptoms during your workout, you should stop immediately and go to your doctor ASAP!