Ears puffing up after strength training

More than 90% of ear puffs after strength training are caused by changes in the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the middle ear caused by holding in the air when exerting force. It is a normal physiological reaction. Most of them can be relieved on their own within half an hour. Only those accompanied by persistent pain, ear canal discharge, and stuffiness for more than 24 hours require medical intervention.

If you don’t believe me, think back to the training scene just now - was it during the last push of a heavy deadlift/squat/bench press that you subconsciously held your breath to death, your core tensed like a compressed spring, and you even felt your face turn red when you reached the peak of your strength? The moment you threw the barbell back on the rack, did you first feel a "buzzing" sound in your ears, and then it was like a ball of cotton stuffed in it. Your words echoed when you heard them, and you could still feel the eardrums bulging outward when you swallowed your saliva?

The core logic of this matter is actually very simple. The breath-holding movement you do when exerting force is called the Valsalva maneuver in exercise physiology. To put it bluntly, it closes the glottis and holds the breath, instantly raising the intrathoracic and abdominal pressure, and supporting the entire core into a stable "rigid cylinder", so that it can withstand heavy pressure. But your chest is connected to the nasopharynx, and between it and the middle ear is a small tube called the Eustachian tube. It is usually closed and only opens to adjust the pressure in the middle ear when you swallow or yawn. Your pressure is too strong this time, and the air is directly squeezed from the Eustachian tube into the middle ear. The air pressure outside does not change, but the air pressure inside suddenly increases, but it feels like your ears are bulging.

There must be people with different opinions when it comes to this. I have seen two groups of coaches arguing about this matter in the gym before - one group is a general coach who focuses on health and fitness. He said that you should never hold your breath during strength training. It can cause the ears to inflate, or the blood vessels or eardrums to burst. It is harmful to all but no good.； The other group is a coach who is trained in powerlifting. They roll their eyes and say that if you don’t hold back heavy weights, your core will be as loose as a dough bag. The risk of losing your waist when squatting 100kg is 100 times higher than having ear problems. In fact, there is nothing wrong with both sides, but the applicable scenarios are different: if you do sets with light weight and multiple reps, such as 15RM shoulder press, you can completely use the regular breathing pattern of exhaling forcefully and inhaling relaxedly, and there is no need to hold your breath at all. ； But if you hit the maximum weight of 1-3RM, you really won’t be able to hold it steady if you don’t hold it in. There’s no need to risk injury to avoid blowing your ears.

I have been practicing powerlifting for 6 years. It is common for my ears to bulge when I am sprinting for a PR. I have also figured out a few little ways to relieve the problem, which I personally tested to be useful. When holding your breath, don't raise your head and retract your chin slightly. This can reduce the force of air pressure moving toward the head and prevent the air from pushing into the Eustachian tube. ； Another thing is to don't spit out all the air suddenly after exerting force. Slowly "hiss" along the gap between the teeth for 3 seconds before spitting out. The pressure difference will not change so drastically, and the probability of blowing out the air can be reduced by more than half. If you have really finished practicing the air puff, don’t panic. Don’t pinch your nose hard to inflate, as this may easily injure your eardrums. Chew some gum, swallow a few more times, or yawn widely to let your Eustachian tube open a few times to expel the air inside. If it’s quick, it’ll be fine in two minutes.

But don’t think everything is normal. I trained a novice student last year. He held it too hard during the deadlift PR. Not only did his ears swell, but they also hurt. He also had some light yellow water the next day. After going to the hospital for a checkup, I found out that he had chronic sinusitis. His Eustachian tube was already swollen. He had a slight otitis media after exerting force. He prescribed some spray and used it for three days before he recovered. If you experience sharp pain when you inflate, or the blockage does not relieve for more than a day, or even water leaking out, don't hold it, go to the otolaryngology department for an otoscope immediately. If there is a small perforation in the eardrum, most of it will heal on its own as long as there is no infection, but it will be troublesome if it takes a long time.

By the way, I have seen a living treasure before. After practicing squats and inflating his ears, I thought I had mastered the internal skills in martial arts novels. He blew on a mineral water bottle for ten minutes and tried to blow the bottle cap off. In the end, the bottle cap did not fly off. My ears hurt for two days. I was just fooling around.

In fact, to put it bluntly, you really don’t need to be too anxious about this. It’s the same as your ears feeling stuffy when you’re on a plane or taking a high-speed train through a tunnel. It’s a normal pressure difference reaction. If you adjust your breathing rhythm and don’t carry it around, there will basically be no problem. If you are really worried, call a reliable protector next time you hit a heavy weight and don't hold it in so hard, and it will be over.