This is really weird!!!

recmatt · Post by **recmatt** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:43 am

In my last couple of workouts, when I have been performing regular squats, at about the 4th or 5th rep the back of my tongue has become unbearably itchy. As soon as I'd stop it would go back to normal. I've had to stop squatting because of it. It doesn't happen on any other exercise. Don't know if it's relevant but I recently changed my grip on the bar from wide to narrow. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Post by **TimD** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:59 am

No thoughts on why, but it does seem incredibly weird, to the point of being funny, although I doubt it's funny to you. Have you tried switching your grip back to what you were using, and does the tongue thing still occur?
Tim

Post by **ironmaiden708** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:03 pm

Well, I think it has to do with getting hot from the squats and the increased blood pressure going in your skull, sometimes when I do squats my scalp gets very itchy and doesn't stop until i'm done.

Stephen Johnson · Post by **Stephen Johnson** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:41 pm

recmatt wrote:In my last couple of workouts, when I have been performing regular squats, at about the 4th or 5th rep the back of my tongue has become unbearably itchy. As soon as I'd stop it would go back to normal. I've had to stop squatting because of it. It doesn't happen on any other exercise. Don't know if it's relevant but I recently changed my grip on the bar from wide to narrow. Does anyone have any thoughts?

I'm not a physiologist, but the hypoglossal nerve (the one that controlls the tongue and swallowing functions) originates in the medulla, which is located just above the spinal chord. It's possible that your bar placement when you squat is putting pressure on either the medulla or the hypoglossal nerve.

Do you have any neck discomfort when you squat?

Post by **Ironman** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:46 am

Good call. I bet he has the bar too high.

recmatt · Post by **recmatt** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:55 am

The neck feels fine but it may be that with the change of grip the bar may have crept up a little on the neck. I'll experiment with that and see if I can resolve it. Thanks for the input.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:38 am

Could that be a phenomenon related to the neuroendocrine release from the squat? It get a little itch in the neck region, hot, tachycardic a bit. This has eased since I have tried to perform the squat and workout on a regular basis.

Matt F

recmatt · Post by **recmatt** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:54 am

Tried squatting today with the bar a little lower but it felt like it was going to fall off. I don't think it was too high after trying that. Widened the grip by one hand width on both sides and completed sets of 10 reps and there was only a slight tingle near the end of the set. I think I'll widen the grip a little and then progressively narrow it over the next few weeks.

ExRx.net

This is really weird!!!

This is really weird!!!

Re: This is really weird!!!