Intense headaches after rides

[Ana]

Despite my best efforts to stay hydrated, I very commonly get migraine-like headaches after rides. They cause sharp pains in near my temples accompanied by sensitivity to bright light. I usually eat and drink water before I head out on my rides. I never ride more than 25 miles and I sip my water bottle every 10 minutes or so.

After my ride, I drink more water and eat something. Today, I ate cheese and crackers.

Still, my headache persisted for about 3 hours. I dislike taking pain killers and therefore try every alternative (hiding in dimmer light, drinking lots of water, etc). The headaches tend to subside eventually (4-6 hours) without medication but I suspect it may be externally induced.

I suspect it may have something to do with my bike fit but am mostly uncertain.

Does anyone else get headaches (or has in the past)? How did you remedy them? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

[pyxichick]

Ana,

I wish I had an answer for you.

I, too, get headaches after just about every hard ride. I have never been able to figure this out. My BF insists it's just a result of hard effort and concentration. Maybe being out in the sun contributes as well?

I'm curious to see what other say.

Kate

[Ana]

Oh yes, the other possibility is that I desperately need my eyes checked...and they are strained during my rides... I'm planning to go to the optometrist so I'll let you know if a prescription resolves the issue.

[berkeley]

I get exercise induced headaches a lot! First when I played volleyball... now with riding... Man, they are awful, awful, so I feel for you.

What I find helps is loading up on electrolytes. Emergen-C (the regular version) helps also - I'll have two the night before a big ride, and one after. This is in addition to an electrolyte supplement on the bike. With this routine, I don't get a headache.

Speaking of eyes - easy question - are you wearing sunglasses?

[Ana]

Hmm, maybe I'll switch to something with more electrolytes, even though the research I did says to drink water if you're exercising under 2 hours...but cycling is hard work

Any recommendations for a drink? I hate drinking the high-sugar, corn syrupy stuff

[KnottedYet]

Oh, yeah, bring on the electrolytes for me, too! I'm usually ok as long as I consume them on the bike and right after a ride. (V-8, cheese, Clif bloks)

And sunglasses are very important to my happiness!

[JLMitchell]

I think there might be something in the electrolytes or potassium or sodium thing. I used to get headaches sometimes right in the center of my forehead, sometimes all over. I started drinking more water in general, so maybe in addition to drinking immediately before, during and after, drink more water in the days preceding your ride(s). For me now that's basically all week.

I've also been experimenting with electrolyte replacement during and immediately after a workout. Not only has it staved off that horrible feeling of running out of gas, but it's also helped prevent me from being completely useless for the rest of the day. I like gels so far for during a workout, with a recovery shake (powder in water) after. You mentioned drinking only water while riding; does Gatorade/Powerade not sit well with you? If not, consider bringing a little something with you, any food you feel you can ingest. That's what I learned, anyway. Then again, it could just be your eyes and none of the things I mentioned.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I bought some very cool sunglasses in a drugstore a couple years ago. I wore them for biking. They gave me terrible headaches but I didn't figure out it was the sunglasses for a while. Finally I noticed my headaches stopped 15 minutes after I remove the sunglasses, and would resume after I put them on again.

Then i got better sunglasses and no more headaches.

Also check to make sure your helmet is not tight anywhere around your head.

[Ana]

Ooo! A good reason to get new prescription sunglasses is even more fabulous

I really do need to get my eyes checked....I wonder if it is my sunglasses. They aren't specifically for cycling.. I love the Specialized demo on their sunglasses--it almost caused me to impulsively purchase a pair even though I don't have contacts and need a new prescription!

[aicabsolut]

The sensitivity to light part makes it sound to me like it is some migraine variant. Some people do get exercise-induced migraine. After you get your eyes checked, you may want to see a neurologist, particularly if you have any history of more classic migraines.

[BethG]

Any recommendations for a drink? I hate drinking the high-sugar, corn syrupy stuff

A low-tech solution might be to eat your crackers (or something salty - salted almonds, pretzels) BEFORE you start riding, and have a few similar snacks during your ride.

But given your symptoms, they do sound like migraines (I've gotten exercise-induced migraines after strenous hikes in hot weather), so like aicabsolut, I think you might want to talk to a doctor or neurologist. In my experience, migraines can also be triggered/aggravated i by fluid imbalance and eye strain, so the advice about good sun/glasses and electrolytes is certainly worth looking in to whether or not migraines are involved.

Another thought - my migraines are often accompanied at onset by stiffness and discomfort in my shoulders and neck. I honestly don't know if that's cause or effect, but you feel anything similar while riding, maybe you should check the fit of your bike to see if it's putting too much strain on your neck and shoulders.

[ny biker]

re: sports drinks with less/no corn syrup, you can make your own. I found these recipes online:

Isotonic: for the average athlete. Mix 200 mL of frozen orange juice concentrate with one liter of water and a pinch of salt.

Hypotonic: for athletes with low perspiration levels, like jockeys and gymnasts. Same as above, but use 100 mL of concentrate.

Hypertonic: for athletes like long-distance runners who need extra carbohydrates and electrolytes. Same as above, but use 400 mL of frozen orange juice.

Plus the ones on this site. They're all pretty similar.

http://www.roadcycler.com/2006/08/sc...-sports-drink/

Also I have Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook at home so later I can check and see if she has a recipe.

[bluebug32]

Or you could try adding Elete drops to your water. It's pretty inexpensive and a good way to stay on top of your electrolytes. If you sweat a lot or it's hot outside, you're definitely going to need salt in your system before the two hour mark.

I used to get horrible headaches that were worsened by the sun and/or exercise. In the end, they ended up being tension related, but were so painful I didn't want to do anything at times. Do you get these headaches at any other times? In my experience, poor bike fit or weak upper body muscles can cause headaches on the bike, but generally you will feel where the trigger point is (neck or shoulders usually) and what muscle is unhappy, not just a headache.

[indigoiis]

How do you wear your hair under your helmet? I found a loose ponytail stopped headaches I was getting while wearing a french braid or tight ponytails.

Also, a lot of times, even though we are exercizing, we forget to breathe deeply.

[Ana]

Thanks for all of your input!

I love TE

You guys are awesome.