Dealing with the heat

[OakLeaf]

How much water you need depends totally on your sweat rate, which varies a LOT from person to person. The best way to know if you're drinking as much as you're sweating is to weigh yourself before and after your ride. "A pint's a pound, the world around" - every pound in the difference in your weights is a pint of water that you need(ed) to replace. Of course that doesn't address how well hydrated you were before you weighed yourself the first time - but it's at least a way to know what you lost during your ride. It's good that you're keeping track of how much you're drinking, too - that will help you figure it out.

Re: sodium - actually, sodium helps you retain water. When I get hyponatremic (which I do very easily if I'm not careful) I pee like crazy. It's my body's way of trying to increase the concentration of sodium in my blood ... but of course, the result is that I get dehydrated on top of hyponatremic. Any more, I usually figure it out pretty quickly... but I still get caught out once in a while.

[indysteel]

Granted, I'm a camel, but seventy-five ounces in two hours is a lot. I'd suggest that you may have potentially had a bit too much fluid, even in this heat. Google hyponatemia for information on drinking too much water. Now that's an extreme condition, but short of that, you might experience cramping and stomach upset if you drink too much. It's a fine balance.

[OakLeaf]

... For you, it's a lot - for me, in that kind of heat and humidity, it would probably be spot on. I sweat a liter an hour when it's 75° out.

IMO, the best way to avoid hyponatremia is NOT to avoid drinking water when you need it - it's to replace electrolytes along with water.

Especially when someone's acclimating to the heat. Part of heat acclimation is that the sweat glands spare more sodium. Another part is that you learn to sweat more. So the better acclimated you are, in general, the more water and the less electrolytes you need. But still, everyone sweats at a different rate.

[Catrin]

How much water you need depends totally on your sweat rate, which varies a LOT from person to person. The best way to know if you're drinking as much as you're sweating is to weigh yourself before and after your ride. "A pint's a pound, the world around" - every pound in the difference in your weights is a pint of water that you need(ed) to replace. Of course that doesn't address how well hydrated you were before you weighed yourself the first time - but it's at least a way to know what you lost during your ride. It's good that you're keeping track of how much you're drinking, too - that will help you figure it out.

Re: sodium - actually, sodium helps you retain water. When I get hyponatremic (which I do very easily if I'm not careful) I pee like crazy. It's my body's way of trying to increase the concentration of sodium in my blood ... but of course, the result is that I get dehydrated on top of hyponatremic. Any more, I usually figure it out pretty quickly... but I still get caught out once in a while.

This is a good idea - and I've been needing to replace that broken scale anyway - don't ask me how long it's been broken That is what the scales at the gym are for! I need to also check out the electrolytes part of the equation...

Granted, I'm a camel, but seventy-five ounces in two hours is a lot. I'd suggest that you may have potentially had a bit too much fluid, even in this heat. Google hyponatemia for information on drinking too much water. Now that's an extreme condition, but short of that, you might experience cramping and stomach upset if you drink too much. It's a fine balance.

I suspect that my original estimate was off...but your point is well made. I was trying to not get dehydrated and may well have over-done it. Regardless I still had fun though

Thankfully am riding tomorrow morning as my last day of vacation - 75 degrees

[Blueberry]

The local Performance is having a huge tent sale this weekend so am going to see if they have them on sale.

REI has all camelbak's on sale through 5/31 - 25 % off IIRC.

[indysteel]

This is a good idea - and I've been needing to replace that broken scale anyway - don't ask me how long it's been broken That is what the scales at the gym are for! I need to also check out the electrolytes part of the equation...




I suspect that my original estimate was off...but your point is well made. I was trying to not get dehydrated and may well have over-done it. Regardless I still had fun though

Thankfully am riding tomorrow morning as my last day of vacation - 75 degrees

Listen to Oakleaf. Like I said, I'm a camel. I just don't sweat that much and my hydration needs are a little lower as a result. I also focus on hydrating the night and morning before a ride. I just wanted to at least mention that there is such a thing as over-hydration.

[chickabonita]

I live in southern cali, and it gets very very hot here. I have gotten so overheated on the trail I've been physically ill and nearly passed out. I agree early mornings are better then evenings (both are better then the heat of the day), but if you know you are heading out when it's hot keep your neck cool. Keeping all those main veins cool will make a big difference. I take a bandana, soak it in water and losely tie it around my neck before heading out. Between that and resting frequently and drinking lots of water you should be ok. I have asthma too but it's such a dry heat here it's hasn't been too much of a problem for me. Good luck.

[nolemom]

I live in central Florida and it is very hot and humid a good part of the year. I sweat very heavily and find I cannot stay hydrated with just Cytomax and gels, bars, etc. on long rides. Most of us who ride in this area, also use Hammer endurolytes either as a powder added to our drink mix or as a capsule. It definitely has helped make my rides more comfortable.

[Catrin]

I live in central Florida and it is very hot and humid a good part of the year. I sweat very heavily and find I cannot stay hydrated with just Cytomax and gels, bars, etc. on long rides. Most of us who ride in this area, also use Hammer endurolytes either as a powder added to our drink mix or as a capsule. It definitely has helped make my rides more comfortable.

I experimented with Hammer endurolytes today (the capsule) and felt much better at the end of my ride. Yesterday I stopped sweating, and I knew that I was drinking enough... It is nice that my LBS sells little packages of Endurolyte capsules so you can try it without springing for a large bottle of them.

[Geonz]

Yesterday in Illinois I definitely came in weighing less, and I'd drunk a lot and I don't sweat that much. I think slowing it down is important - I didn't do that for assorted reasons like thunderstorms erupting around us, so i think that's why I ended up with the beginnings of heat exhaustion... going to replenish my "emergency gu" packs that I used up at the poorly marked Lions Club ride...

[tiva]

I am so heat intolerant! I deal with it by going for a swim or heading up north to Lake Superior. Driving up yesterday, it was 93 most of the drive from Madison all the way to the Bad River Indian Reservation. Then we got to the big lake, and it dropped 30 degrees, down to 63, in a mile and a half. By the time we got to our cabin, it was 53. That I could deal with!

[OakLeaf]

I've read some things lately about pre-cooling the body before tackling the heat. Drink a smoothie with lots of crushed ice, e.g.

I haven't tried that, but I do remember way back when I was a kid working building and grounds maintenance, if I went for an early morning swim I stayed cool through the whole hot summer workday.

[Catrin]

Yesterday I got SO hot on my ride, but I didn't want to cut it short. I had been kicking myself for forgetting to put Cytomax in my water bottle - but then I realized that meant I could pour the water on my head - and did so. It was wonderfully refreshing!

Today I planned for it - I did put Cytomax in my water bottle, but put a small bottle of frozen water in my jersey pocket - it took longer to overheat today even though it was warmer, but the feel of that ice water on my head was wonderful! Actually it was too cold so I couldn't pour the entire bottle but I did use half of it this way. I was much cooler for the remaining 30 minutes of my ride. I've read of others doing this here, but had no idea it would make such a difference!

I am sold on having my Camelbak and two other bottles now - which will be easier when I get my LHT back because it has more room for bottles I am thinking, however, that I need a larger Camelbak for longer rides - that 50 ounces seems to last me only a little over 2 hours - which would be about right from what I have read.

[Miranda]

Here's old thread of mine about carrying water...

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ighlight=water

REI has these things on sale...

http://www.rei.com/product/795871

http://www.rei.com/product/799552

I also own this (comes also in seat post clamp if not carbon post)...

http://www.rei.com/product/768770

The way I can carry two full size water bottle on my smaller frame 49cm road bike is with side loader cages... awesome...

http://www.arundelbike.com/Sideloader.html

I can't stand to drink anything flavored, so Cliff Shot Blocks work great for me... like gummi bears, yummy way to get lytes... margarita flavor has x 3 sodium...

http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/

Last... if you try to plan your route with a gas station for stops to buy some more water that helps too.

My asthma action plan w/my doc is use albuterol inhailer 15mins prior... plus bunch other stuff... and I'm with IndySteele... nights are the hottest imo.... midwest girl here too, btw... ugh on our humidity!

[Catrin]

Here's old thread of mine about carrying water...

!

Thanks for all of the information! My bike doesn't have room for anything on the seat post (would have to lose my seat bag)...really my only options are the Camelbak, a bottle in the cage, and a smaller one in my jersey pocket if needed. This works for me though

My OTHER bike, soon to come out of the shop, has three water cages - though I will likely still use the 'Bac as it works for me....