Heat injuries and food

[ny biker]

Do you usually ride 40 miles with no food except a banana? I'd be on my knees crying from a bonk if I tried that, regardless of the weather or what I'd had for breakfast.

I usually cannot tolerate solid food while I ride. I alternate bottles of Gatorade with bottles of water, and eat 200-300 calories worth of sports gels and chews per hour.

Usually if I'm low on calories during a ride I'll start to feel shaky (and very cranky). But in general, when I'm not riding or exercising, I'll feel nauseated if I'm having a blood sugar crash due to lack of food, such as if I wait too long after waking up to have breakfast.

[Crankin]

I also keep Shot Blocks in my bag, knowing that they give me a huge sugar rush very quickly. I don't like chewing them and don't use them regularly, but I have, on occasions, used them always at the same spots near the end of very hilly 40-60 mile rides.

[malkin]

I hope you feel better soon.
For me it helps to make sure I am topped off from the night before too.

[Melalvai]

I'm trying to go no-sugar. (It doesn't help that my daughter is on a baking kick and made delicious cheesecake-cookies just now.) Well, if I'm going to eat sugar, it's going to be yummy stuff, not a coke or gatorade or ew, shot blocks. I don't really think it was the calories I needed. I think it was salt (electrolytes). V8 does really well for me at restoring salt. I haven't tried Nuun or Cytomax.

nybiker, since I stopped eating sugar (mostly), I can handle having a late breakfast. It's still my favorite meal of the day and I eat most of my food from breakfast to lunch, but I will usually go for a run or swim before breakfast with no problems.

[indysteel]

V8 covers salt loss, but I'm not confident that it addresses the other electrolytes that you need to replenish--potassium, magnesium and calcium. Since you're trying to go sugar free, Nuun tablets seem like a good option.

[azfiddle]

Melavai

So sorry you had the heat exhaustion!!

A couple of general rules that my DH and I use-

Drink every time you think about it. My DHdrinks a lot more than I do, but after 85 degrees, I go through a lot more water than when it is cooler.

Eat at least 200 calories per hour if the ride is going to be longer than 1 1/2 hours/20 miles. This is advice we've gotten from the Carmichael coaches, and has served us well on long rides and events, especially. Your body stores enough glycogen for about an hour and a half, then you are running on empty.

Use electrolytes!
I actually like shot blocks.... I eat them on many of my rides.
I use NUUN sometimes, I like the fizziness. My DH doesn't like the artificial sweetener.
I like GU Brew lemon flavor - it's got calories and electrolytes both, and seems lighter than something like Gatorade

My DH likes endurolytes for electrolytes. He is susceptible to cramps and thinks it helps him.

I really can't ride much if it's hot, especially if it's humid- so in summer in Tucson I need to finish my rides by 8-9 am. I have had several experiences with heat exhaustion, feeling faint, and have to find some kind of shade (not always easy in Arizona!!) and pour water over my head, sometimes need to lie down. I have only needed to be rescued once, but now I plan my hot weather rides to avoid the conditions that have gotten me in trouble.

We stop at Circle K stores, Quick Marts etc and fill our bottles with lots of ice and a little water. They don't seem to mind, although we do often buy a little item or two.

[Shaula]

Well, I am not alone!!!! Thanks for the response and the advise. I feel so stupid because I am the one that preaches to my daughters about fueling up and here I go!!!!!! I guess when you turn 50 you don't get smarter???? LOL

[Owlie]

I get the Shot blocks that have extra salt (I think they're the margarita flavor) since my diet isn't terribly high-salt and I seem to lose more of it than normal people. 40 miles is about the point where I need additional real food too.

If it's really warm, I take the Camelbak and fill up the second bottle with diluted Gatorade. I like the sound of Gu Brew, though.