Heat injuries and food

[Melalvai]

I went for a 40 mile ride today. It's pretty warm. I ate a solid breakfast (my usual 2 eggs + toast on a bed of lettuce). I brought a banana and 2 bottles of water.

When the 2 bottles were empty I stopped at a house and asked for water. He had a filter spigot. I ate the banana.

We stopped at the top of a hill. I had 1/2 a bottle left. I drank some of it and poured the rest over myself. I knocked on the door of the house and asked for a refill. She gave me ice. I was very hungry.

Only a few miles to go. I was weak and faint with hunger. I wasn't very thirsty. I drank a little and poured more water on myself. That helped.

The other 2 riders turned off. Only 2 miles left. I felt so weak. Suddenly I went from weak and hungry to "OMG I'm going to throw up". I pulled over and leaned my bike up against a tree. I sat down. I waited for the nausea to pass. And the dizziness.

I waited. And I waited. I was next to the parking lot of an urgent care clinic... I wondered if I should call my husband to pick me up. That seemed silly, only one mile away.

Then a friend pulled up. He'd recognized my bike and stopped to say hi. Of course he gave me a ride home.

Sadly, my favorite part of the ride, eating non stop for hours, is ruined. Couple hour later now, at home, lying down in the cool, the nausea is gone and the dizziness mostly gone. But I'm only able to nibble.

Lesson: Water is not enough to prevent heat injury! Next time I'll pack more food.

[indysteel]

I'd add an electrolyte replacement to the list as well. When it's hot, one of my bottles is Cytomax. I carry some extra dry mix with me as well.

[Crankin]

Get some Nuun tablets. They come in a tube, fit in a small bike bag or jersey pocket, only have 5 calories, and are strictly electrolyte replacement. I hardly ever drink my calories on the bike, and prefer to eat real food or a Luna Bar while riding. If it's a long ride, I have one bottle of Nuun, one of plain water. Very rarely do I use Accelerade anymore.
Heat is a killer. You can get in trouble very quickly. I pre-hydrate if it is very hot.

[indysteel]

I don't really like drinking my calories either, but when it's really hot and humid, I find it challenging to eat enough. Plus, the more I drink, the less hungry I even feel. Of course, everyone is different though. It really takes some experimentation. I totally agree with prehydration. I make sure to start a hot ride well hydrated.

[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.

[Crankin]

I also will use my Camelbak along with bottles, if I am doing a very long, very hot ride.

[westtexas]

If you are going no-sugar, you might try coconut water. Actually, to be honest, I don't know it's sugar content, but it's natural and supposedly is chock full of electrolytes. I have considered getting some of this to keep in my bottles for long rides - but my problem is I just never know when I'm going to be on a long ride and never plan accordingly (I ride until I don't want to anymore, which could be 10 miles or 50).

If you are going low-sugar are you also going low-carb? I found when I first when low carb, having Luna bars on hand all the time was great. Now however (6 months in) I can have a cup of coffee, set off for a 50 mile ride with just water, and be fine when I get home. I often don't get hungry again for many many hours (6+ usually) and have not yet suffered any ill health effects. It just takes a little patience to reset the way your body fuels itself - I took it easy on my rides until I was sure my body was good enough at burning fat and not dependent on sugar to keep me going.

[Melalvai]

Not really low carb, mainly just watching my GI. If I do have sugar, I try to have it with fruit or something to lower the GI. I'll try coconut water. I'm training for Bike Across Kansas and I'm just going to guess that coconut water might be a little hard to find out there.

I looked at the label on the V8, and it has sodium, potassium, and calcium. The only thing missing is magnesium, and almonds have that. Looks like bananas have all of those too, not sure how much.