Hot Riding preparation

[Melalvai]

I read an article about the physiology of adapting to heat. It involves an increase in your blood volume-- to compensate for the blood being shunted to the periphery which is part of the cooling mechanism. In very athletic people it's a matter of days, otherwise it can be weeks.

Loading up on the water might do more harm because you dilute sodium & potassium. I don't know if shot blocks have potassium and might not have enough sodium for the rides you are doing.

I was very upset Monday night. After 60-80 miles a day for Bike Across Kansas, I came home and tried to do a one-hour evening ride. I nearly throw up. We didn't actually have much heat last week in Kansas, oddly enough.

[Catrin]

I read an article about the physiology of adapting to heat. It involves an increase in your blood volume-- to compensate for the blood being shunted to the periphery which is part of the cooling mechanism. In very athletic people it's a matter of days, otherwise it can be weeks.

Loading up on the water might do more harm because you dilute sodium & potassium. I don't know if shot blocks have potassium and might not have enough sodium for the rides you are doing.

I was very upset Monday night. After 60-80 miles a day for Bike Across Kansas, I came home and tried to do a one-hour evening ride. I nearly throw up. We didn't actually have much heat last week in Kansas, oddly enough.

I think I read the same article and that makes sense. I've certainly ridden longer distances in recent weeks in similar temps - though for those rides the temps were rapidly rising, it wasn't already at the high point for the day. While I got hot on those rides, I didn't get sick to my stomach. Shot blocks do have potassium (I am pretty sure at least, and the Hammer Heed does) and I had the Margarita blocks which have double the sodium of the regular blocks.

Good food for thought, every season is a learning experience! Thankfully I hope to be on the trails this weekend, it is so much more comfortable to be in the woods when it is hot

[BikeDutchess]

I read an article about the physiology of adapting to heat. It involves an increase in your blood volume-- to compensate for the blood being shunted to the periphery which is part of the cooling mechanism. In very athletic people it's a matter of days, otherwise it can be weeks.

If anyone has a link to that article I would love to read it.

I always have a very difficult time with the heat. Went on a club ride this morning in what I'm sure was 90+ degree weather (at least towards the end) and my jersey basically stayed dry because any sweat immediately evaporated (I knew I was sweating because my face tasted very salty). It was so dry and windy it felt like riding in an oven. As we were nearing the end of the ride I noticed my heart rate was hovering in zone 5 and just wouldn't come down, even though it was a flat ride with lots of tailwind in the 2nd half. I'm sure all the soot in the air from the fires wasn't helping either. I was squirting water on me to try & cool down, and finally cried uncle when we got back to the starting point - asked hubby to come get me so I wouldn't have to climb the hill to get home. If I lived in a humid climate I don't know that I would be riding at all.