Biking in the HEAT

[mimitabby]

LadyJai
you have actually had this stuff happen to you? that's really scary stuff.
Sounds like when it happens you are still alert enough to notice the changes!
I guess folks like me who live in cool climates are really at danger because we've never gone through any of this stuff before!

I've experienced minor heat exhaustion(?) several times. once was more then just minor. some things i've learned to look for in my body:

-excessive sweating or not as much sweating. pay attention to yourself, with riding the bike, we have a self generated fan which can evaporate sweat. depending on your humidity levels and personal sweatiness you can figure out what is normal. as it gets hotter, there will be more sweat. slow down and do major climbs, more sweat.
-Sudden change in sweat levels. this goes hand in hand with the above. but if you notice you're drenching the ground and 15 minutes later, your skin is bone dry. stop, get off the bike and into shade, and chilled water! i've never had this happen on the bike, but I know if i have no more sweat, I've now in heat stroke territory. Unless i never got sweaty, I better be sweating!
My question if I notice my arms dry up, am i sweating anywhere? (my face, upper lip is the last to go i think) If I am, then i know I'm still 'ok'. i still need to stop, get out of the sun, get something cold and take a breather, cool off, and take it easier when i get back on the road.
-chills. If it's hot out and a breeze hits you and you chill - this is a major warning sign. a cool breeze feels lovely on sweat, but if you feel cold, warning sign activated. i have to cut my effort, and immediately start chugging water - cold if possible. if not cold, find a gas station and get cold. The next step for me after chills is to begin to stop sweating, so getting to where I'm still sweaty but not cold is a good idea.
-goosebumps. no chills here, just goosebumps on the arms or legs. the skin may be dry or not. for me, a sign of insufficient electrolytes.
-headache. If i've let it go this far, bad girl... for me headaches are a sign of dehydration. if i am moderately active, and do not do any major increases of water intake, I found it took 3 days to induce dizziness and vertigo(it happened once and never again!). being more active and in the heat, I could imagine it would be a matter of hours before i got to that level of dehydration.

those are my warning signs. My fixes have been simple: I slow down, increase fluids(chilled prefered), make sure that i'm getting plenty of electrolytes. and take advantage of shade for any stops. (an AC building would be smart, but....)

You will probably have some different elements, but these can be a starting ground. read about heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and be aware of any of those symptoms.

[SouthernBelle]

One slightly strange thing I do is to tie a couple of bandanas to my handlebars. They're good for swabbing off, tying around your head to keep sweat out of your eyes, wetting and tying around your head or neck to cool down.

Saturday I would have had to stop and cool down longer because of salty sweat running in my eyes. Just tied on a head wrap and continued on.

Plus if you get different colors they are very festive.

[li10up]

In the summer here in Texas we'll string a lot of 100+ days back-to-back. Only thing I can think to add is wrap up some ice cubes in a bandana and tie loosely around your neck with the ice on the back of your neck or upper back. The ice will melt and help keep you cool. Refill from your Camelbak if you carry one or a convenience store.

[caligurl]

unless you ride EARLY in the morning... it's going to be HOT here.... since i work.... i ride mon-fri after work.... and it's almost always WELL OVER 100 degrees by then, in the summer! since i live here... i'm acclimated to it....

i make sure to take plenty of ICE water in my polar bottles (longer rides rate the camelback filled with ice and water!)

[bikerchick68]

don't forget to replace your salt... you'll be sweating heavily so that's an issue too... I think most of the elctrolyte drinks help with it... and after listening to the advice of my brother I have found that Ecaps are helpful... small, so they're easy to get in even if you've drank so much you're full... which happens to me on century rides...

I do NOT do well in the heat, at all... it's a challenge for me every year. we stay over 105 for a couple weeks every summer... I just HAVE to ride slower and not push...

[bcipam]

I'm bad in the heat. It gets hot (over 85) I go inside to spin classes. Yes I admit I am a wimp!

[residentgeek]

It's been hot AND humid here in Missouri for the last few weeks. The problem with high humidity (80%+) is if you get your jersey wet to cool you off, it never dries out

A trick I learned at hockey camp last year was diluting Gatorade. Fill your bottle halfway with Gatorade (or whatever other sports drink you want), then fill the rest with cold water and shake. Supposedly, this helps keep you from getting a really high electrolyte burst and then crashing when it wears out. Something about keeping the levels steady. All I know is I don't get loopy as quickly, nor do I get an upset stomach like I do on full-strength Gatorade. I've found that Gatorade powder works better for this, and doesn't taste as nasty - just use half or 3/4 of the recommended scoops instead.

Also, to beat the humidity, I would take an extra jersey or wicking t-shirt and change halfway through the ride (on a long ride, anyway). Less to evaporate out of the shirt means more that it will evaporate off your skin and keep you cooler.

[HELLY]

LadyJai, Jones, and everyone else that posted to this thread: THANK YOU!!

I've increased my water intake by quite a bit since yesterday and i've let it roll through today. I too am of the belief that my headaches were due to lack of water. I also picked up some Pedialyte from the pharmacy and started spiking my water with it. I can totally notice a difference.

As far as the bandana around the neck--BRILLIANT! All of these suggestions for staying cool and adapting to the heat are well received.

I can say in all honesty that I find this Forum engaging, supportive and encouraging. I send out positive vibes to every one of you

[ladyjai]

LadyJai
you have actually had this stuff happen to you? that's really scary stuff.
Sounds like when it happens you are still alert enough to notice the changes!
I guess folks like me who live in cool climates are really at danger because we've never gone through any of this stuff before!

yeah I have. Some of the 'milder' ones more often. the dryness of the air doesn't help any. the fact i can recognize it makes me wonder if it is not as bad as it sounds, but no reason to take chances I'll just say my thank-yous where they're due



you're welcome Helly, happy riding!