Training & Nutrition - Help! I passed out while riding.

Hello all. I have a problem I hope the combined wisdom of this forum can help me with. I went for a ride last Sunday, planning on going 45 miles or so (a fairly long way for me. I’ve been doing daily 15 mile or so rides for 6 or 7 months, with about a once a week 35 or 40 mile ride for the last month). About 2 hours before the ride I ate about 1.5 cups of a noodle and broccoli mix, and immediately before beginning I ate 2 Fig Newtons. Also before the ride I drank about 1.5 quarts of water (in about 3 hours).

I took off and made it to the town that was my destination without incident. During this 25 mile period (about 1.5 hours) I drank about 50 ozs of a 70/30 Gatorade/water mix. I stopped at a store and ate a bag of pretzels and a Power Bar, drank about 20 more ozs of water and took off.

During the next 45 minutes (10 miles or so) I at first felt fine, but began to struggle after a while. I became tired and winded with little energy. After a short but steep climb at mile 35, I was so tired that I pulled off to the side of the highway to recuperate for a second (and refill my bottle. I had drank about another 30 ozs of the Gatorade mix in the last 45 mins). As soon as I stopped I began to feel nauseous (never happens to me). The nausea came and went a few times, then finally I was sure I was going to spew, so I leaned over my bike and waited for the inevitable. I also became shaky and dizzy during this time. I leaned over for about 30 seconds, and came to on the ground lying face down on top of my bike! I was only out the time it took to fall down, but it took me about 30 seconds of trying to get back up. More dizziness and shaking and feeling cold when I got up finally. I was feeling kind of wobbly and it was a narrow, fast highway, so I decided not to risk it and called for a ride back home. While sitting and waiting for my ride, I at a Fig Newton and drank more Gato-Water and began to feel slightly better. When I got home I took my blood sugar and it was 290! I was riding on average around 15 mph or so and not really pushing myself real hard.

As a bit of background info to this, I am a recovering diabetic. My sugar has been in control mostly for the last 6 months and runs in the 70-120 range (down from the 300-400 range). I weigh 282 lbs (down from 370 lbs 6 months ago). I ride daily and am in fairly good shape. I feel I drank plenty (the day was in the high 80s with high humidity and I always sweat profusely), and I feel I ate about the right amount. I don’t think I bonked due to the fact that my BS was so high post ride. I also didn’t think I was dehydrated, but I had been home after this incident for about 3 hours, during which time I drank about 6 or 7 20 oz bottles of water, before I urinated. My urine at this time was very yellow.

Please help me, because I’m afraid this will destroy my confidence to attempt longer rides in the future. I have only been able to ride long distances for a few months now and love it dearly, but this worries me greatly. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Was it a really hot day? Sounds like you were pounding the sugary drinks pretty hard. 48 oz. (1.5 qt)+ 50 oz. + 20 oz. + 30 oz. = 148 ounces. Dude, that's a lot of fluids. I've gone through that much on a 100-mile ride, but never on a 45-miler.

Was it a really hot day? Sounds like you were pounding the sugary drinks pretty hard. 48 oz. (1.5 qt)+ 50 oz. + 20 oz. + 30 oz. = 148 ounces. Dude, that's a lot of fluids. I've gone through that much on a 100-mile ride, but never on a 45-miler.

I agree with Dr. Moto. Sounds like you had A LOT of fluids! I don't know the first thing about diabetes but would having high blood sugar do that to you? If diabetes wasn't involved, I would guess that you had too much fluid. I know that when I drink a lot of fluids I can feel weak on a ride. It's strange that your urine was really yellow (which would seem to indicate that you are either heavily vitamined or dehydrated.) Either way, I would go see a doctor and ask him/her. Let us know what your conclusion is.

One last thing, it could have always just been a really bad day so don't let it get you down. When you feel up to it, try it again.

Q

First of all, congrats on your dramatic weight loss and working to improve your health.

Since you write that you're a "recovering diabestic" and because of your weight, I assume you're Type 2. Passing out usually comes from hypoglycemia, which might be from overdoing it a little on the excercise, though that doesn't match the other evidence (high BS afterwards, lots and lots of carbs ingested pre- and during the ride), but I don't know anything about the condition of your pancreas or what medications you take. I'd talk to your endrocrinologist about this.

RFM

I'm not sure there is a "recovering diabetic." My understanding is that you either are a diabetic or you aren't. In any event, the advice you seek should come from a medical professional, not friendly, well intentioned members of an informal discussion forum.

Already said...I think you were really drinking a lot. And still....if you sugar was that high when you checked it when you got home then my guess is that it was sugar related. Maybe you have lost so much weight that your medicine isn't controlling it now.....when is the last time you had an A1C test?

I would never drink that much Gatorade and other additive drinks, especially on a hot day. My opinion is that you were overheating, and ingested too much sugar and whatever else is in them, which threw your blood sugar off. Not to mention the quantity of liquid itself was very high. One thing about those drinks is they can make you thirstier so you drink even more. Next time I would try hydrating with mostly plain water, with a mixture of Gatorade once in a while for electolyte replacement.

Also make sure you are going at a very easy, slow pace in that kind of heat - it is hard for the body to cool down in those conditions (high heat AND humidity) and your symptoms sound consistent with heat stroke. Seek shade periodically. I experienced it while distance running on a very hot day in Sacramento one summer, and also remember feeling chilled, among other symptoms.

Did you monitor your blood glucose on that ride? It could've been too high or too low, both of which would have given you the nausea and fainting spell. Rather than sugary drinks, try for more complex carbs like Powerbars, gels.

That happens to me once, I went for a mountain bike ride on a sunday, and after making conclusions why did it happens, i found out a lot of reasons, it was the first time that happens to me, i have never passed out while riding before.. I started riding arround 12:00pm with my brother, I drank accelerade like 20oz, I live iN miami, That day was really HOT, arround 100 F, and water as well, We were riding pretty fast and then we make a stop, i get out of the bike to drink more water. and I began to feel nauseous, and dizzy, I was sweating a lot, really i have never seen that before, I leaned in a tree and then i wake up in the flloor, With some help i got up and went back home, ANd i star thinking what went wrong, Well FIrst MY breakfast was Orange Juice, and cereal, Mayve not enough, i only slept for 6 hours and the day was really hot,,... SO next time i went, i sleep Enough i ate enough. and i didnt have any problems at all, I was so scare that day....

First, I want to thank everyone for all the great advice. I am tending to think that maybe the gatorade is too much sugar. The next time I try this ride (in about a week) I am drinking strictly water.

I still have a hard time believing that I am drinking too much. Even drinking this much, I still go 7 hours or more without urinating, and when I do it is a dark yellow. A couple weeks ago I went for a 40 mile ride in the next county over. It is non-glaciated (?) land with lots of hills. Probably 25 or 30 miles of this ride is either up or downhill, and combine that with my 282 lbs and my outdated tank of a bike, I was a hard working man. I only drank about 2.5 quarts of water on this ride, and it was very hot (low-mid 90's). By the time I finally urinated, probably 9 or 10 hours passed, and it was dark yellow. The next day I fely like crap. Hung over feeling like I understand to be one of the symtoms of dehydration. I can't emphasize how much I sweat. I'm talking about a drip every second off of my head during a casual pace (15-16 mph) and a near solid stream occasionaly during heavy exertion. My shirt will be completely saturated over 90% of its surface in just 1 1/2 hours or so in 80 degree temparatures.

As far as my blood sugar goes, it is always high after a ride. Sometimes I'll go for a ride in the morning before I eat anything ,and my sugar will be in the 90-100 area, and when I'm done riding about 1 1/2 hours later it'l be 200 sometimes! Without eating anything! Then I'll eat a baked potato or pasta and it will drop down in the 70's or sometimes 60's an hour and a half later. I told my doctor about this and he was perplexed and had no suggestions.

I am on Glucovance. I used to take 4 5/500 mg tablets daily with sugar readings usually in the 300-400 range. Now I take one of the 5/500 mg tablets a day and still get hypoglycemic occasionally after a larger, high carb meal. It's very bizzare.

Anyhow, thanks again to all who replied. You all were quite helpful, and I'll report back after my next longish ride. This has never happened before and maybe it won't happen again.

To help with the sweating issue, and cooling I would suggest a cycling jersey or other type of shirt that wicks moisture. While it won't reduce the amount of sweat you are producing by much if at all, it will go farther in keeping you cool. My father is Type 2 diabetic and it sounds like your blood sugar was crashing due to the large amount of sugars you had been consuming. It went high on the Gatorade, then crashed during the lull in consumption causing the dizzy/fainting spell. The other possibility was it just kept going up till you fainted. Either way, Gatorade (esp that which is pre-mixed and purchased in the bottle) has a lot of refined sugars. Look for drinks with more complex carbs in them, I use the Power Bar brand stuff, and mix it half strength. More water, few carbs and salts for consistant consumption. My two cents and such, hope it helps.

Frankie-

It's heartbreaking to hear your struggle but so wonderful to learn how dedicated you are to getting your diabetes under control and weight down so rapidly. Don't let these recent setbacks stop you from your healthy efforts. I'm the wife of a member of this bike forum - my husband brought your postings to my attention. I'm a registered dietitian and would strongly urge you to seek the counsel of a sports dietitian. Unlike physicians, sports dietitans are trained to evaluate nutrition before, during and after exercise; exercise regimens; and (most importantly) personal medical histories for conditions like yours that affect all of the above.

You can easily locate a sports dietitian. Visit www.eatright.org and enter your zip code to locate a sports nutritionist in your area. I think you would benefit from a face-to-face meeting to help sort out your fluid needs, pre-cycling diet, and blood sugars. A sports dietitian may be able to provide the specific advice that your endocrinologist couldn't.

Margo

do you realize all those things you ate are very high in simple carbs?
pretzels
pasta (unless it was whole wheat)
fig newtons
powerbar (the main ingredient if High Fructose Corn Syrup).\

I'm not sure why you couldn't make it very far though. I did over 26 miles (usually I'm around that mileage) with nothing but a bottle of water X 2 Then again I'm not nor have I ever been a diabetic

Something I didn't see anyone mention was the fact that you were bent over your bike (thinking you were gonna spew...) when you passed out. I am not good enough with science to explain this in detail for you but it is something we repeated many times in the Army while stretching after a good workout - keep your head above your heart. You had a lot of blood pumping at the time and you made too much go to your head - no big deal you will live.

Something I didn't see anyone mention was the fact that you were bent over your bike (thinking you were gonna spew...) when you passed out. I am not good enough with science to explain this in detail for you but it is something we repeated many times in the Army while stretching after a good workout - keep your head above your heart. You had a lot of blood pumping at the time and you made too much go to your head - no big deal you will live.
very good point. Sometimes bending over and coming back up fast can cause you to pass out as well.

By the time I finally urinated, probably 9 or 10 hours passed, and it was dark yellow

To me, this is the most disturbing statement you made.

After drinking all that fluid, this is a rather disturbing development, which may indicate a kidney problem of some sort. I really think you need to bring this to the attention of your doc.

I recently had a contrast-dye CT Scan, in which they had to use a double dose. I stopped urinating and what I did was extremely dark, causing concern toa ll, so much that I was catheterized.

Please have this checked out by a knowledgeable medical professional.

Your urine should have been almost clear.