Training & Nutrition - My blood pressure crapped out last ride

Last Saturday, I did a 50 mile ride at a pretty hard pace for a fat boy while doing some last minute training for my first Metric Century this weekend. When I got home I felt like total crap. After a shower, I checked my blood pressure and it was 87/44. Exactly what happened to me? Is this a bonk? I mean I could have kept going longer but for the mo0st part I was getting to be "toast". Is there anything I should have done different? I had a Clif Bar about halfway through the 3 hour ride and I drank a total of 24 ounces Gatoraid, 20 ounces Diet Coke and 24 ounces water on the ride.

Bonking is like loosing the will to live. It's really hard to turn the cranks over, and you may find it hard to ride more than 12MPH. You would really like to get off the bike and just lie down. And you may be very hungry. Bonk usually comes on fast - in 5 minutes, you can go from feeling pretty good to bad.

If you felt like you could go on more - and were willing to consider the notion, then my guess is that you wouldn't bonk.

I don't think there's anything in your food or drink that would cause it. There's an article which says:

Low blood pressure can be caused by certain medications or treatable diseases. If you have symptoms of low blood pressure, such as dizziness, weakness, and fatigue, you should be sure to talk with your doctor about other possible causes.

Sounds to me like a trip to the doctor is in order.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/low_bp.htm

What is your normal resting BP?

Did you have any other symptoms, blurred vision, dizziness etc...?

Do you know how long your BP took to return to normal values?

Was it really hot the day you were riding, and did you sweat a ton? You may have not consumed enough liquids, or consumed the wrong types.

You may have not consumed enough calories. Did you eat before the ride, and immediately after?

Have you done a ride of this length before, and did you approach it the same way? What were the results?

It sounds like you did not take in that many calories for a 3-hour ride; as well you may have waited to long to start eating on the ride.

Maybe dehydration? Lower blood volume might result in lower blood pressure. Just a guess, but consider that blood pressure varies considerably and I wouldn't normally put much stock in a measurement taken very soon after a long period of elevated heart rate.

Feeling "like total crap" after a long hard ride is not an unusual reaction - unless "total crap" includes expensive feelings like chest pain, numbness down the side of your body, slurred speech, loss on consciousness, etc.

Of course, if you are concerned about what you experienced, then you should stop exercising until you can consult with a doctor. You can't diagnose "total crap" over the internet. Seriously. It's your life.

Assuming all is OK, you might try slowing down a bit for your metric century. Your not going to beat the fast guys anyway, so relax and enjoy the scenery. Set a bad time on the first one so you can beat it on the second.

Sounds like an electrolyte
imbalance to me and this
could be serious. About
3 years ago I started bonking
on rides where I sweated too
much and found after going to
the doctor that I had a RARE
condition where my body would
NOT retain enough sodium. I think
it is called HYPONUTREMIA. (close
anyway) and can lead to dizzyness,
seizures and DEATH.

I had to get off my diruetics
for BP and get on something
else. I now watch to get enough
salt and always replenish when I
am on long rides by eating something
a bit salty and then a banana for the
potassium.

Like some other posters have suggested,
it sounds like a trip to the doctor would
be wise.

Yeah, many people have died from hyponatremia. Gatorade only has 50% of the electrolytes needed for sufficient replenishment, add some e-caps or some other electrolyte supplements. I find mixing my own Gatorade from powder at double-strength yields the proper carbohydrate and electrolyte concentration for the 18-22oz per hour of water-consumption; about 250 cal/hr and 600-700mg sodium. Although you actually can actually sweat away 1000mg sodium/hr.

However that strong of a Gatorade mix is way too sweet for my taste, so I use Cytomax. Just one large 24-oz bottle though, then the rest of the nutrition comes in as solid regular foods.