Training & Nutrition - headache after big effort

For about the last 4 or 5 weeks, every time I do anything over 3 or 4 hours I end up with a bad headache after I am finished. Ibuprofen seems to kick it fairly well. It doesn't seem so much related to effort but more so to duration, as it has happened after big effort + long rides and also with long slow recovery rides. Anybody ever dealt with this?

How much are you eating on and after longer rides? Are you drinking enough? Try increasing those two variables and see if you still have the headaches.

It's mild dehydration. The key here is to simply drink more fluids. I make a personal habit of drinking 5-10 litres of water/day. If you start a ride well hydrated, you'll fare better in avoiding the headaches and cramps.

It could be hydration, but I'm pretty careful to drink at least 20 ounces per hour or more. I rarely eat when I'm out riding, but on a long ride I do mix stuff in my water for the carbs (usually fruit juice). It's been awhile since I've been at this level but I know I would remember if I ever got headaches like these before. I'll try more carb intake, and maybe a little more hydration, especially before. I am bad about getting up, drinking a couple cups of coffee, then setting out for a ride. It's more than an occasional problem, it's happened every time I've done a long ride for about the last 5 or 6 weeks, usually once a week but this week I did two.

Thanks for the replies.

It could be hydration, but I'm pretty careful to drink at least 20 ounces per hour or more.

What you drink before and after your ride will have a bigger effect on hydration than what you drink during the ride. This is a common mistake that people who ride in warm climates make.

I'm guessing blood sugar. I can only go around 20 miles before I need to hit the sugars.

For a headache I would do more efort, but thatis just me.
Please don't think I am recommending this!!!

Jacob

Are you taking any supplements? Other then vitamins?
If you use any type of "upper", even coffee before a ride, they have a tendency to act as a mild diuretic(sp?) so you would need to drink more fluids to keep your self hydrated. If you have even one cup of coffee you should double or even triple you fluids while riding.

Also, creatine and other supplements have an effect on water retension/loss so if you are taking any thing such as that it could cause you to have problems.

As mentioned, eat right and drink enough and it should help. Remember that you also need to drink alot of fluids on the days you do not ride to keep your body hydrated. You can not not stay hydrated on off days and think that pounding down some fluids on the days you ride will work.

:beer:

Here is a good explanation of what to do if you believe it is because of dehydration

"Minimizing sweat losses
Preventing dehydration during exercise is preferable to treating dehydration post-exercise. To determine how much fluid your body needs, the best plan is to learn your sweat rate. Simply weigh yourself naked before and after an hour of hard exercise during which you drank no fluids. The weight loss reflects sweat loss. By learning your sweat rate under various conditions, you can then develop a schedule for drinking adequate fluids during exercise to minimize sweat losses and hasten recovery. A 2 lb. loss equals 32 ounces (1 quart). In the future, you should target drinking 8 ozs./15 minutes of exercise at that pace and under those climatic conditions.
Because most athletes voluntarily consume only half of what they need, they inevitably need to pay attention to post-exercise recovery fluids. For each pound lost, you should now target drinking 150% more than that during recovery. That is, if you lost 2 pounds during a workout, you should replace that loss with at least 3 pounds of fluids (48 ozs.) within 2 hours post-exercise. An alternative to counting ounces is to simply monitor your urine. You should be urinating every 2 to 4 hours post-exercise, and the urine should be pale yellow color (like lemonade), not dark (like beer).
What's best to drink for rapid recovery to prepare for the next tennis match or soccer game? Your best bet is fluids and/or foods that contain sodium. That is, if you are going to be consuming only fluids, a sports drink (with sodium) will do a better job of replacing sweat losses than will plain water, juice or soda pop. The sodium enhances fluid absorption and retention. Or, if you prefer sodium-free beverages, simply eat salty foods alongside, such as pretzels, crackers, pizza, or pasta with tomato sauce.

"What's best to drink for rapid recovery to prepare for the next tennis match or soccer game? "

What does tennis or soccer have to do with bicycling?

Jacob

Dude... eat something. After 60-90 minutes I'm eating solid food (banana or Clif Bar). 3-4 hours without food isn't good for you.

People will tell you to skip the morning coffee but that may also trigger a headache if your body is used to the caffeine hit in the AM.