Dehydration ??

[kraggman]

While on our weekly ride tonight I experienced dry mouth, insatiable thirst and slight nausea. I also ran out of gas at around 30 miles ( of a 38 mile ride ). I didn't drink any water all day until the ride. Dumb move right?? Sound like dehydration to you guys ?? It was 81 degrees (F) during the ride.

[Lebowski]

sounds like heat exaustion.

would you run an engine with out oil? no!

drink drink drink. being thirsty is like a check engine light, stuff is already messed up! i try and drink a couple ounces per mile i dont know if thats high or low, thats just what works for me.

[cattrails]

Buy yourself a camelbak! The heat was a contributor I'm sure, but dehydration comes in at a close second. Your lucky your muscles didn't painfully cramp up.

[s4one]

Make sure you hydrate yourself the night before.

[Pat]

Well dehydration is a very individual thing.

It surely sounds as if that was your problem. I would suggest that you do a google search on heat exhaustion and sun stroke. Both of these things are really dehydration. As your body dehydrates, it is less able to cool itself. Heat exhaustion is merely feeling pooped, tired and usually slightly nauseated. It is easily managed by drinking water and cooling off. Sun stroke can easily be fatal. It is a more severe form of dehydration. You cease to sweat and the skin is dry and clammy. The body temperature elevates. A few years back, at practice, an NFL football lineman was weakening. The guy was an all pro. The ignorent staff told him to suck it up. But he couldn't. Really a professional football player is not a quitter. So they told him to go to the locker room. He went there, laid down and died from sunstroke. It is amazing that the trainer did not recognize the symptoms.

Knowing this stuff is really handy for any cyclist. Heat exhaustion and sunstroke symptoms are good things to be able to recognize and treat. For one thing, if you know about it, you can treat yourself or better yet avoid the problem in the first place.

I regard water as something I need to have with me all the time when I ride. Of course, I sweat profusely so I need more water than most people.

I would strongly recommend that you carry 1 if not 2 water bottles on your bike and use them regularly. Also drink up before the ride start. It is good to be hydrated from the get go. There is an old saying "drink before you are thirsty, eat before you are hungry and rest before you are tired".