Road Cycling - Today After My Ride I Blacked Out?

After my ride today, I got off the bike, exhausted. I was drinking water and re-lubing my chain, and walking around a little bit. Then, all of a sudden, no more vision. I could not see a thing except blackness for about 10 seconds. Was I pushing too hard, or is this normal? Thanks.

it's never normal when you black out. could be that you were sitting down then stood up suddenly and had blood pressure changes in your head...? like when you bend down to lube your chain, the blood rushes into your head, and when u got back up, it rushed outta ur head..

sd

pretty scary dude , Good thing it didnt happen while u was riding , or driving .
jar

is this normal? Thanks.

I would agree that this is not "normal". If it is a one time thing, I would assume that it was a blood pressure issue related to the ride and subsequent chain cleaning. I usually try to remain standing and cool down before I sit down or do any kind of bending, sitting, etc. If it happens again, I would go see someone about it.

Normal? Sure we all black out at least twice aweek. Come on,normal? Go to the doctor and tell him just what happened and the conditions.

go and see a doctor NOW

Thanks to biking, my resting heart rate is below 40 and my blood pressure a lot lower. Usually if I'm crouched down too much or too long and I get up suddenly, I can feel myself blacking out. Not sure if this is normal or not either but it happens just about once or twice a week.

Consulting a doctor is probably the best thing you can do for yourself ...
if it happens on the rode, and the fall doesn't kill you, just hope someone sees you and they stop to help.

BTW ... I have never blacked out after a ride, or even during hard climbing ... it is far from normal.

Hope you find out it was a one time thing ... good luck.

i sometimes feel lightheaded and dizzy after a ride...it's almost always due to not enough food or water. i've never lost my vision though, that sounds like something that should be looked at (as everyone has already said).

Your right to be concerned get checked out by your Doctor.

That having been said a triathalete aquaintance has told me over the years his blood pressure can sometimes be so low that he has blacked out after taking a rest break while training usualy after getting off his bike at the top of a hill, like what you described. He was checked out by a Dr.

Remember your blood is circulating to the large muscles in your legs and when you stop exercising the blood can pool in your leg muscles robbing your brain of 02.

One cure when this happens. In a safe location well away from automobiles lay down on your back with your legs up at a 45 to 90 degree angle, the higher the better. (rest em on at tree, stairs, have a friend hold them up). This should temporarily increase your blood circulation back to your brain via gravity and help avoid or reduce a black out. Same idea as runners holding their arms over their heads when they finish running.

Although Pedl'nfool plays a medical doctor on the internet he is not a Dr. in the event of a lawsuit sue someone enlse.

Thanks to biking, my resting heart rate is below 40 and my blood pressure a lot lower. Usually if I'm crouched down too much or too long and I get up suddenly, I can feel myself blacking out. Not sure if this is normal or not either but it happens just about once or twice a week.

its normal to feel blood pressure differences caused by changing position such as crouching to standing. The body has a system to for balancing the large fluctuations in blood pressure that result from this. It is not normal however to lose vision completely.

It might be nothing but it might not. Stop messing about posting to us and get to the doctor NOW

let us know how it goes - good luck

If you do see a doctor , I have to warn you that you may lose your license to operate a moter vehicle . Tough situation to be in . But , the reality is that if your blacking out , it could happen behind the wheel , I know this for a fact .
jar

Normal? Sure we all black out at least twice aweek. Come on,normal? Go to the doctor and tell him just what happened and the conditions.

I disagree. I do some of my best work while blacked out. As a matter of fact I'm blacked out while writing this right now.
:eek:

A few years ago, I was doing some heavy hill riding in the heat. I thought I was hydrated enough, but I woke up at the side of the road, in a guy's lawn, with my bike on top of me. I have no recollection of how I got there. I figure it was heat stroke.

My advice, is if it keeps up, go see a doctor. Otherwise, don't sweat it.

If you do see a doctor , I have to warn you that you may lose your license to operate a moter vehicle . Tough situation to be in . But , the reality is that if your blacking out , it could happen behind the wheel , I know this for a fact .
jar

Die first,then go to the doc.

After my ride today, I got off the bike, exhausted. I was drinking water and re-lubing my chain, and walking around a little bit. Then, all of a sudden, no more vision. I could not see a thing except blackness for about 10 seconds. Was I pushing too hard, or is this normal? Thanks.

Because you didn't go the ER immediately after, it's tough to tell. But I'm guessing it was a serious bonk. Details please?

How many miles?
Speed and Type of ride?
How many calories before?
How much water during?

Because you didn't go the ER immediately after, it's tough to tell. But I'm guessing it was a serious bonk. Details please?

How many miles?
Speed and Type of ride?
How many calories before?
How much water during?


I did 24.5 miles.
I averaged 18mph, but did 2 really big hills. At the end of the ride, I saw somebody about a half a mile in front of me and I caught up in a distance of maybe 2 miles. It was humid out and about noon.
I don't know how many calories, but I was well-fed.
1 and 1/2 bottles of water during.

I think there was a combination of things...First, I did 2 pretty tough climbs. I would go over 20mph in the flats. I then saw some biker in front of me at the end of the ride and went after him. I went pretty hard through my neighborhood, which was maybe 1.7 miles of %90 effort. It was also humid out and I was exhausted getting off the bike. I was panting and pouring water in my mouth and down my jersey. I am 15 years old by the way, if this makes any difference. Thanks for all of your comments.

24.5 miles ...18mph...2 pretty tough climbs...20mph in the flats...went after another biker and passed him... pretty hard...%90 effort...humid... NOON...exhausted...panting


Yeah!?~ Bonk! Rock'n Dude! On a ride like that, but it'd be good to chow a power bar or candy bar after like 15mil even though you won't feel hungry. (till your body gets used to it).

Sounds remarkably similar to low blood sugar. I'm diabetic and have had similar reactions to this condition. Better let your parents in on this one.



Olds

I blacked out in the gym when I was doing squats. I was just able to rack the weight before everything went black and fell to the ground. Never lost consciousness, but it was an interesting feeling.

Things like this do happen, and if you pushed yourself extra hard, I would not say it is uncommon. If it happens again, get it checked out.

When i was much younger i did to many lines and kinda forgot that i was driving for 30 seconds. Probably not the same.

I'd say blood sugar / salt / water ... This happens to me when I don't feed myself right. Letting your mind's enthusiasm over take your body's capacity is a lot of fun and often the place where you break through to the next level or find that 'special zone' but it can also be very dangerous. Take care young Jedi.

I am 15 years old by the way, if this makes any difference.
a lot of people's first diagnoses of epilepsy happen at that age.

for the record, epilepsy isn't just the typical 'shaking' [tonic-clonic] type fit, but can also be blackouts [atonic].

it's probably just that you were pushing too hard [at noon] however, you need to see your doctor, and at the very least let him/her know that this happened.

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?TopicID=60&AreaID=3690&LinkID=2765
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?TopicID=190&AreaID=1908&LinkID=1511

fsnl
sparky

I've had this a few times. Once when, as a kid, I went on a group ride from a resort and kept up with the guys in the front for most of it. It was first thing in the morning and I'd had barely anything to eat. Ended up in a bush by the side of the road waiting for my sight to return. Second time was at the top of a steep climb with very little to eat. And the third was after a slight concussion and no food. Never lost consciousness, but I've lost sight a few times.

*Always eat before riding. I can't stress this enough. No food means no energy to digestion, and will temporarily boost your power by a whole bunch. Unfortunately, there's a fairly big risk associated with that of either making a mistake or blacking out on the road, and I'm still nursing my shoulder (torn ligaments) from the last time I learned this leasson, the above-mentioned concussion.*

They say dont eat before a short training ride,whatever short is. I have fruit an hour before a 20 miler.

I did 24.5 miles.
I averaged 18mph, but did 2 really big hills. At the end of the ride, I saw somebody about a half a mile in front of me and I caught up in a distance of maybe 2 miles. It was humid out and about noon.
I don't know how many calories, but I was well-fed.
1 and 1/2 bottles of water during.

I think there was a combination of things...First, I did 2 pretty tough climbs. I would go over 20mph in the flats. I then saw some biker in front of me at the end of the ride and went after him. I went pretty hard through my neighborhood, which was maybe 1.7 miles of %90 effort. It was also humid out and I was exhausted getting off the bike. I was panting and pouring water in my mouth and down my jersey. I am 15 years old by the way, if this makes any difference. Thanks for all of your comments.

Actually, being 15 does make a difference. Different parts of your body are still growing and in the case of your internal organs, they're not fully developed and won't be until your mid-twenties which explains why endurance athletes hit their prime in their late 20's, early 30's.

I recall at about this age being asked to run a quarter mile on a hot day in a high school physical education class. Most of my buddies did their quarter mile at 3/4 speed. I did mine at full tilt boogie with the result that afterward I felt dizzy and had to lay down in the nurse's office.

As a precaution, see a doctor, explain to him/her what happened and go from there. I think you'll find out you're OK but let the Doc check you out first...