Training & Nutrition - Tip of Nose starts to Tingle when riding REALLY HARD.

Just wanted to ask anyone if they have ever had this problem? If I go hard, for 20 to 30 minutes, the tip of my nose will start tingling and I have to back off. If I try to push through it, my face will start gettting numb as well.

If I sit up, and cut the power off, it will stop in just a few minutes and get back to normal. I feel like this is an oxygen problem because it only happens on the bike and only happens when I turn up the heat.

Problem is, yesterday, when the tingling started, Im working hard to stay with 2 other front riders. Tingle comes, I sit up, pow, Im off the back.

Sucks!

As soon as I sit up, nose stops tingling.

Discuss.....

Disclaimer. Please dont tell me to go to the Doctor. I am just asking if this has happened to anyone else.

Pinched nerve, maybe? I've had problems with my pinky going numb on a ride, but if I took my hand to another spot the pins and needle feeling went away. After researching a little bit about it found that I might be pinching a nerve in my wrist that was causing it. I changed my hand position and havent had a problem. Maybe the way you are holding your head is causing a nerve in your neck to be pinched? I don't know. Go see a doctor :)

Does sound like some kind of circulation issue. From your description, it sounds like it happens when you are in the drops. Maybe instead of sitting up, dip your head so you are more or less looking at the ground. This will keep the wind off your face and allow you to straighten your neck for a bit. Unless you're in really close quarters with other riders you should be able to to this for brief intervals safely. If your saddle is a lot higher than your bars, you may benefit from lowering it a bit.

If your saddle is a lot higher than your bars, you may benefit from lowering it a bitI would go about changing my drop by adjusting bar height, not saddle height.

In reality, you can get a lot of the benefits of a slightly lower bar height by bending your elbows. A lot of people ride with their arms quite straight, anyway.

I would go about changing my drop by adjusting bar height, not saddle height.

In reality, you can get a lot of the benefits of a slightly lower bar height by bending your elbows. A lot of people ride with their arms quite straight, anyway.

One or the other. You don't want to make the saddle too low, but I think more people have saddles too high than low. & I agree about the elbows. They shouldn't be locked out.

It's an adrenaline flush. Don't worry about it.

It's an adrenaline flush. Don't worry about it.

Im pretty sure thats incorrect. Especially when if I keep going, my whole face gets numb too. I think its an oxygen deal. I value your response and thank you for your time tho :)

People who hyperventilate due to anxiety often get tingling in the face and also fingers, due to inducing lower than normal levels of CO2 in the body. I wonder if you are experiencing something similar. Do your fingers tingle at that point too?

If that is the explanation, I could theorize that you might improve the problem by pursing your lips as you exhale, in order to retain some CO2.

However, that is a purely speculative thought and I don't want you to try it, experience some adverse effect like crashing, and blame me!

Time to see a doctor, no one on line can really know. I have had similar things happen to me, and it was a pinched nerve. But everyone is different that does not mean you have the same thing.

Hey cooker, After your post, I did some checkin. Its seems I am overbreathing. After I read the article, it makes since. Oh and by the way, this happens to me in the woods, not on my road bike, rather mountain bike. There is a group of 3 and Im the slowest. I try to hang on and I am working as hard as I can, Im working hard to get enough air in my body so its either lack of oxygen or over breathing for sure. I just got back to the office after a normal lap, not a hot lap and was fine.

Heres the clip....

Overbreathing can also cause the calcium levels to drop in your blood, which may result in the following nervous system complaints:
Numbness and tingling (usually in both arms or around the mouth)


Spasms or cramps of the hands and feet


Muscle twitching

Hey cooker, After your post, I did some checkin. Its seems I am overbreathing. After I read the article, it makes since. Oh and by the way, this happens to me in the woods, not on my road bike, rather mountain bike. There is a group of 3 and Im the slowest. I try to hang on and I am working as hard as I can, Im working hard to get enough air in my body so its either lack of oxygen or over breathing for sure. I just got back to the office after a normal lap, not a hot lap and was fine.

Heres the clip....

Overbreathing can also cause the calcium levels to drop in your blood, which may result in the following nervous system complaints:
Numbness and tingling (usually in both arms or around the mouth)


Spasms or cramps of the hands and feet


Muscle twitching

Hope you found the answer - good luck!