mrrab

Last Saturday, July 24th I participated in my first century ride in Boulder, CO. The ride is called the Boulder Sunrise Century and encompasses about a 7700 ft. elevation gain. Prior to this ride I was training like mad out in Omaha, NE - where I'm currently living and have lived for 5 years. Prior to my 5 years in Omaha, NE, I was a native to Colorado and attended to the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The century ride went really well. On the day of the ride a minor cold front passed through, dropping temperatures into the mid 60's, lower 70's in the morning with a nice layer of clouds. My ride time was 6 hours, 3 minutes, with an average speed of 16.8 mph. I was very pleased with my results.

I then spent Saturday, July 24th - Wednesday July 28th resting and relaxing in Colorado until I returned to Omaha, NE on Thursday, July 29th.

So, without being on my bike for week, I was itching to get a ride in. Decide to go for a ride this morning at around 900. Weather report for Omaha at 900 was 79 degrees, 88% humidity, and 75 degree dew point. Well, about 15 miles into my ride, with a ride time of 44 minutes I decided to take a break. Got off the break in a shaded area and downed some electrolyte water. Then about 1-2 minutes I started to get really lightheaded, dizzy, and my vision started to blur. I then quickly drank some more electrolyte water. At this point, I was calling my wife to come get me ASAP. Then about 5 minutes into the break and a bottle of electrolyte water in my system, I completely lost my vision. As I was standing there, my eyes were open, but all I could see was black – very weird. So, at this point I started drinking my second bottle of electrolyte water. Soon enough I regained my vision, but now I started sweating profusely. I mean within 2-5 minutes my sleeveless Nike DriFit and bike shorts were soaking wet! As I drank more I started to feel better until my wife arrived about 20 minutes after all of this started. Thank god I brought my cell phone and 2 bottles of electrolyte water.

So, I think lesson learned here is when returning to a severely humid environment after spending a week in a dry environment, give your body more than 1 day – maybe 1 week to acclimate to the humid environment before partaking in exerting outdoor activity.

Anyone else ever have experience like this before?

-Alex

univox

Don't just write it off as dehydration especially not after a 44 minute ride. Go see a doctor.

Thulsadoom

Hmmm. Might want to check into that. Losing your vision after a 44 minute ride... that's not dehydration my friend.

Tober1

Low blood pressure? Sounds like pretty severe dehydration for a short ride on a day that wasn't that hot. I'd see someone.

gregf83 

I can't imagine getting severely dehydrated in less than an hour. Time to visit the Doc.

Carbonfiberboy 

Definitely not dehydration. I'd say low blood sugar added to post postural hypotension. (google) It happened when you stopped. If you'd kept riding, if wouldn't have happened. Your "electrolyte water" should have had calories in it. 100 calories per bike bottle is about right. You didn't need the electrolyte.

We had another thread about this a few months ago. Same thing, different rider.

mrrab

Thanks for the replies. I'm really baffled at what happened today. Before going out I had whole oat oatmeal, with a health dose of honey... I posted this same thread in the road bike forum and other said I should see a doctor. Before I see a doctor, I'll go on a few more rides. If it happens again there's a problem if it doesn't then I think I'm safe.

Carbonfiberboy 

Probably the "healthy dose of honey" blew your blood sugar away because you didn't keep dribbling the carbs in after you ate. You can't get away with the stuff biking that you get away with in your normal life.

Machka 

Yep ... honey does not work at all well for me. I've made the mistake of eating honey on bread before heading out on a ride, and in about 30 minutes, I'm in the early stages of a bonk.

And +1 to all those who said it was not dehydration. Unless you didn't drink anything since the previous afternoon or something, you should not be that dehydrated in 44 minutes of riding in a comfortable temperature.


Also, here's a question no one seems to have asked ... were you riding really hard, with a high heart rate, when you decided to pull over and take a break?

If so, read the bit about "Why Cool Down"
https://www.mydr.com.au/sports-fitnes...n-for-exercise

And this ...
https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/...es.asp?id=1037

mrrab

Well, like I said the past week I was in Colorado where the environment is significantly more dry. I then came back to hot and humid and gave my body a day and half to acclimate.

During my ride I did feel more winded and felt I had a higher heart rate for a ride that I've done in the past that's usually not as difficult.

When I stopped yesterday I didn't necessarily cool down. I just sorta stopped.

Thanks for the links... Both links mention the following...

"When exercise ends abruptly, blood pressure also drops, which could cause dizziness or fainting. A proper cool down prevents the sudden pooling of blood in your extremities and re-circulates blood back to the heart, skeletal muscles and brain. This phase of your workout helps prevent muscle stiffness or soreness too."

ricohman

Sorry for budding in again......
Anyway I discussed this with a few collegues in the O.R and all agreed that if this happened to them, the minimum you need is an EKG.
Even if it happened just once. Syncope can be scary and many people are affected by this in some form.
You should make an appointment with your doc and get this sorted. You have the rest of your life to ride.

mrrab

Please feel free to speak up anytime. Thanks for discussing this with your colleagues. I do value your opinion and I'll look at making and appointment and bring along this article...

https://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=4749

ModeratedUser01102018

I know this might sound stupid but you could have diabetes.

My dad didn't know until he almost passed out from low blood sugar. The sugar in the water might have brought it back up. So go see a doctor, and if you ride before then carry something with sugar in it.

hope all goes well.

mp123

Blacked out vision sounds like pre-syncope. Sit down if that happens again so you don't hit your head. +1 on all the see a docs...

Chalupa102

Exactly. What he described definitely sound like the symptoms that you have right before you pass out. I know because it's happened to me a few times before. One time I was standing when I passed out and luckily someone caught me so I didn't hit the ground.

mrrab

Went to the doctor today to have a physical and EKG performed. EKG returned normal heart beat and need to wait until this Saturday to have blood work performed. Primary doctor and another doctor thinks it was heat exhaustion and that I should have eased into biking in a humid environment having just returned from a dry environment. My intuition was right, but I'm still glad I went to the doctor.

Also, while I was there they had this machine called the InBody 520 (https://www.biospaceamerica.com/Product/ib520.html) - a Body Composition Analysis machine. Measures weight, lean body mass, body fat, intercellular water, extracellular water, total body water, body mass index, percent body fat, Awesome machine.

Anyways, here are a few of my numbers...

Weight - 185 lbs
Lean Body Mass - 161.4 lbs
Body Fat Mass - 23.3 lbs (12.7%)

Resting Basal Metabolic Rate (metabolism) - 1952 kcal, i.e. calories. - meaning sitting on my ass all day I burn 2000 calories. Sweet!

electrik

My first thought was heat-stroke or exhaustion... but you were only out there for 44 mins, how hard were you exerting yourself?

mrrab

I didn't think I was exerting myself that much. I defiantly know the difference between pushing hard and maintaining a steady pace. I thought I was maintaining that steady pace.

stonecrd

It could be dehydration, it really depends on how well you were hydrated prior to the ride. I have a similar situation in that I flew back tot he east coast from California. When I got home I decided to go for a 25mi ride that I do all of the time, it was about 95F and 80%RH so not the worst conditions. I did about 20mi and started to get calf cramps, I decided to stop and rest a bit in the shade. I sit down and the next thing I know a women is standing over me asking if I was Ok, turned out I had passed out. She called 911 the paramedics came I hydrated and sat for while they checked me out and eventually I had a friend pick me up. Never had this problem since and this was a couple of years ago and I have been checked out physically multiples times since then and ride 6k mi a year.

In hindsight I assume I got dehydrated from the 5hr plane flight and then once I started riding things went downhill from there.

mrrab

Yep, sounds exactly like the problem I had. Though I had a day in half to adjust the heat and humidity and drank plenty of water prior to my ride. I think the 8 hour drive back from CO to NE killed me. Didn't have too much to eat and wasn't drink the amount of water I wanted to.

electrik

Scary, glad you stopped in time! Planes are notoriously dry environments - so it's always a good idea to down some water after the flight.