So I was in Colorodo all last week.....7000 feet and the weather was great (besides the rain) and even that was only at night....so aparently Oklahoma's weather changed while I was gone....it is freaking crazy hot here now....it pretty much started the week I was gone....

My last 2 rides..Monday and Wensday were terrable....it seemed all my power was gone...my heart rate was getting up there...higher than normal..I did not feel it was too high but just no power....

SO how do I deal with that? Am I not drinking enough before the ride? I have a Century on Saturday and I am a little worried about it...also Hotter than hell is in a few weeks and I would love to be ready for that....the forcast for the next 10 days is not good either, 98, 102, 102, 104, 102, 101, 101,and 98...ouch....so what is the best way to deal with the heat? I kn ow the standard ride early answers but anything I can do to help would be great....also if "ride in the heat more" is the answer I can do that too...It seems most of my riding buddies are getting better in it so that might be it...

Thanks to all for your input...

I was up over 200 yesterday. why does heat make the HR go up? And is working at 95% MHR in heat the same as working at 95% MHR is 70 degrees?

by volume, cooler air has more oxygen than hotter air. to keep your blood oxygenated well you need to take more/deeper breaths.

so i'd guess your hr is going up because your breathing more. if your not, then your muscles aren't getting well oxygenated blood, thus you'll not perform as well.

klages has it exactly.

Also, more water, less sport drink. Your sugar needs don't increase, but your water needs do.

Weigh yourself before and after your rides. If you are losing weight on your rides, then the amount you lost is the amount of water you should have consumed but didn't. 8lbs to the gallon.

Breath deep and steady. Open mouth.

Do not quit the sports drinks. You can dilute your blood if you are not replenishing sugar and electrolytes.

It is currently 102F, weather channel is predicting 107 before all is said and done.

Sounds like good advice. I did a century in Georgia last weekend and felt like throwing up at the end. I'm sure part of it was dehydration, but drinking gallons of Gatorade probably didn't help.

Now that is interesting....I actually increased my sports drink consumption...I better cut back to the normal amount. Thanks for the advice!!!!!

So are you putting out less effort at 95% MaxHR in 100degrees than 95% MaxHR in 70degrees?

Just like you need to acclimatize to the high altitude, your body needs to acclimatize to the HEAT.

I, uh, don't think you can really cause any performance problems by drinking more sports drink, assuming the beverage doesn't upset your stomach.

In general athletic / endurance performance will decrease as the temperatures rise. Part of it is that your body has to work harder to maintain your core temperature. This is well known (albeit sometimes overstated) by runners, by the way:

Full article here

Plus you're going from cooler to hotter temps, high to low altitude, etc etc. Plenty of reasons why you are slowing down. Not much you can do, so I wouldn't worry about it.

your putting out the same effort 95%HR is 95%HR, but your not getting the same results in heat that you would in colder temperatures.

From a chemistry standpoint this is true but unfortunately, your lungs cannot extract 100% of the oxygen you're breathing in at either temperature. If you were to put a pulse oximiter on your finger or toe you'd proabably see the same amount of oxygen saturation either way.j

When it's rediculously hot out your body is trying to get rid of the excess heat by dialiating vessels under your skin. When it does that, with all otehr things being equal, your heart gets less blood to pump. REceptors in your heart, kidneys, carotid arteries, etc tell your heart they want more blood (volume) so your heart beats faster.

it might also have something to do with the scantily clad female biker's wheel you're sucking

Perfect!! ...and good on you debunking the oxygen theory with regards to temp and oxygen density.

Additionally, if the OP is feeling a loss of power then that is simply electrolyte depletion. ECaps dude. Pack some ECaps and drink water. I recommend this over sport drinks. Read on:

Why? Because when it's super hot (especially at higher elevation where the atmosphere is thinner and the sun's rays are especially brutal) you can dump water from your water bottle over your head. This is a super effective way to help your heart out with that cooling function that the wise Bontrager explained to you.

Besides, sport drinks make a mess of your frame, legs, wheels ...you get the idea.

Ah yes, let me clarify what I meant. I meant don't increase sport drink. Increase water.

If you use 6 bottles of sport drink in 100 miles at 80, use the same 6, PLUS 4-6 bottles of water too.

Thank you for clearing that up. I'd hate some for somebody that isn't up on the science to go out in 100+ weather with only water.

It's 90-100+ year round here. This is what works for me:

Hydration begins as early as the night before the ride
Drink way before I'm thirsty during the ride.
Pouring water on myself while I ride is great!
Water is fine but I also need electrolytes
Gels are better than powerbars in the heat
freezing one bottle overnight is a great way to get a cool drink an hour into the ride

Enjoy!

I rode last night and tried a few things...they seem to help...I went back to my one bottle of sport drink and one bottle of water format...

I start drinking water at about 2 in the afternoon (ride was at 6:30). My body told me I was full a few times....lol

I stopped for a refill once....so 4 bottles in 30 miles 3 water and one of sports drink. I think I will take some Electrolite tabs with me on my Century tomorrow. It is a supported ride but they will probably have Gatorade...I like it once but not all day....

It was 107 yesterday....I'm on sabbatical until the weather breaks.
I've got a century coming up on the 25th so it better break soon!

It is 101 here with a heat index of 110 F. Too hot to train except for the hotter than hell 100.

Harden the F up!

biffstephens, are you riding in the Spin Your Wheels? I riding in that one tomorrow as well, but not the century. I just started riding four months ago and am just now doing 25 miles without killing my self. I am averaging 15 miles an hour in this 100 degree weather. I'm still not up to doing 20 average or anything over 25 miles. Maybe when it starts to cool down.

Yes I will be there... It comes slowly....for sure it will take longer in this heat....I can average around 20 on something semi flat...18 on something that is Oklahoma Hilly with a group..I will be registering in the AM...staying overnight in Edmond at a friends..I have a white and carbon Kuota...say hi if you see me....I will probably be wearing a white and black Jersey...white helmet.

What ever dude.

You got some to spare? Ship it to Seattle because we've had a crappy crappy summer so far. Early July was nice. But late July and August so far was 60-70 degrees and rainy and cloudy.

Before someone jumps in and says, we'll that's Seattle for you, our summers are always gorgeous. It's the other 9 months of the year when the sky is perpetually cloudy.