You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Anyone else get this? Day after a hard ride waking up with a headache that won't shift all day? Bit like a long hangover I guess.
Not quite migraine level but really bad? Im getting them the following day after a really tough ride? Usually 5 hour+ pushing pretty hard. Few max hr efforts and a lot of hard pacing- not on easier rides.
I'm assuming it's a dehydration thing, but a pint or two of electrolyte and plenty of fluids etc after a ride doesn't seem to stop it happening so.im not 100% if it is that?
Anyone had the same and got a cure?
I'd go with dehydration - assuming a litre an hour(ish) in lost fluids on a hard ride - a 'pint or two' top up isn't going to touch the sides.
See I thought this but urine is clear. Surely if I was dehydrated to that point I'd be pissing yellow?
Very keen to know the answer to this one, as I get it too.
Metallic taste as well.
No idea how to prevent it
I was wandering if it's an electrolyte inbalance.
Swigging loads of water with electrolyte tabs etc- taking on too much of one and not enough of another. Is that even possible?
Could still be hydration, if for whatever reason your body is struggling to process water it'll basically just go straight through, and come out clear, I think.
Another thing to consider - is your helmet too tight? Could be that the extra effort / heat from big days out is making your head swell a bit, making your helmet too tight.
I’d go with dehydration
This^
You need to be drinking little and often while riding and after.
You don't need salt.
You want to be hydrated at the start too - is your diet/lifestyle generally good?
Could it be hyponatremia and too much fluid? When I first rode with a camelback, I sipped regularly and got headaches. Thinking I was dehydrated I drank more, still causing headaches and getting into a viscous cycle.
A discussion with a riding buddy brought up over hydrating. It seemed counter intuitive (esp with Camlebak's ad slogan "Hydrate or Die") but after scaling back drinking the headaches eased.
could it be related to tension in the neck / shoulders? If its been a particularly battering ride this is often where I get some soreness and if its at the base of my skull it tends to give a headache.
It's more the front of my head and top so I don't think it's a neck tension thing... although I won't rule that out completely!
Definitely not taking on too much fluid.
Cheers for responses so far
Best advice I ever got was get hydrated the day before, so get sipping.
I do a few mountain walks in a warm climate. Also, swim after if you can, no stiffness in legs at all. If I just crash out on the sofa my legs ache for ages, swim, nothing.
Hope it helps
I had this and successfully got rid of it by drinking orange juice with a couple of teaspoons of salt. The salt worked. I wasn't dehydrated at all either.
1) exercise headache (it is thing - no one understands the cause, theory is maybe dilation of blood vessels). Medication can help
2) sinus headache - you can get them without obvious sinus pain and exercise can trigger them
3) migraine. If you have Mike ones you might not get the visual effects etc and exercise can trigger them
could it be related to tension in the neck / shoulders? If its been a particularly battering ride this is often where I get some soreness and if its at the base of my skull it tends to give a headache.
Yup, I was going to suggest this and the OJ and salt tip. If you are hydrated properly and your mineral balance is ok (and your pee colour is fine), I’d look at doing some stretches and or self massage with a tennis ball to release the tension in your upper back and shoulders.
I’ve suffered with debilitating tension headaches for a while, and they often appear after I’ve ridden aggressively on certain bikes (generally ones with a more XC/Trail cockpit set-up). Headache itself is normally top of head, forehead and behind one eye, but releasing tension between shoulder blades and around shoulders/neck after a ride can either prevent or reduce the chances of getting a headache. If I ride a bit more sedately, or use my ‘sit up & beg’ all-mountain/Enduro bike, I rarely get a headache afterwards.
HTH
Could be postural - that’s where I used to get headaches from driving and fixing my posture solved them.
Hi
This happened to me for a years after long rides particularly on road bikes and I couldn’t work it out. It also happens if I do things that require me to look upwards - the classic is painting the ceiling. The headaches are dreadful and impacted visuals etc
Couple of years ago I had an MRI of head and neck which diagnosed a touch of arthritis in my upper neck (c2-c3 joints I think) which gets inflamed after longer rides and causes the headaches.
Everyone gets wear and tear in the vertebrae but it is slightly early for me and probably the result of some kind of old whiplash injury (playing rugby or going over the handlebars and landing on my chin when I was a kid)
Could it be that?
Woody
Cheers guys- at least I know I'm not on my own.
I'll use it as an excuse for a neck massage from the Mrs 😂
Paton- cheers but about 3 or 4 bottles across a 5 hour ride isn't over drinking.
I probably fall at the slightly scary end of the tales of neck woes but I would say get your neck looked at if there is a chance it could be that.
I suffered for years with horrendous Headaches (some discomfort in my neck but a crushing pain that would shoot over my head into the left side of my face - which did make me question sinus stuff and migraines at times)
When I finally got a neck MRI, it turned out I had a disc that had prolapse into my Spinal cord. By the time it got sorted I had developed a few other issues with loss of sensation and some other bizarre neurology.
If there's a chance it's your neck I'd get it looked at
Caffeine withdrawal?
I was struggling with headaches after turbo sessions. I started making my own hypotonic mix (Orange cordial + salt + water via google)
Drinking the same amount as water previously during the session the really bad headaches have gone. If I don't carry on hydration (water) after this (and normal outdoor rides) I still get a headache but much more in the I'm an idiot range forgetting to drink.
Maybe try loosening your helmet retention device? Having it tight really helps to keep the helmet secure around the back, but also places pressure on the front of the head as it pulls the helmet in. Or if you have access to a different helmet try riding that one and see if it makes a difference. Might be just a case of your helmet applying pressure in just the wrong place.
Oh and wee colour is not a proper indication of hydration apparently. Via Trainerroad podcasts. You can get litmus paper type strips to check properly.
I used to get a very sore neck from my long hacks on the CXer (when I used to ride it😄) also felt grog the day after so adopted the OJ/Salt vomit juice trick and the pain remained, but the grogginess almost went ..
I’d be looking at going to the Docs if this has been going on for longer than 6mths..
I’ve been advised to take a physio band and stretch it out fully across your chest for 5 or so goes every hour to stop tension in shoulders and neck. I have to wear shaded glasses/riding glasses or get a headache if out for long day.
I’m in the same boat, even on shorter rides. I’m pretty certain it’s neck/shoulder related, I always drink loads and never had an issue with dehydration.
I’ve recently moved my bars up a bit to see if it’ll help.
I had this, it was a tension headache. A professional massage sorted it out.