[Closed] Nausea on long hot rides - any tips?

Reduce your ride time on hot days, would be a hot tip.

Dehydration? How much did you drink? Would need a LOT in 8 hrs of today’s heat.

Camelbak do an insulated version of the Podium bottle (Podium Chill), works great IME especially if you chuck a few ice cubes in there as well.

The camelback insulated bottles aren't bad but an insulated bladder in a hydration pack could be an option. Re the nausea - are you eating enough as well as drinking?

dizziness and nausea are signs of heat exhaustion/heatstroke, which 8 hours exercising in today's heat could easily bring on

how much did you drink? it probably wasn't enough no matter how much you drank. actually, it definitely wasn't enough

Dehydration.

Forget the electrolytes - if you keep your water levels up right from the start you're not excreting them in any quantity.

Start the ride swilling with water - keep drinking before you go out until you need a pee. Then you're good to go.

To make water palatable in these temps, squeeze some lemon into it. You'll find you can drink it even if its warm then (no sugar).

That's how I handled long rides in the hotter parts of Oz when I lived there.

BTW slugging very cold water in those circumstances can have a bad effect.

(If you run out of water and then do a lot of sweating, you will lose electrolytes. It's when you're topping up after that when you need them)

Not nausea as such but I have felt extremely bloated after the last couple of day rides ..which meant finding a loo was the absolute priority at the end ...!

I also like stuffing Ice cubes into a camelbak bladder ..its great for a few slugs at the beginning of the ride ..but soon warms up ..

The shade of an oak tree works for me. Cures sea sickness too

Your body is trying to tell you that you're doing too much, please listen

<h1 class="post-title">Nausea on long hot rides – any tips?</h1>

Yes don’t be daft and ride 8hrs in the heat when you are not used to it

It’s just common sense ! Build up to it but don’t expect to do it when normally used to riding in normal British summer temps 🙄

Try jumping in a canal?

Does sound a lot like the early signs of heat stroke!

Drink more, even if it is nasty and warm it'll all be body temperature before you sweat it out.

Plan a stop inside or in shade. Not always easy but a cold drink out of the sun and an opportunity to refill bottles is a bonus.

Wet your head, if you pass streams/fountains. I wouldn't use your drinking water though as it is more effective to drink it.

I have filled bottles with ice cubes before going out. Works for a short while.

Oh Giantalkali! You have surely seen the thread on how irresponsible that is!

Thanks for all the suggestions, particularly epicyclo.  Looking back on it, I suspect that I'm not drinking nearly enough early on.  I drank a fair amount before I set off, but then not much in the 40 miles to the first stop.  Will also try some of those insulated bottles as I need some new ones anyway.

As for building up to it, it's not actually huge step up from what I'm used to, and with weather being what it is, it's not always easy to plan a "build up" ride in similar conditions.

You mention liquids, bit did you actually eat anything? It's very easy to forget to keep eating when the weather is so warm.

Heatstroke +1

Don't be surprised if you feel rough for a couple of days, go easy for a bit.

I don't think there's any way of keeping bottles from getting warm, and if that's putting you off getting the correct amount of fluid, then you probably need to factor in more stops.

My fluid intake is about 50% up at the moment on longer rides, but it's hard to force yourself to stop more often to buy drinks or refill when you feel you would normally be going further.

+1 heatstroke / dehydration. in this heat, a bottle an hour isn't unreasonable, start drinking immediately i.e. every 15-20 minutes and don't stop. If you're not having regular pee-stops then chances are you're dehydrating and if your wee is any colour except clear / light yellow then you're probably dehydrated - a quick wazz every hour on a long ride is a good sign for me. I was out on the roadbike yesterday with a couple of mates who decided that 3 hours @ 20mph was 'steady' at 30C - perspiration was evaporating immediately so there was no 'cooling' effect.

Probably cut down the activity in the heat. As people have said above, nausea is your body preparing to empty the bits that it doesn’t deem essential in preparation for a shut-down.

In addition you need loads of isotonic fluid and keep some back for tipping over your head. You can con your body to a certain extent by keeping the back of your neck cool, but bear in mind that you are attempting to override signals you really should be listening to.

Many moons ago I had a bout of heatstroke during a cricket match. It was after my A levels at school and we’d been playing cricket in high heat for days on end and ‘rehydrating’ every evening with a skinful of ale. I was stood on the boundary in full sunlight when my eyesight just started to go. I suffer from migraine with visual aura, but it wasn’t like that. It was like a dark purple curtain coming down across my vision. Next thing I sank to my knees and managed to get my hands out. I ended up on all fours and needing to get into some shade ASAP and get some proper fluids in. Obviously this was in a team game with lots of people around. I wouldn’t want it to happen on a solo bike ride.........

One other tip that proved a life-saver in the Lakes a couple of weeks ago was a mini Sawyer water filter. On the three passes route I got through six litres in about six hours. I do sweat an unbelievable amount, though! However in the current heatwave I did end up filtering water for other people as well.

In this heatwave I'm lucky if I can do a 2.5 hour ride, with the very odd power effort thrown in of up to ~7mins, taking 2l of fridge cold water with me. Even then, I will drink another ~2l within 90mins of getting home. For example,  https://www.strava.com/activities/1684998995/analysis

When I got out early by my standards at 0720 a week last Friday, that same 2l of fridge cold water got me out for ~6 hours including a break at Butser Hill for a steady paced ~77 mile ride (besides two cat4 climbs).  https://www.strava.com/activities/1669515320/analysis

A whole world of different temps!

See if your bike has clearance for larger volume bottles in the cages, I've been using an old 1.25ml squash bottle on my downtube cage in this heat, it's ~3cm too tall for the seattube cage so that one is a standard 750ml bottle.

I've been thinking of buying a saddle rail bottle cage, perhaps even one that can hold two extra bottles, because this prolonged hot spell has played havoc with my sleep (which then messes up intentions to get out early) and trying to improve my power endurance up cat hills.

your body tries to communicate something to you....?

You might ignore it.

In the worst case something bad will happen then?!

Do some sport in the morning and later in the day. Get rid of body fat / get slim and strong.... And then slowly try these 8 hour things again.

Too much sun on the back of my neck gives me sunstroke.

Ease off on the pace/effort. If you can't judge accurately then get a HRM and keep your HR within zone 1 or maybe 2. The other weekend we did two twelve hour days (probably ten hours of riding) back to back with no problem. Yesterday's ride was a bit higher tempo and even though it was only five hours felt a lot harder at the end.

Try and plan your route so that there's a cafe or shop every couple of hours so that you can recuperate and restock.

Rode seven and a half hours last Sunday on about three litres. I started at 5 and was back at 1 pm. Was nowhere near enough and I’d lost two klilos. Was ok until I got home and then felt decidedly poorly and hot. That’s the sign. Drink and cool shower. Tepid not cold to bring the core temp down.

Rode a 50 TT on a sporting course in sub two hours this morning on 1.5 litres and was absolutely fine.

And you do need electrolytes, but most water loss at relatively modest efforts is breath. In extended hard efforts hyponatremia is a concern.

nuun lemon tablets are superb, the lemon cuts the palate nicely, even when warm. Salted lemon squash is cheaper

How much did you actually drink? On a long ride in this heat I'd be brimming a 3l Camelbak and I know it wouldn't be enough. 3L for maybe 5 hours for me if it wasn't too intense.

That's four botttles' worth. If I were road cycling and image conscious, I'd be filling two bottles every couple of hours at a garage. And putting in powder or having gels or crisps or something.

To disagree with epicyclo, I think salts are important when it's hot. It helps you to absorb the water you drink.

I relish the heat and.love long hot rides. Either it's genetic or I know how to deal with it so listen to me 🙂

Water, water, water.

Don't know with funky chemicals. I stopped all that and just do water. I'm never racing and don't need boosts to push me in a race, I do a lot of endurance epic loops out all day and only ever feel the need for a lot of water in this heat and some snacks.

Have heard people find some of the gels and tablets make them feel sick at times. I wonder about too much salt and/or sugar in some of them. I feel unless you are doing racing and need that kick, the best way to get that stuff is pre and post ride food. Also was a thing on the radio once with a fitness guy who claimed he got type 2 diabetes from all the gels and energy drinks he was consuming.

Anyway, last few hot long rides I've been getting through 3 to 4ltrs of water, and a cup of tea or two if there's a stop or at the end. Felt fine other than tired legs sometimes.

p.s. my perspective is off road.

Keeping water cool - camelback filled from chilled water and maybe ice in it, and blow unsipped water back into the pack. Surprising how long that stays cool. But less road bike friendly. Can you get thermos type bottles for bikes?

Tepid not cold to bring the core temp down.

This is playing with fire. Only the tiniest increase in core is very dangerous.

Yup it's heat stroke alright.

Had it myself at MM2107, couldn't eat, couldn't drink, couldn't keep anything down, couldn't even turn the pedals meaningfully. Took me a good few days to feel slightly human again.

I wonder about too much salt and/or sugar in some of them

The people who make them aren't shysters.  They are what athletes all over the world use all the time.   Just don't use the maximum dose if you feel sick.  They do help a lot to keep you going over long hard efforts.  It's just very simple liquid food, nothing sinister.

Also was a thing on the radio once with a fitness guy who claimed he got type 2 diabetes from all the gels and energy drinks he was consuming.

Drinking energy when you don't need it, in the belief it will make you faster/stronger is silly.  It's not that different to sugar in that context.  It's only to replace the glycogen you use up, like any other carby food, but it's super easy to digest unlike flapjacks and whatnot.

molgrips

....To disagree with epicyclo, I think salts are important when it’s hot. It helps you to absorb the water you drink...

Your body maintains its salts at an isotonic level. If you are sweating a lot and not replacing your fluids, then you will excrete salts.

If you are continually topping up your fluids then your body does not excrete much salt, so adding them creates an imbalance.

As for absorbing water, plain water with a squeeze of lemon is palatable even when it's warm.

But none of this is much good if you set out not already properly hydrated.

And I'll repeat the warning about glugging cold water when you're overheated. You won't feel well.

Keep out of the sun.....

After that water, electrolytes, food and stop somewhere that has breeze and shade when you need it.

As for absorbing water, plain water with a squeeze of lemon is palatable even when it’s warm.

I've always found water to be fairly palatable in hot weather. Though the old camelback slogan that your dehydrated before you are thirsty stands true. Drink before you are thirsty, aim to empty the bottles.

Also how are you up top in the hair department? Not got much here so I do resort to a cap etc. when it's beating down. But also listen to your body, have a plan B (and C) as when you push into the red it's way harder to get back after.

Man from Wales telling man from Oz he is wrong on heat related issues....

Next week. Teaching granny to suck eggs

If I sweat a lot on long hot rides I become encrusted with salt!

Could just be how you are. I’ve ridden with people way less fit than I am drinking less and I still get the same nausea. Always the same thing does for me in races, get to 6-7 hours in the heat and total all consuming nausea kicks in. Doesn’t seem to matter how much I drink/eat, what heart rate I hold, all that will do is stave it off a bit longer.

My ancestors must have pushed north as soon as the ice melted...