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Dehydration?

 
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:14 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Dehydration? Reply with quote

Hey Doc,

Interesting experience during the race on Sunday. I was feeling really bad when I got up Sunday morning…almost to the point of vomiting. I wrote it off to race day nerves.

I was at the venue all day Saturday and Sunday. Raced beginner Sunday afternoon (Cameron Park is my home course).

About a mile to a mile ½ into the race, I started cramping. After a few climbs, I slowed down drastically on the flats. On a part of the course I know like the back of my hand, I got a headache, my vision was odd (I want to say blackout…but it wasn’t really like that…more of a “blur out” or tunnel vision), and I had a kind of “thumping/ringing” in my ears (but that wasn’t that bad). There was about a thirty second time frame while I was pulled over and off my bike, that I didn’t remember where I was (this really kind of scared me). It was at this point I knew the race was over. I made it about another half mile to the course marshal station with no problems. I walked off the course with no problems (actually feeling pretty good physically, but angry with myself for not finishing).

Prior to the race…I was hydrating. I consumed an entire water bottle of a “high dollar” pre race hydrating drink and did a clif shot at staging. At no point during the race did I feel thirsty.

This morning I woke up with a bad sunburn on my face and arms.

OK…so question…From my limited explanation…does this sound like dehydration…effects of a sunburn…or something more serious?

Thanks Doc
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The Bike Doc
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Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:44 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speelunker:

Your symptoms could be consistent with dehydration buy your history may go against it. You started prehydrating well, the episode occured very early in the event and you woke with a major funk. I suspect you were either suffering from the effects of a acute viral illness or possibly you may have gotten behind the 8 ball by not hydrating sufficiently on the days leading up to race Sunday. Additionally, if you had not been drinking enough while standing around in the sun getting that sun burn, you might have already started dehydrating.

Take it easy the next week and drink plenty of fluids.

Thanks,
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:53 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Bike Doc...

I knew that some of that was symptoms of dehydration. I thought I was hydrated...but I’m still a beginner at this type of thing. (Maybe all the coffee at the volunteer tent wasn’t a great idea the morning of a race). I feel much better today...and went ahead and did an easy ride on parts of the course I didn’t even get to see on Sunday (had to clean up the trails a bit).

Thanks again,

Kevin
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:57 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Docs please correct any of the following if I am off-base:

I have personally found that the most valuable tool for gauging my hydration levels is my bathroom scale, and this seems to correlate pretty well to my performance and overall state. I weigh myself far too often primarily for this purpose. I know that if I go to bed at 179 and wake up at 175, that is just water.

I weigh myself every night and every morning. I know that if my evening weight drops 3-4 lbs over a couple of days, then I am probably running low on water.

I have a very consistent and regular eating pattern, so I feel pretty confident that fluctuations in weight are primarily driven by my current level of hydration, and I've been in the same weight range for several years. Just last week my weight fluctuated from a low of 173 to a high of 183. When I see my weight down at 173, I know that I should drink a couple liters of water. I try to get pretty water heavy leading up to a race.
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
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Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:40 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Guest:

The scale is a good measure of hydration status when the scale is consistently accurate. The best scales are calibarated balance beem scales. One pound of wt is equivalent to 16 ounces of water.

Urine out put is another useful measure. Drinking enough to keep the urine dilute, clear to light amber, voiding every 2 hours while awake will be a useful and practical measure when you can not get on the scale. If the urine is dark amber, strongly odered and voiding is infrequent, dehydration is setting in.

Thanks,
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