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Post race sickness

 
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:36 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Post race sickness Reply with quote

Hi Bike Doc,
I'm Dani, the one who asked about post race sickness. I believe you've already read my post. Do you have any ideas on why I may be getting so sick afterwords?
I eat right away after the race, I drink my entire camel back and then some, as well as a sports drink, and take about 4-6 gu packs during the whole triathlon.
I finished one race last year w/o getting sick and that may have been b/c I took Endurolytes. Made by Hammer Gel. They are electorlyte caplets.
Someone mentioned maybe I am working harder than my fitness level allows and that I should slow down. How the heck do I slow down, I'm racing?
I'd love some educated insight to my problem if you had it!
Thanks so much, Dani B
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The Bike Doc
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:27 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dani:

Welcome to the TMBRA Rider Forum.

Now, if I might play Sherlock Holmes here, I shall make some deductions from your statement, "I drink my entire camel back and then some, as well as a sports drink, and take about 4-6 gu packs during the whole triathlon." I believe from your statement that you drink and entire CamelBak and then some as well as a sports drink, I can assume you are drinking water only from your CamelBak as you mention the sports drink separately. You mention you are racing in a Triathalon. So I trust it is a fair assumption that you are out exerting yourself strenously in moderately warm to hot conditions for 2 or even 3+ hours. You are consuming 4 to 6 gu packs during this time so you may or may not be getting adequate carbohydrate replacement to prevent total glycogen depletion, (British readers please avert your eyes here) better known as the bonk on this side of the Atlantic. Depending on how long the event is, you may be depleting your glycogen stores so it is possible that you be hitting "the wall" when your body is glucose depleted and not yet converted over to lipid (fat) energy metabolism.

However, your symptoms sound more consistent with dehydration. Though you drink an entire CamelBak, and some, you likely are sweating out more than you are replacing. What would be valuable information that is easily attained is to weigh yourself just prior to your race just in your competing outfit, no CamelBak or gear, and again immediately after your race in the same outfit. For every pound you are down you need to increase your fluid and electrolyte replacement by 16 ounces. Sweat loss varries from one individual to another and between sexes. Sweat loss rates can range from 1 quart an hour to 2 1/2 quarts an hour for competitions in hot conditions. A standard CamelBak carries 2 quarts, the small one 1 quart and the large ones 3 quarts. So it is quite likely based on my time and fluid replacement estimates from your statement that you are running a fluid defficit for much of the race. Another serious concern is incorrectly replacing your fluids with too much plain water and not enough electrolytes. This can cause a fall in blood sodium, potasium and chloride levels that can cause your symptoms. (This problem has recently made the lay press rounds this past week). Your safest bet is in using a commercial sport drink that has 6% carbohydrate (usually glucose) which translates into 6 grams per 100 mls or 60 grams to 1000mls of solution. The advantage of the commercial drink is that it has a ballanced mix of sodium, potasium and chloride with glucose in the correct proportions to maximise absorption of the electrolytes and water and prevent overshooting with too much water and not enough salts or the other extreme of not enough water and too much salt. I am a big fan of Gatorade, they have many palateble flavors and have a great deal of vallad research behind the product. (Disclaimer: I hold no stock in and receive no benefits from the company that makes Gatorade.)

See if this is the case. If your weight is down post race crank up the electrolyte and glucose containing fluids (sports drink) during the race, if your weight is not down, but the same or higher post race switch to a sport drink fluid and not plain water in an amount that will keep your weight the same. If my deductions are inaccurate, I am sure, my dear Watson, I mean Dani, you shall set me straight and I shall try another crack at this case.

Thanks,
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Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
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