Getting dizzy during races

[V12man]

here we are friday and i have not heard a word from the doc. Phoned yesterday and you cannot speak to the doctor (as the are seeing patients or what ever) and they took my number as she would phone back, yeah...

Unproffessional of her.... jmho.. even if the problem is her staff - they are often very protective of the boss's time

 

Leave a message for her to call back - every 5 minutes till she calls back.

[lerouc]

So i was supposed to have an EKG on monday and the doc cancelled, rescheduled for yesterday and again doc cancelled so i asked for another doc at the same practice.

 

I ended up at a doc that is also a mtber and have run his fair share of comrades etc. (I actually know him from our cycling club and i initially wanted to go to him but he was on leave)

 

After giving the whole story again he is convinced that it is an external factor. All blood tests came back normal and as my BP and HR is normal he can only think i am doing something different on race day than what i am doing normally.

 

He also said i must get rid of my energy drink as it might be that that is giving me the "sugar spike" and causing the light headedness.

 

He says because i am cutting out all sugar from my diet (coffee etc. - maybe just the odd chocolate once in a bluemoon) my body is not used to sugar so when i start giving it sugar in a race its freaking out (my words not his). He says i must try and ride like i would do on shorter rides just on water and some electrolytes. Also i must really take note of what i am eating during a race. He said it could actually have been my wifes banana bread that might have contained too much sugar. (he recommended eating normal toebroodjies with something like cheese on it instead and patatoes)

 

So i will give it a try at Die Burger at the end of the month, will try and ride it on just water with electrolytes and some patatoes in the back pocket. I am only doing the 40km but with my current weight that will still be a good 3hrs in the saddle (at least).

 

So back to where i was 2 weeks ago, a couple of grand poorer and the main suspect is still sugar. At least i know there isn't anything wrong with the ticker and my only excuse for being fat is my eating habits.

[Spinnekop]

Interesting.

Thank you for the feedback lerouc.

[Bateleur1]

So i was supposed to have an EKG on monday and the doc cancelled, rescheduled for yesterday and again doc cancelled so i asked for another doc at the same practice.

 

I ended up at a doc that is also a mtber and have run his fair share of comrades etc. (I actually know him from our cycling club and i initially wanted to go to him but he was on leave)

 

After giving the whole story again he is convinced that it is an external factor. All blood tests came back normal and as my BP and HR is normal he can only think i am doing something different on race day than what i am doing normally.

 

He also said i must get rid of my energy drink as it might be that that is giving me the "sugar spike" and causing the light headedness.

 

He says because i am cutting out all sugar from my diet (coffee etc. - maybe just the odd chocolate once in a bluemoon) my body is not used to sugar so when i start giving it sugar in a race its freaking out (my words not his). He says i must try and ride like i would do on shorter rides just on water and some electrolytes. Also i must really take note of what i am eating during a race. He said it could actually have been my wifes banana bread that might have contained too much sugar. (he recommended eating normal toebroodjies with something like cheese on it instead and patatoes)

 

So i will give it a try at Die Burger at the end of the month, will try and ride it on just water with electrolytes and some patatoes in the back pocket. I am only doing the 40km but with my current weight that will still be a good 3hrs in the saddle (at least).

 

So back to where i was 2 weeks ago, a couple of grand poorer and the main suspect is still sugar. At least i know there isn't anything wrong with the ticker and my only excuse for being fat is my eating habits.

 

At least you know all systems ok.

[nonky]

So i was supposed to have an EKG on monday and the doc cancelled, rescheduled for yesterday and again doc cancelled so i asked for another doc at the same practice.

 

I ended up at a doc that is also a mtber and have run his fair share of comrades etc. (I actually know him from our cycling club and i initially wanted to go to him but he was on leave)

 

After giving the whole story again he is convinced that it is an external factor. All blood tests came back normal and as my BP and HR is normal he can only think i am doing something different on race day than what i am doing normally.

 

He also said i must get rid of my energy drink as it might be that that is giving me the "sugar spike" and causing the light headedness.

 

He says because i am cutting out all sugar from my diet (coffee etc. - maybe just the odd chocolate once in a bluemoon) my body is not used to sugar so when i start giving it sugar in a race its freaking out (my words not his). He says i must try and ride like i would do on shorter rides just on water and some electrolytes. Also i must really take note of what i am eating during a race. He said it could actually have been my wifes banana bread that might have contained too much sugar. (he recommended eating normal toebroodjies with something like cheese on it instead and patatoes)

 

So i will give it a try at Die Burger at the end of the month, will try and ride it on just water with electrolytes and some patatoes in the back pocket. I am only doing the 40km but with my current weight that will still be a good 3hrs in the saddle (at least).

 

So back to where i was 2 weeks ago, a couple of grand poorer and the main suspect is still sugar. At least i know there isn't anything wrong with the ticker and my only excuse for being fat is my eating habits.

 

 

Well, there is a lot of GOOD NEWS so far...maybe not what you WANTED to hear but a few of the usual suspects have been eliminated.

 

Be patient with yourself and your doctors.  Sometimes it takes a long time to diagnose what's wrong, as it's done by a process of elimination.  Yes, the process costs money but hang in there and you'll figure it out eventually.

 

All the best.

[BDF]

So i was supposed to have an EKG on monday and the doc cancelled, rescheduled for yesterday and again doc cancelled so i asked for another doc at the same practice.

 

I ended up at a doc that is also a mtber and have run his fair share of comrades etc. (I actually know him from our cycling club and i initially wanted to go to him but he was on leave)

 

After giving the whole story again he is convinced that it is an external factor. All blood tests came back normal and as my BP and HR is normal he can only think i am doing something different on race day than what i am doing normally.

 

He also said i must get rid of my energy drink as it might be that that is giving me the "sugar spike" and causing the light headedness.

 

He says because i am cutting out all sugar from my diet (coffee etc. - maybe just the odd chocolate once in a bluemoon) my body is not used to sugar so when i start giving it sugar in a race its freaking out (my words not his). He says i must try and ride like i would do on shorter rides just on water and some electrolytes. Also i must really take note of what i am eating during a race. He said it could actually have been my wifes banana bread that might have contained too much sugar. (he recommended eating normal toebroodjies with something like cheese on it instead and patatoes)

 

So i will give it a try at Die Burger at the end of the month, will try and ride it on just water with electrolytes and some patatoes in the back pocket. I am only doing the 40km but with my current weight that will still be a good 3hrs in the saddle (at least).

 

So back to where i was 2 weeks ago, a couple of grand poorer and the main suspect is still sugar. At least i know there isn't anything wrong with the ticker and my only excuse for being fat is my eating habits.

At least you are pretty much ruling out medical reasons for the dizziness. This is the logical next step. Maybe take bananas instead of banana bread. Bananas have both short and long chain sugars in them and therefore give both a quick and sustained energy boost. Only trouble is they get a bit mushy in one's pockets on a long ride.

[lerouc]

At least you are pretty much ruling out medical reasons for the dizziness. This is the logical next step. Maybe take bananas instead of banana bread. Bananas have both short and long chain sugars in them and therefore give both a quick and sustained energy boost. Only trouble is they get a bit mushy in one's pockets on a long ride.

Yeah i was thinking i am going to drop all else and just pack a bunch of bananas. So if you see a guy with a banana tree in his back pocket, thatill be me!

[lerouc]

Maybe a question to the people that understand these types of things better than me, how many bananas should i eat during a race, lets say a 3 hour race and lets say a 5 hour race or is it as simple as trying to eat 1 banana every hour. And if it is a complex answer as how long is a piece of string then just give me an indication.

 

The doctor yesterday said that actually on a ride i shouldn't eat to much, he says he eats very little, but yes he is skinny (maybe not that fit) but obviously i burn a lot more petrol taking me up the hill etc. Or should i rely on on my energy stores? (also dont tell me what you eat as i have a buddy that can do a 3 hour race on just one bottle of water and maybe a date or two otherwise nothing and then finish strong and in top 10%)

[herrowpreeze]

Any event that i do that is a bit longer i get dizzy. (light-headed/dronk) The first time it happened was at K2C last year second time Argus and now it seems every time i ride a longer event it happens.

 

I will be fine and then all of a sudden i would get very dizzy, so much so that i cannot stay on my bike. The first time it happened after i took a GU and the second time it happened after i downed a glass of coke at a water table.

 

I then thought it was a sugar rush. (I generally cut out sugar out of my diet except for the odd chocolate or so but i dont add any to coffee etc.) so i started excluding any sugar except for my USN energy drink when riding. This did not solve my problem. Before this crap started in september last year i could eat jelly babies/koeksisters and Gu's every 40 mins without issue.

 

It happened again on saturday at the trailseeker in grabouw. I was going lekker slow as to ensure i would have enough in me to finish it. And at the 40k mark (3 hrs-ish - yeah i went very slow) i stopped at a water point and again it hit me. It was just before we started with the A trail of A to Z. I couldnt keep my bike up right in the single track. It kind of feels like it happens just after i stopped at a water table or for what ever reason.

 

More information, i am big guy high end of 120kilos without gear. I can avg high 170bpm HR for quite a while - any ride shorter than 40k otherwise i try and pace a bit better. (had an avg of low 160s saturday) I rode with my camelbak saturday filled with water and had one bottle i refilled twice but at the time it happend i had 2x750ml bottles of USN enduro + 1 tablet USN hydrator in each bottel. I ate about 2 slices of banana bread which my wife made with nothing on it. (dont know how much sugar was in the bread)

 

Also once this has happened to me it takes about half an hour or so then it disappears. But i feel completely drained and dead afterwards with NO energy.

 

Could it be my sugar is actually dropping too low? I initially thought this at the argus this year and kept sipping on a gu trying to get sugar up but i THINK it actually just made me feel worse.

 

Has anyone come across this before, any doctor or someone with some medical knowledge that can offer some light on this subject, i am doing w2w this year and i cannot let this crap happen to me then. Also i have had vertigo in the past but that usually takes a day or two too pass so i doubt if its that?!

Could also be a result of medication you are taking, but the best thing to do is to see a doctor

[Martin PJ]

So back to where i was 2 weeks ago, a couple of grand poorer and the main suspect is still sugar. At least i know there isn't anything wrong with the ticker and my only excuse for being fat is my eating habits.

 

Negative medical results are a good thing. Seems like it is probably diet related. Best possible news, you can fix that and continue riding.

[V12man]

Maybe a question to the people that understand these types of things better than me, how many bananas should i eat during a race, lets say a 3 hour race and lets say a 5 hour race or is it as simple as trying to eat 1 banana every hour. And if it is a complex answer as how long is a piece of string then just give me an indication.

 

The doctor yesterday said that actually on a ride i shouldn't eat to much, he says he eats very little, but yes he is skinny (maybe not that fit) but obviously i burn a lot more petrol taking me up the hill etc. Or should i rely on on my energy stores? (also dont tell me what you eat as i have a buddy that can do a 3 hour race on just one bottle of water and maybe a date or two otherwise nothing and then finish strong and in top 10%)

In general - at RACE pace (max hard) then approximately 1g/kg bodyweight per hour of carbs - but - be aware you may have some intestinal objections to the carbs you take in at that rate - TEST before the race. Also - don't drink too little or too much - about 500ml/hour should be enough during winter.

 

I want you to try something for me (call it an experiment)

 

Go for a 1 hour race pace (hard as you can go) ride - eat and drink whatever or nothing - and after the 1 hour - STOP quickly and get off the bike and stand next to the road - see how you feel after 5 minutes.

[Spinnekop]

On a personal note.

I eat NOTHING on a race.  One bottle water.  One bottle carb drink.

Nothing else. 

 

A long ride (5hour+) I will take one banana and a bar.

[lerouc]

In general - at RACE pace (max hard) then approximately 1g/kg bodyweight per hour of carbs - but - be aware you may have some intestinal objections to the carbs you take in at that rate - TEST before the race. Also - don't drink too little or too much - about 500ml/hour should be enough during winter.

 

I want you to try something for me (call it an experiment)

 

Go for a 1 hour race pace (hard as you can go) ride - eat and drink whatever or nothing - and after the 1 hour - STOP quickly and get off the bike and stand next to the road - see how you feel after 5 minutes.

 

So lets say i am 125kgs thats 125g of carbs and a banana contains 23g per 100g that relates to roughly half a kilo of bananas an hour. So a 3 hour race i will carry 1.5kilos of bananas with me. 

[V12man]

So lets say i am 125kgs thats 125g of carbs and a banana contains 23g per 100g that relates to roughly half a kilo of bananas an hour. So a 3 hour race i will carry 1.5kilos of bananas with me. 

Yup - clearly bannana's are not ideal - remember you will have carbs in your bottles too - so subtract that.

 

And because you are not top fit and athletically slim, you should probably use your ideal race weight and not your actual weight - you can probably use a lot less because you won't be able to sustain the intensity needed to use that amount of carbs - so try 1 gel per hour and half a bannana and normal carb drink in your bottles - should keep you in trim for a 3 hour race just fine - perhaps even overkill.

[Rocket-Boy]

So i was supposed to have an EKG on monday and the doc cancelled, rescheduled for yesterday and again doc cancelled so i asked for another doc at the same practice.

 

I ended up at a doc that is also a mtber and have run his fair share of comrades etc. (I actually know him from our cycling club and i initially wanted to go to him but he was on leave)

 

After giving the whole story again he is convinced that it is an external factor. All blood tests came back normal and as my BP and HR is normal he can only think i am doing something different on race day than what i am doing normally.

 

He also said i must get rid of my energy drink as it might be that that is giving me the "sugar spike" and causing the light headedness.

 

He says because i am cutting out all sugar from my diet (coffee etc. - maybe just the odd chocolate once in a bluemoon) my body is not used to sugar so when i start giving it sugar in a race its freaking out (my words not his). He says i must try and ride like i would do on shorter rides just on water and some electrolytes. Also i must really take note of what i am eating during a race. He said it could actually have been my wifes banana bread that might have contained too much sugar. (he recommended eating normal toebroodjies with something like cheese on it instead and patatoes)

 

So i will give it a try at Die Burger at the end of the month, will try and ride it on just water with electrolytes and some patatoes in the back pocket. I am only doing the 40km but with my current weight that will still be a good 3hrs in the saddle (at least).

 

So back to where i was 2 weeks ago, a couple of grand poorer and the main suspect is still sugar. At least i know there isn't anything wrong with the ticker and my only excuse for being fat is my eating habits.

Baby potatoes were my weapon of choice when I was banting.I still like to eat them before races though, they provide nice slow release and no spikes.

[Spoke101]

So lets say i am 125kgs thats 125g of carbs and a banana contains 23g per 100g that relates to roughly half a kilo of bananas an hour. So a 3 hour race i will carry 1.5kilos of bananas with me. 

 

Have a look at High5 they do sugar free sports drinks and it's available locally through ASG. http://highfive.co.uk/product/hydrate/zero