Beating the Heat or laying the smackdown

Craig Watson

 So some conundrums continue and need some advice. Lately my quads have been cramping right near the 60ish mile / 3:00 mark and staying that way anytime I have my leg extended (makes it kinda hard to push your way  through 85 miles .

I am taking salt tabs, drinking bottles of Gatorade Endurance swapped with Accelerade.

at least 40 miles of today's ride my computer read 100+ degrees (I know we're all dealing with loads of heat).

I drank 3 lbs of fluids within an hour of starting (48oz), drank 6 bottles x24oz for a total of 9lbs and had a recovery drink of 24oz when I got home from 4hrs in the saddle. All that and I STILL LOST 5LBS on the ride - no wonder my HR was blasting into the 160's and even up to 175.

I don't think I can drink anymore on the ride and am confused on what to do - any good suggestions? If I take out the recovery drink because I'm not drinking that while exercising I am losing 6.5 lbs for a net loss of 4.0% - can't be good right?

Thoughts out there from the EN nation?

Paul Hough

Craig - I started cramping today about 55 miles. I knew I was behind on salt tabs and took 2 right away and eased back, but it was too late. By 60 miles, my legs were in knots and I had to stop. I know that it takes about 10 mins for the salt to get to my legs. Ten minutes later I was back on the bike and finished the ride (71miles) at full power. I also ran a short 20 min brick with no cramps. Heat index about 105. I use Nuun tablets in my water bottles and Salt Stick tablets that are in the cool dispensers that fit into the aero bars. It was miserable, but I thought I was getting enough salt from the Nuun tablets and took only 1 salt tab every hour instead of every 30 minutes...stoooopid. Salt stick tabs have 4 times the sodium as Endurolytes. If you are a heavy sweater like me, the Endurolytes might as well be a placebo. Also, I hired a nutritionist last year and the directed target for hydration in hot weather -- for me -- is 54 oz per hour. It's not fair that some people can get by on just 20-24 oz's, but you have to do what you have to do!

jasonnance

You guys must be my brothers from another mother because I suffer the same issues. Just curious what is your total sodium intake per hour. I'm at 1,200mg / hr but I'm thinking on uping it. I don't get full on cramps but do get a fair amout of "twinging".

Craig Watson

 I'm between 1000-1200mg in the form of Lava Salts as I go through the workout. Not sure how much more sodium is 'safe' nor how much more I can drink to offset a 4% weight loss . . . trying to go back to the drawing board but coming up a little empty . . . 

Mark Stovall

Craig, I had to up my fluids to 64 oz/hour (2 water bottles of 21 oz and half a 24 oz bottle of Infinit that is double strength) and 1,000 mg of sodium in the form of 2 SCaps and the rest is in my Infinit. I still lose too much water weight but I can not seem to take much more than that in without getting queasy. For me it is less about trying to beat the heat than it is trying not to get smacked down by it!

jwpicciotto

@craig - This sounds a lot like a dehydration versus sodium intake issue. The weight loss is a dead give away. Your body can handle a certain amount of sodium, after that you are just paying for the privilege of having high sodium urine. However, between the Fluid and the sodium tabs, how much total sodium are you taking down an hour versus tyhe 1000-1200 just for the Lava Salts? 48 oz per hour in high heat may not be enough. Also, be careful as you increase your fluid intake that you are not overloading the caloric intake by just taking down more gatorade. This will slow stomach emptying and contribute to the dehydration issue. I showed your post to Penny for a more authoritative opinion. She will take a look when we get back from dinner and probably ask you some more questions.

Al Truscott

Cramps are mysterious and can have multiple potential causes. Today, we had out annual "heat" wave in the Pac NW - temp on my 4 hour ride went from 77 >> 92 in bright sun. I drank enough, didn't lose even a pound, but started to get left quad cramp about 2 miles from the finish. I almost never get cramps when riding, and never there before. When it happened, I remembered that, along with forgetting (close your eyes, Kitima) sunscreen, I didn't have any salt tabs or e-caps. But I slowed down, and the cramp disappeared. I figured it was just a sign my ride, at 244TSS, was done - muscle self-protecting.

Paul Hough

@ Jason - I'm going for 1300-1500 mg sodium per hour in hot/humid weather. I've read a ton about cramping and have learned that everyone disagrees on the cause and the cure. I've also learned that a person's susceptibility and response is extremely personal. High sodium + high amounts of liquids are essential for me and I tune out all advice to the contrary as junk science because they have failed me miserably. You've got to test alternate solutions and find out what works for you.