Dangers of Summer

[oldbike54]

 This getting old thing can be unpleasant . Spent several days working and playing outside the last couple of weeks in our heat and humidity . It caught up with me yesterday morning . Woke up with a bad headache , stomach all whoppie jawed , unable to focus my vision . Just a bit scary , but not the first time experiencing these symptoms . Anyway after a couple gallons of water and several bottles of powerade , and lying in bed with cool air blowing , the recovery seems to be mostly complete . I bring this up as a reminder to all of you , er , well mature folks , be careful in the heat , and drink lots of fluids . Carry on 

 Dusty

[Triple Jim]

I'm glad you caught the problem before you found yourself in the hospital like the guy who drilled my well did.  Talk about irony... a well driller letting himself get dehydrated over a period of days until he collapsed.  If you're not peeing fairly clear product every few hours, suspect trouble!

[lucian]

In other words,  don't end up a Meatloaf 

[boatdetective]

I have had a problem with dehydration in the past few years. Often times it manifests itself with really serious leg cramps. From what i can gather- it's not merely drinking water. You've been depleted of a lot of minerals, etc.  Your body need potassium to process water and magnesium to process the potassium. I keep emergency packs of potassium/MG pills from the vitamin store. I'll pop one of those along with a vitamin B pill- and it seems to help a lot.  It's a more concentrated form of drinking a powerade.

Try to think of replenishing potassium during the day. Your body needs a lot of it. Some really good natural sources (not to mention yummy) are bananas and dried apricots.

[Triple Jim]

Some really good natural sources (not to mention yummy) are bananas and dried apricots.

Orange juice is pretty good too.

[kirkemon]

Orange juice is pretty good too.

Absolutely

[nick949]

Glad to hear you're on the mend Dusty. Be careful out there. Any time you're not riding is dangerous.

[oldbike54]

 Tomato juice is also good .

 Dusty

[Gliderjohn]

If you know a day ahead of time that you will out in the heat for some time and especially if you are doing anything physical, drink as much water as you reasonably can starting 24 hours ahead and for sure 6-12 hours ahead. Once you are out doing something and start getting thirsty one can rarely keep up. Bananas and apples are good for this also. I have had a lot of experience spending 5-7 hours on a concrete runway in 90-105 degree heat and have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of out in the heat.
GliderJohn

[Rotten Ralph]

In senior citizen facilities, dehydration is one of the most common problems. The elderly don't even need to be in the sun working for this to happen.

[Triple Jim]

In senior citizen facilities, dehydration is one of the most common problems. The elderly don't even need to be in the sun working for this to happen.

Now that you mention it, I had to make an effort to keep my 90+ year old father hydrated.  I think the problem was that he knew he had trouble controlling his bladder, and didn't want to make it worse.

[lucydad]

Yep...pretty much moved poodle walks, bicycle rides and motorcycle rides to early early or late in day.  Brutal June sub-tropical sun is a big dehydration issue.  I always bring water with me when riding.

Just ordered a new Shoei RF 1200 in white.  White seems to help reflect heat? 

Bananas, and heat out underwear help.  Tour master mesh jacket. 

[Nic in Western NYS]

Re: hydration - Bananas , banana daiquiris, not good.

[unclepete]

Through bicycling I discovered Endurolytes tablets . Used to have to order them from Hammer Nutrition , but they are available in many stores now ; we get them at REI .
They replace all the chemicals lost with perspiration and help body absorb water . Relieve cramps even after they start . I have never needed to take anywhere near the recommended dosage to stay comfortable .

[Wayne Orwig]

I had about a 6 mile walk in the hot sun to a parts store last weekend for a rear wheel bearing. Luckily the was a micro-brew opened about midway for me to 'recharge'.

[Cool Runnings]

Absolutely

With lot's of ICE. 

[lucydad]

Dusty,

Tonights evening ride at sundown.  Heat index only 102F.  But no direct sun blast.  As long as I am pedaling:  quite pleasant.
Bugs up nose though.  Great strength and cardio workout. Stopped mid-way for water intake, cooling now and drinking more water...

[Penderic]

Everybody:

Avoid sunburning your face and neck! 




It is hip to be cool!

[redrider]

As a 59 YO  Ridercoach, I deal with it by drinking a lot of water two days before range time. Calcium-Magnesium Citrate is a daily tablet along with the glucosamine. Most folks I hear speak of how awful the heat is but I'm used to it. I read a while back how modern humans have lost a fair amount of climate tolerance due to AC.

[organfixsing]

At 72, I get leg cramps in bed. They can be very severe.
The doctors say magnesium. Tried that. No reult. Doctor said double the dose. Kidney pain. Stopped the magnesium.
Tried that "deadly by some accounts" sodium aka common salt tablets. Cramps are gone in two minutes with one salt tablet (two tablets on the really severe ones).
Seems to me that salt has become a bogeyman with the medical profession. Yes, it ups blood pressure, but only if it a constant high dosage. The occasional dosage when required is no problem.
Administered as a tablet removes the salt on food desire.

My 2 cent worth

Brian 

[Nic in Western NYS]

At 72, I get leg cramps in bed. They can be very severe.
The doctors say magnesium. Tried that. No reult. Doctor said double the dose. Kidney pain. Stopped the magnesium.
Tried that "deadly by some accounts" sodium aka common salt tablets. Cramps are gone in two minutes with one salt tablet (two tablets on the really severe ones).
Seems to me that salt has become a bogeyman with the medical profession. Yes, it ups blood pressure, but only if it a constant high dosage. The occasional dosage when required is no problem.
Administered as a tablet removes the salt on food desire.

My 2 cent worth

Brian 

Hi Brian,  I had very severe cramps when I was playing competitive tennis a while back.  What worked for me was quinine water (tonic water) with cranberry juice, then 2 Tums.  Used it last night after driving a truck yesterday and beginning to cramp.  A small percentage of people have a VERY bad reaction to quinine, so beware of that.

[redrider]

Tums contains calcium. Two years ago my back locked up along with a constant cramp down the left leg. I was unable to stand upright and stairs we almost impossible. (Clenched teeth , sweat and two handrails.) The massage therapist reckoned it was a result of the crash. Several weeks later things improved dramatically. Calcium-Magnesium Citrate, 2-1 ratio. Leg cramps at night are banished. The muscles need both one for contraction and one for relaxation I was told.

[Chet Rugg]

Thermotabs is what I use. Over the counter buffered salt tabs.
Take as needed when ya know the heat is on for the job at hand. Harvesting wheat and binning wheat doesn't wait for cooler weather. Says on the bottle take one with large glass of water. I take two with a bottle of water and that usually gets me through. Sometimes twice a day is required. I will agree if ya can't have salt in your diet it will probably kill ya.
But I don't have that problem yet.
If I have a welding job to do that gets delayed till cooler parts of the day. Most of the time if they can't wait I just turn the job down.
That's one of the best things about my age 62 . I don't have to if I don't want to anymore

Chet

[Nic in Western NYS]

This article was in today's NY Times on the best fluids for rehydration: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/30/milk-and-other-surprising-ways-to-stay-hydrated

The winners were milk (either whole or skim) and Pedialyte (artificial electrolyte solution) at about 50% rehydration than water.

[Sasquatch Jim]

There is nothing new in all this.  These are just symptoms of dying.  Get on with life while you still have some.
  Oh, and drink to it.

[rodekyll]

At the gas stops gaiteraid is often the least expensive drink in the cold case.  Less than water, even.  I get two big bottles for $3.  Try to make it last till the next gas stop.  Sometimes I drink 4 a day and still pee nothing in this heat.


Now for the big question facing us aging folks:  My host has a full length mirror in the bathroom.  What's up with that?  I mean -- there's nothing appearing in that mirror that anyone wants to see.  But I digress.  As I passed it this morning I found myself wondering where my ass bone went.  No wonder I need suspenders now . . .  . what happened?

[ITSec]

Out here in the Mojave, the rule is a litre per hour - maybe more. There are a lot of different opinions on the matter of electrolytes and other things that may help with cramps, blood sugar levels and so on, but what matters more than anything else is that litre per hour of liquids.

And of course, no alcohol till your in the shade at the end of the day, and avoid caffeine (it's a diuretic) unless in the small amounts you find in things like iced tea. Coffee may be great to start the day, but limit it to one cup and if you have to drink sodas stick to the non-caffeine types.

[Arizona Wayne]

I carry a water bag with me every trip in the summer and stuff it with ice @ the motel before I leave for another day on the road.  It has gotten me thru 124F rides  past Baker and Needles, Ca. sipping on it every few minutes as needed.  Otherwise I'd have to stop.   The bikes/scooters take the heat better than me.  If I cramp up I need a banana.   My butt seems to be getting more sensitive while I age(72) on long rides.  Or is it just my imagination?

[rodekyll]

Everyone used to have a 'camel bag' on their hood ornament.  It carried a gallon like a canteen, but it was a hairy burlap bag.  You filled it, soaked it with water, hung it out in the wind and let it cool by evaporation as you drove.  I can't find one or I'd have one.  They took back the one I was issued in the park service.

[Arizona Wayne]

Everyone used to have a 'camel bag' on their hood ornament.  It carried a gallon like a canteen, but it was a hairy burlap bag.  You filled it, soaked it with water, hung it out in the wind and let it cool by evaporation as you drove.  I can't find one or I'd have one.  They took back the one I was issued in the park service.

Mine is a MSR hydration water bag I carry in my tank bag or hanging between my handlebars on my MP3 scooter.   It has the hose setup so you can suck on it whenever you need to.  When moving solo and not surrounded by traffic I raise my flip-up lower helmet part and stick the hose under it and drink away while still looking thru the helmet lense.  Then when done drinking I puil the hose out, lower the helmet bottom lid(latch) and put the drinking hose where it won't flop around.  If you wear an open face helmet all this is easier or some might put the water bag on their back.

My Rev Pack excursion bag I carry on my back seat also has pockets for 2- 16 oz. plastic bottles.   If you saw my MuZ 660 Tour single @ the National you saw the Rev Pack collapsed bag on its back seat.  It normaly carries all my camping gear+.