Headaches after I ride
 

I was riding sat and sun this w/e. Saturday about 2 hours after riding at home I get a headache which goes away later in the evening. I drank about 2 litres of water while riding. Sunday I make a note to drink a lot and drank about 3 litres of water plus 1 pint when i got home - no headache ... I had 1 pint of beer later on. This morning I've got a headache more or less from when I woke and continued all morning. I drank I pint of water - not much improvement (if any). When riding I was trying to drink more water than my thirst would ask for i.e. not waiting until I was thirsty - any suggestions? is it dehydration? I'm wondering if it could also be lack of salts or something? I just drink water when I'm out.

if you sweat a lot you need to replenish your salt depots. Salt helps to keep water in the body. Try to eat something salty, or use dehydration recovery drinks.

I always have a dull headache the day after a hard ride. In my case sore neck and back muscles is the cause. I feel the same way after a hard night at the gym.

Proper hydration makes a huge difference in the way I feel also. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids in the days leading up to your ride. Once you get behind it is hard to catch back up.

It sounds like you are taking in plenty of water based on your description. Perhaps you are drinking too much and swelling your brain. ;)

I get headaches after rides too. Mine are typically caused by some dehydration and/or neck strain. So I drink plenty like you do to help minimize the chance, but I think the neck strain may be a bigger factor. With the weight of your head and helmet, you probably have about 15-20 lbs bobbing around on your neck. This can cause neck strain during longer rides. I like to take a Tylenol when I get home and this eases the tension and reduces any inflamation.

I read somehwere thst some dude found out is was a protein thing. He would eat a hard boiled egg as soon as he got back to his truck ... no more headaches. I used to get mean head aches when I road raced. I figured it was because I was out in the sun all day. turned out to be caffiene withdrawal headaches. I use to drink 3 dr peppers a day (about 1 cup of coffee) No Dr pepper at the track so I would just drink milk or water. No caffiene all day equals nasty caffiene withdrawal headache at the end of the day.

I think it is pretty common to have this happen after a ride. As been mentioned, neck strain and the pounding you take are probable causes.

But I believe another contributor if you are already hydrating and eating well before hand and during is from concentrating on the terrain. Your brain is trying to keep up with all the data you are feeding it and since we are enjoying riding so much we forget that its work trying to read the terrain for hours on end.

For some with less than perfect eye sight that may contribute to what I mentioned above.

If you ever see a snap shot of you or somebody's else's eyes during fast or technical sections, they are focused and usually intensely concentrating on the terrain and resemble Mike Singletary's as he scanned the field when he was in his prime.
Next time you ride think about it, if your pushing yourself I bet you barely blink an eye.

Roscoe

Did wonder about eyesight or concentrating but it would seem odd to get the headache 2 hours after riding, or on the sunday the morning after!

Ya the day after may only be fatigue related. But a couple hours after I would say is normal. Headaches don't just usually show up at once, they build in intensity.
Adrenalin will cover up pain and as you quit riding and the adrenalin subsides you may now feel the pain increase.


I believe, intense concentration is certainly a major contributor to my overall fatigue and headaches after rides.

Roscoe

I would recommend that you eat a banana before riding, and use the following in your CamelBak:

This is the mix for 1 Litre just multiply by the number of litres you make.

4 - 5 teaspoons Glucose powder.

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Bicarb.

Sugar free juice to taste to you're taste.

This will keep your energy up and help you retain fluids.

Another way to do its is to drink some of that hydrate you buy at the Pharmacy for re hydration as soon as you're back from your ride. Basically it has similar ingredients to that mix up there, but its a real booster.

Do you suffer cramps?

No cramps

I can't use diluted jiuce for taste due to sulphates in it but could use fresh orange jiuce but dilute that say 3 to 1 I guess. Sometimes for hare scrambles i run pure OJ which I feel helps with energy and also maybe encouraging me to drink more due to the taste - shoudl I not put glucose in if I use OJ? I guess OJ has fructose in it... But may be worth putting a bit of salt in.