Riding and Headaches

[scott]

I frequently get headaches when I go for a ride of any length, which is very frustrating given how rarely I get to go for a ride of any length.  The 40-mile ride I did in April was an exception--my legs felt it, but not my head. I often feel lousy about 10 miles into a ride--last summer I got a headache 10 miles into a humid ride, and on the April ride I had a period of exhaustion that I fortunately got through after a few extra miles.

Last night, since it was a cool evening for summertime here, I went for a ride around town (didn't have the lights or the legs for a rural ride). My legs had been complaining more than normal about climbing the last few days, even on my short commute rides, but I really needed to get out and clear my head. The ride was a bit hillier than I had intended, but it was good to be out in the cool and quiet. And when I got home after 12 miles, I thought "great, I've avoided the 10-mile curse."

This morning, I woke up with a crushing headache, and could barely stand to stand up or move. After Ibuprophen, hot towels on my head, and a couple extra hours sleep, I was OK to get up and think about going to work. (Where the e-mail saying I would be late had never arrived, so now I'm in the doghouse with my boss right when I don't need to be.)

This time, I actually started wondering if it makes sense to be any more than a bike commuter--if most of my rare chances to take longer rides are going to be ruined by headaches, why spend so much time thinking, planning, etc about riding and bikes? Plus I can't afford to miss work just because of a short evening ride. This line of thinking is at least as bothersome as the headaches.

Anybody have any ideas about how I can avoid this problem, or if it is an indication of a more serious problem?

[rogerzilla]

I get this, and have come to two unrelated conclusions:

1) If you drink coffee or tea, the massive increase in metabolic rate when cycling may deplete caffeine from your bloodstream, giving withdrawal symptoms.

2) If I go on a long ride without a headache, I often get one.  Conversely, I have a headache and go on a ride, it often clears it.

Work rate seems to affect it too - I rarely get a headache on a gentle CTC ride, but on a storming solo ride it's quite likely.

It must be pretty common, because Mr Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre to try and alleviate his son's cycling headaches.

[hellymedic]

I wonder if dehydration is part of the problem.
Try drinking half-strength Gatorade during the ride and after it, and have some water by your bedside.

[MSeries]

Dehydration isn' t it. Drink lots next time and see how you get on

[fiendish]

Was going to suggest dehydration, but been beaten to it several times.  Drop in blood sugar?

[TimO]

...  Drop in blood sugar?

Which is also a possibility, I can get blinding headaches in the morning if my blood sugar from overnight is a little low.  Of course, some breakfast normally cures that very easily, and since my Insulin comes in little glass vials, probably unlike yours, my bodies physiology may also be a bit different.

[scott]

Thanks, everybody--good suggestions there that in theory I know about, but may not be taking care of in practice. Last night for example was a zero-forethought ride, and I went to bed without a large drink very soon afterwards.

RZ -- Your idea #1 is very interesting. I react badly to too much caffeine, but have let myself slip back into too much tea per day.

Helen--I'll go back to half-strength Gatorade for a while. I've been taking plain water on rides, or tea (!) as I like the flavor and tolerate it on a ride, and thought the caffeine might help the headaches. :-/

[Ian H]

Hot, hard, long rides can give me a headache. Easing off alleviates the symptoms, as does a stop at a pub and a pint or two of orange and lemonade. I don't seem to be able to drink enough on the bike in extreme conditions.

[scott]

...  Drop in blood sugar?

Which is also a possibility, I can get blinding headaches in the morning if my blood sugar from overnight is a little low.  Of course, some breakfast normally cures that very easily, and since my Insulin comes in little glass vials, probably unlike yours, my bodies physiology may also be a bit different.

In rare hypochondriachal moments, I sometimes wonder if I'm "somewhat" diabetic, since i have these headache etc problems and tend to drink a lot of water. But usually I dismiss that as something that would have been caught by doctors by now.

But perhaps I'm just prone to a blood-sugar drop. I guess Helen's idea of gatorade might help with that. Or more cake.

[scott]

Easing off alleviates the symptoms

Another good point. When I get the chance to go out, I often ride harder than justified by my poor conditioning. Not sure why.

[TimO]

In rare hypochondriachal moments, I sometimes wonder if I'm "somewhat" diabetic, since i have these headache etc problems and tend to drink a lot of water. ...

If you were undiagnosed diabetic, I think that rather than getting hypo, you would be getting hyperglycaemic, so headaches from that wouldn't be the problem (as you mentioned, getting very thirsty would be a symptom).

I just thought that if your blood sugar was a little low, it may cause headaches, but I've never quite understood the exact metabolic mechanisms that control this in either diabetics, or non-diabetics, the one time I tried to read a library book on the subject that did give me a headache!

[Greenbank]

Two things to try:-

1) Sorry, hydration again, but this is my experience. Try drinking something with electorlytes in during/after riding. (I'm not sure if Nuun or Zym are available in the US). Also drink something high in protein (such as a milkshake) within an hour of finishing an evening ride.

I certainly had problems with headaches on long rides despite drinking lots of water. I haven't had any since I've been drinking the (carb free) electrolyte replacement stuff. I used to just mask the headache with Ibuprofen but I'm happier now I don't have to.

2)  When was your last eye test? A friend of mine suffered from bad headaches which went away when he got some new glasses with a different prescription. He didn't find it too bad when he was sitting at his desk or watching tv, but the extra work his eyes were doing when out cycling or driving quickly brought on the headache.

[saturn]

Mercifully I suffer very few headaches but when I do, generally a bike ride in the fresh air is the perfect cure.

Sorry, that's of no help at all you you though. Are you sure about your bike set up & position? I wonder if stress in a neck or shoulder muscle (for example) could manifest itself as a headache.

[scott]

New glasses are a possibility, but my eyes don't seem to change much anymore. Still, worth thinking about.

Setup is definitely a problem on the bike I rode last night (stem's too long), but the problem has occurred on a few different bikes, some of those on different rides with different setups.

[mike]

do you wear a helmet? I've been having the same problem for the last year or so but cured it last week by getting a helmet that actually fits...

[scott]

I've been wearing a Bell Metro for several years now. (Well, I take it off on occasion.)

[tiermat]

If it had been just during the ride I would have said helment, I found after buying a LAS Haxial that I got headaches after about 10 miles or so which where easily alliviated by making sure the straps where in the right position (they twist round easily when putting the helmet on and cause an excess of pressure on my front left skull area).  Now I have got used to the helmet (and slackened the retaining band off a bit) I no longer have the problem.

[Jasper the surreal cyclist]

Another problem can be tension. It is important to try and relax. When I feel myself tensing up I try and slacken my jaw. It is the first bit to go tight when riding hard so easing it off can stop the situation getting worse.