Please read this about Heat Exhaustion

[OMR]

This is nothing to fool around with folks and after reading Mike's earlier post thought we'd all better learn about:

Heat Exhaustion


Description
Heat exhaustion is a serious illness caused by too much heat. It is often brought on by overexertion or profuse sweating in a hot, humid, poorly ventilated environment. During prolonged heat waves, the very young and the very old are also often at risk, even if they are not active. Luckily, if heat exhaustion is recognized and treated promptly, the effects can easily be reversed.

Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Feeling weak, faint or dizzy, with an accompanying headache or nausea
• Cold, clammy skin with ashen pallor
• Dry tongue and thirst
• Severe muscle fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Profuse sweating

• Physical collapse, with muscle fatigue and sometimes cramping

Treatment
The two basic steps in treating heat exhaustion are to replenish the body's lost fluids and to cool the body's temperature.

• Move the person into a cool place out of the sun.
• Loosen any tight-fitting clothing and remove any extra layers of clothing.
• Offer the person fluids such as water, fruit or vegetable juices, or sports drinks. Do not offer drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine. Encourage the person to drink about a half glass of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Help the person cool off by sponging him or her with cool water, or applying cool, wet cloths such as towels or sheets.

In most cases, the person will begin to feel better within 30 minutes. If symptoms do not clear up, or if the person begins to lose consciousness, call for emergency medical assistance.

Risk Factors/Prevention
Certain health and lifestyle conditions can increase your risk of developing heat exhaustion. These include:

• Poor circulation, inefficient sweat glands and other changes in skin condition brought on by the normal aging process
• Recent or recurrent illness accompanied by a fever
• Drugs and medications that increase heat production by the body or affect the body's ability to regulate its temperature. These can include diuretics, laxatives, antihistamines, amphetamines and anti-depressants
• Living in a home without air conditioning or fans, excessive drinking of alcohol, overdressing or excessive overeating

You can't control the weather, but you can take these four steps to reduce your risk of heat exhaustion.
1. During the spring and early summer months, acclimate your body to the increasing heat by gradually spending more time outdoors.
2. Drink non-alcoholic fluids at regular intervals, whether you feel thirsty or not. When you are in the heat, drinking a half-cup to a cup of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes will help keep you properly hydrated. 3. Avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day. If you like to run or play sports, schedule your workouts in the early morning hours or after sunset. If you don't have air conditioning, or can't get to a place that is air conditioned, stay on the lowest floor and keep the shades drawn and a fan running. 4. If you must be outside, wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Eat light; frequent small meals are better than a single heavy one.

Please ride sensibly grasshoppers!!!

OMR

[Paul000]

On the topic of overheating... what do you people put in your packs to drink??? (besides the obvious 6pack of bud) LOL I've been just hydrating with plain water. After reading the pickle/mustard threads I got to wondering if you put anything besides water in your camelbacks....

[dstepper]

Ice and water in the Camelback. Hammer Nutrition Heed in water bottle.

Dean

[allison]

Originally Posted by paulspann

On the topic of overheating... what do you people put in your packs to drink??? (besides the obvious 6pack of bud) LOL I've been just hydrating with plain water. After reading the pickle/mustard threads I got to wondering if you put anything besides water in your camelbacks....

We haven't tried it in extreme heat (though did use it in Kernville a few weeks ago), but we'll be using Elete water in our Camelbaks, along with a bottle of Cytomax.

[maxwell]

Originally Posted by dstepper

Ice and water in the Camelback. Hammer Nutrition Heed in water bottle.

Dean

On long rides or races, I switch it around, and put the HEED in the bladder, and water in the bottle. That way you're getting constant replacements, without thinking about it.

[SAR_boats]

Originally Posted by paulspann

On the topic of overheating... what do you people put in your packs to drink??? (besides the obvious 6pack of bud) LOL I've been just hydrating with plain water. After reading the pickle/mustard threads I got to wondering if you put anything besides water in your camelbacks....

Camelbak makes a product called "Elixir" which is in effervecent tablet form. It provides all of the electrolytes that sports drinks provide but no sugar. It is approved for use in camelbak bladders, just drop a couple tablets in and youre good to go. As an added benifit it does not promote bacteria/algae/scum/slime/ick growth any more than plain water so if you forget to clean your bladder you wont be greeted by creepy crawlies.

As an addition to the treatment of heat exhaustion, some victims may go into shock if they are in the advanced stages of heat exhaustion.
Heat exhaustion, when unchecked will usually progress to heat stroke, which has symptoms that are the opposite of heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is when the body's internal temperature regulating system stops all together. Their skin will be flushed(not pale), dry(not clammy) and hot(not cool). Their pulse will be rapid and weak.
A victim of heat stoke will be disoriented and or unconscious. Activate the EMS system (call 911). Their core body temp will be very high. Heat stroke is extremely life threatening. Find whatever materials you can (t-shirt, jersey, their jersey), wet them down with cool water and place in the arm pits, crotch and forehead. If a large body of water is available, immerse them in it bt be prepared for them to go into shock and be prepared to support them as they will be unable to swim.

Keep re wetting the cloths under their pits, crotch and forehead. Elevate their legs and make sure you are in a shady spot.

Other symptoms of heat stroke are seizures, shock, heart failure, respritory failure, stroke and death.

[slowSSer]

dont forget about hyperhydrating, or water intoxication. it's basically where you are drinking so much water that you dilute the salts in your body to a point that you bonk...or worse.

the worst part? the symptoms are similar to dehydration and when mis-diagnosed, can lead to death. Ive personally seen this happen at a few triathlons as people over-compensate on the bike leg because they have the water bottle and are re-hydrating for the run.

Water intoxication - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

wiki's close....but water drinking competitions?

so, dont forget your salt replenishment in these hot days as well!

[Burner]

I freeze water bottles solid in the summer, and use them as they melt to douse my head... it works wonders riding in 100+ heat.

[allison]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

so, dont forget your salt replenishment in these hot days as well!

That's what is good about Elete. It's concentrated sea salt. Some have said that they can taste it in their water, but I totally don't notice it one way or the other (i.e. in Whistler I had plain water all day and it didn't taste any different than the Elete water I had in my pack in Kernville).

Just drink water as normal and you're getting a constant supply of electrolytes, with no added bladder cleaning necessary once you get home.

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

so, dont forget your salt replenishment in these hot days as well!

Does anyone use thermotabs? I have a bottle but haven't tried them yet? Wonder if it's a quick fix if you're already leg cramping or feeling the affects of overhydration.
When I worked as a wildland firefighter one of our crew got extremely sick from downing too much water. That's a good point you brought up.

[carbonman]

Another thing to think about is the night before a ride. If you go out and hammer a few brews, you might be starting your ride dehydrated.

[bjammin]

Originally Posted by allison

We haven't tried it in extreme heat (though did use it in Kernville a few weeks ago), but we'll be using Elete water in our Camelbaks, along with a bottle of Cytomax.

What was that sea salt mixture you had?

[CC]

You may not want to read this...so just pass it up if you're not a survivorist.

I know this might sound sick...but in extreme conditions you may need to pee into a t-shirt or cloth and apply that to your head. I watch survivorman/man vs. wild and that's what they recommended.

But lets hope you're never in those extreme conditions.

[OMR]

Originally Posted by Sharky

Does anyone use thermotabs?

I tried them for the first time on the recent Traverse Race ... and although it wasn't that hot during most the ride, I never felt even a twinge of a cramp coming on... yeah the legs got tired, but recovered very quickly. I downed 2 tabs just prior to the start along with a full bottle of water. They were recommended to me by my daughter who has just returned from a triathlon in Maui... they worked for her. I used that and Accelerade in my bladder with a bottle of water as a chaser... per Maxwell.

OMR

[allison]

Originally Posted by bjammin

What was that sea salt mixture you had?

http://eletewater.com/