Feeling sick during long rides

rodgers73

I've done two long sportives recently - Fred Whitton and the Tour of the Peaks. Both about the same distance with plenty of climbing involved. One was in cool conditions, the other in high heat.

On both of these rides, at about half distance, I began to feel sick. I still finished both rides, although the TotP left me quite dehydrated so I was slow finishing that for other reasons.

I've done plenty of 100 mile+ events over the last year and can easily do that distance. It has never happened before. I wondered what the cause of this could be? After the TotP I had to stick my fingers down my throat to get rid of the sicky feelnig (this was successful). After the FW the meal at the finish settled me down ok.

Is this likely to be a reaction to my energy drink rather than a fitness issue? I usually carry two bottles - one with an electrolyte tablet dissolved in it and the other with High Five or SiS energy drink (I usually get the concentrations spot on). Otherwise, I tend to eat jelly babies as I ride along with the occasional gel (no more than about 3 per ride though) and the usual stuff at the feed stops.

Any ideas here??

GiantMike

Do you eat any 'proper' food. It sounds like you have a lot of carb fluids and sweets/gels, but I tend to try to get something bread-based or even some protein too for anything longer than 60 miles.

rodgers73

Yes, I stopped on Sunday and had a sarnie at a petrol station but it didnt help much - I guess the damage was done by then? I think I had similar food on the FW at the two stops. Maybe I'm more of a flapjack person than a gel/sweets person perhaps?

flamite

same for me... i feel horribly sick when eating gels/bars on long rides (100miles+), now always carry a couple of cheese and ham rolls... i need proper food!

rodgers73

Is cheese a good idea?

Does it really matter?

I'd have thought they'd be some complex theory about which sort of fat/carb/protein mix was the best for your body under such conditions - there always seems to be when it comes to cycling!

velvetytoast

I found that having electrolyte tablet and high five made me feel sick on the longer rides. Switched to water and a high five (single for 750 bottle) and fill up at the feed stations with the same combination. I tend to go for water more as the ride goes on - I didn't have any problems last year on flat out and it was blisteringly hot that day so I figure I just don't need the electrolyte tablets - could be worth a try

Herbsman

Have you tried pedaling harder?

BeaconRuth

Sounds to me like you're not getting enough water. You need 4 water molecules to metabolise every molecule of carbohydrate, and on the assumption that the energy drinks you have are the perfect water/carb combination then every additional gel, flapjack, energy bar you have needs plenty of fresh water to go with it because the energy drink isn't providing any water for those extra items.

Ruth

ariege_cyclist

BeaconRuth wrote:

Sounds to me like you're not getting enough water. You need 4 water molecules to metabolise every molecule of carbohydrate, and on the assumption that the energy drinks you have are the perfect water/carb combination then every additional gel, flapjack, energy bar you have needs plenty of fresh water to go with it because the energy drink isn't providing any water for those extra items.

^This.
Similar for me, on the Fred I took 2 bottles of energy drink and felt sick, as the additional food required more water to metabolise. Took on water at the final feed and was feeling fine after 30 minutes.
A week later at the Etape du Dales I took one energy drink and one water didn't feel sick at all despite all the jelly babies, bars and a couple of gels that I ate.

Muffintop

Ariege cyclist wrote:

BeaconRuth wrote:

Sounds to me like you're not getting enough water. You need 4 water molecules to metabolise every molecule of carbohydrate, and on the assumption that the energy drinks you have are the perfect water/carb combination then every additional gel, flapjack, energy bar you have needs plenty of fresh water to go with it because the energy drink isn't providing any water for those extra items.

^This.
Similar for me, on the Fred I took 2 bottles of energy drink and felt sick, as the additional food required more water to metabolise. Took on water at the final feed and was feeling fine after 30 minutes.
A week later at the Etape du Dales I took one energy drink and one water didn't feel sick at all despite all the jelly babies, bars and a couple of gels that I ate.

+1 - I use an energy powder drink but tend to keep the mix ratio lower than prescribed as I use the gels and don't have the appetite for proper food on long rides. Making sure I have some starch before my ride does better for me than during.

Mx

disgruntledgoat

rodgers73 wrote:

Is cheese a good idea?

Does it really matter?

I'd have thought they'd be some complex theory about which sort of fat/carb/protein mix was the best for your body under such conditions - there always seems to be when it comes to cycling!

This kind of thinking is what throws off a lot of people in my opinion. There's a balance to be struck here between what is nutritionally "perfect" and what works for you. As a Sportive rider, you aren't getting paid for results, so you can afford to carry around stuff that you actually want to eat and doesn't make you feel ill.

To this end, I gave up on energy drinks a few years ago as I didn't like the taste of them and found they left my mouth feeling horrible. I tend to carry one bottle of water and one with a Nuun table or similar in it and just eat a bit more (with a variety between proper food and more sugary stuff).

waterford123

I have the same problem. I got rid of those Zero tablets in my bottle and ride now on bananas and water and this is better on my dainty tum tum.

rodgers73

Ok, so more water, less electrolyte tabs and some normal food as well as the gels etc should probably do it?

lochindaal

There was an article in Cycling Weekly a couple of weeks ago about energy drinks. To allow a carb drink to get energy into your body it changes the way liquid is naturally moved from from your stomach to your body (via osmosis balance). In effect to get the carbs into your system it does so at a compromise to water moving into your body. You therefore can't assume because you are drinking an energy product you are getting the liquid you need. Seperate bottles of water are required.

nickel

I had this as well on a 150km ride on monday, felt quite sick after the 70 mile mark and never really had it before. I had been eating cereal bars and flapjack so I'm thinking it might be my body crying out for something savoury? I drank 3x800ml bottles of water, two cups of coffee and 500ml of high5 carb drink (have drank this in the past and been ok generally).