The headaches are usually related to dehydration & low electrolye levels - that's the first place i would look ... it's one of the reasons why a hangover feels so lousy ;)

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Dave Latourette
http://www.TTENation.com

With me, the headaches hit worst when the sofium levels in my blood get too low, and even Gatorade Endurance can't really replace all the salt I sweat out.

Canned tomato soup works well for me as a recovery food. Insane amount of sodium, and you still get some of the lycopene goodness.

Although I use e-load for its electrolyte loader, I still get those wicked headaches during rides where I sweat a lot or it's really hot. I quickly learned how to get rid of the headaches by taking an electrolyte pill with water as soon as I notice the headache come on. It's worked really well for me, and helped prevent any serious electrolyte imbalances. In some ways I feel like I get hit with the headache to reminder me to keep my electrolytes in check.

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"There's good all around you, you just have to be able to see it".

Have you tried Gastrolite? It's a powder that you can mix with water or juice - I strongly suggest mixing it with OJ.

Gastrolite is used more for rehydration after severe bouts of diarrhea but it does a great job replacing everything you've lost during a hard/hot workout.

I buy mine at the Pharmacy- it's usually with Kids Pedialyte product etc. (mind you, I am in Canada so you may have to ask for it)

It works wonders!

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Proud member of the Guru Cartel, EH!

Is that an e-load electrolyte pill you talk of? Any idea where I can get hold of buffered salt tablets in Vancouver? I am hoping that the IMC expo might carry some, obviously it is too late for me to get used to them before the 28th, but I think it might be a good idea to start for IM South Afirca.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

I used to get nasty headaches after long rides in the heat, until I started upping my sodium intake. I use thermolytes and they do me well.

I don't actually use the e-load pill, but the "gatorade" like e-load concentrate drink powder. I use a separate product called "Essential Electrolytes" which comes in tablet form when I need more electrolytes.

As for finding the e-load tablets or concentrate in Penticton I think both should be found at Peach City Runners or the Bike Barn. I'm not sure if you'll find it at the expo 'cause it's not "Gatorade", the major sponsor.

If you're coming through YVR I can tell where I get my stuff here.

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"There's good all around you, you just have to be able to see it".

I'll be back in town for two after the race, I recall that the Running Room stocks e load, but I was unsuccessful there at obtaining salt tabs.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

I buy my training product needs at a store called "Your Vitamin Store (YVS) on the corner of Fourth and Burrard in kits. I'd call first to see if they have the e-load tablets but I'm pretty certain they've had them in the past. I'd also assume that most of the running specialty stores would also carry the tablets (and R.R is one of the weaker specialty stores).

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"There's good all around you, you just have to be able to see it".

Are you saying to don't take in any salt or minerals at all?

The best hint here for me? campbells' tomato soup. I love that stuff. haven't had it in years. time to go to costco.:-)

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"the trouble with normal is - it always gets worse"

- Cockburn

Until I stated taking Thermolytes and draging along a camelback on longer rides I suffered from the exact same thing.

Your body is telling you it's severely dehydrated and that what you are bringing along with you isn't wnough. Unless you take precautions as I did, this will never stop happening.

This is going to sound pretty gross (if you don't like pickles), but pickles or pickle juice works great in replacing lost Electrolytes. I have heard it is the vinegar......Motorola used this for years (maybe Disco still does). I have done this many times and it will stop cramping in its tracks as well.

I'm jumping on the deyhdration bandwagon. I tend to believe that most all endurance athletes, in the heat of the summer months. are always at least a degree of dehydrated, all the time. If that is the case, we're already at a slight disadvantage when starting out on a hot day, and it is really really hard, perhaps impossible, to truly stay perfectly hydrated.

Many sedentary types develop headaches at the end of the day from dehydration that develops simply while they sit at their desks. It makes sense to think that the problem would be much worse for an endurance athlete.

You don't say that you wake with these headaches, so your body is probably at least partially back in balance upon waking in the morning. I would suggest experimenting by drinking more throughout the earlier part of the day.

Not sure where folks get the idea that they're sodium depleted and that is causing their headaches, because without testing it is nearly impossible to diagnose that. I suspect they may feel that because when they take in salt they soon feel better, but I bet that they're drinking along with that salt intake, because most sodium rich foods aren't very easy to eat without drinking at the same time. I would suspect that the drinking is what is making them feel better. But what do I know? I'm just another one of the minions to be honest.

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Elivis needs boats.

a dill pickle, and tomata soup.

man i'm in heaven now.

now, taking a nap for a few hours always makes the headache go away.

interestingly, eating makes it worse. once it's hit me, all I can do is drink and rest.

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"the trouble with normal is - it always gets worse"

- Cockburn

For me the solution is caffeine--if I get a headache from dehydration, it's time for a big Coke and Excedrin. Caffeine dilates blood vessels, Coke has lots of it, and Excedrin is a combination of caffeine and aspirin. The headache starts to feel better quickly. I've tried a combination of Gatorade and Endurolytes, and it's not as effective.

Jeff

Doesn't you suggestion run the risk of hyponatremia? Recently saw an article on a DC police officer taking a mtb course who did just that, drank only water and died from electrolyte depletion. I am not offering medical advice but from what I've heard, salt intake for a healthy athlete is not to be avoided. Just drinking water when working out is really risky. If not hyponatermia then severe cramping. My friend cramped very severely (leg muscles seized to the point she looked like she was on steroids and couldn't get off the bike) after a 100K metric ride this past weekend and when we went back to review her intake for the ride, found she had not taken enough electrolytes in as she had thought, lots of water though as well as gatorade (which only has 110 mg sodium per serving). Hopefully this weekend will go better. In the heat we've been having in NC, we plan on taking 2-3 Endurolytes/hour (where each capsule has Sodium Chloride - 100 mg., Calcium (Chelate) - 50 mg., Magnesium (Chelate) - 25 mg., Potassium (Chelate) - 25 mg. , Vitamin B-6, Pyrodoxine HCL) - 6.6 mg., Manganese (Chelate) - 1.6 mg., L-Tyrosine - 50 mg.) I like being able to get off the bike without assistance.

I thought that hyponatremia was rare too but have been spotting more stories of victims recently. Agree with you on the amount of gatorade for just an hour run. However, in this heat we've been having here, on a 62 mile bike ride, I'd take 2-3 Endurolytes/hour or a Cranks E-Gel with water every 30-40 minutes. But for a sprint tri or TT, I rarely carry anything. Even for a slow person like me it's over pretty quickly.

well the endurolytes did the trick for me. I rode 25 friday, 25 saturday , and 40 today. I took 2-3 for each ride. Also, I bought some V-8 juice and drank a little can of that when I got home. And I bought a big jar of pickles.

just because I like em

seriously, my wife is amazed. Usually I come home from a ride in this ridiculous heat and just veg.

today I came home and painted a hallway.

thanks for the input everyone.

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"the trouble with normal is - it always gets worse"

- Cockburn