More Heat Tips

Tuesday July 18, 2006 by Terri Gooch

From Crew Chief Extraordinaire; Sandy Earl

Here’s some of my advice for crews versus heat. Strategically, it looks like worst heat pressure of this race is going to be on Bakeoven Road; NWS shows Maupin @107 on Saturday and most solo racers will be hitting there sometime in the noon hour. Clarno will also be an area to be very cognizant of rider heat stress – hot and climbing through exposed rock faces in the afternoon. 40+ hour solo riders (i.e. most of us) will also be contending with serious heat issues on Sunday through the Prineville/Madras areas, so recovery/rehydration on Saturday night into Sunday morning will be critical to success.

Under these conditions it is NOT unheard of for riders to lose a gram of electrolytes and 2 quarts of fluid per hour. Crews MUST stay on top of this. Riders should be offered carb/electrolyte containing beverages FIRST before plain water.

Large muscle cramps are common in heat. Electrolyte loss is a common culprit. Start with minimum suggested dose of your electrolyte supplement along the climb to Government Camp and increase as needed. Some manufacturers suggest that the formation of salt crystals on the skin means that you’re taking in too much; that indicator has never worked for me. The more heat-acclimated you are the fewer electrolytes you will lose.

All crews should be aware of the early symptoms of heat exhaustion and take vigorous countermeasures because it can rapidly lead to heat stroke:

Heat exhaustion

  • Often pale with cool, moist skin
  • Sweating profusely
  • Feels faint or has collapsed
  • May be complaining of headache, weakness, thirst, and nausea
  • Core (rectal) temperature elevated (usually more than 100°F)
  • Increased Pulse Rate

Heat stroke

  • Unconscious or has a markedly abnormal mental status
  • Flushed, hot, and dry skin (although it may be moist initially from previous sweating or from attempts to cool the person with water)
  • May experience dizziness, confusion, or delirium
  • May have slightly elevated blood pressure at first that falls later
  • May be hyperventilating
  • Rectal (core) temperature of 105°F or more

Far be it from me to suggest bringing a rectal thermometer to RAO (that would be a cheap salami trick and Lord knows we’re not into that at Team Youngren); however it is not unheard-of. It’s also relatively easy to use a HRM rough gauge of hydration – HR up, blood volume down….

When in doubt whether you’re dealing with heat exhaustion or heat stroke, err on the side of caution. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Sustained high core temperatures can be lethal. If your rider shows signs of heatstroke, his/her ride is OVER. Call EMS, bring the rider into a shaded, air-conditioned van, keep him/her moist, and follow the 9-1-1 operator’s instructions until EMS arrives.

Suggestions for dealing with mild heat exhaustion:

  • evaporative cooling – fan + water over rider
  • ice packs at armpit and groin (areas where large veins pass close to the surface).
  • cool drinks, especially carb/electrolyte drinks.

Preventive measures (keeping the rider from having heat exhaustion while on the bike) include proper hydration and evaporative cooling.

When using water for keeping your rider cool DURING the race, don’t soak his/her shorts. Soggy chamois = no bliss. Concentrate on head, neck, back, and thighs. A cool mist helps. Get a cheap weedsprayer – no matter how many times you rinse it out, don’t use the one that Uncle Lou uses for the roses, get a new one and mark it H20 ONLY for obvious reasons (such as that the symptoms of malathion poisoning are a lot like the symptoms of heatstroke…). Ice can be tucked into jersey pockets, tied in a bandanna or towel around his/her neck,....

Expect to fall behind on feeding during the worst of the heat. Physiologically the body is sending blood to working muscle and MORE blood to the skin for cooling, so there is almost no working capacity left for digestion. Make it up at night with calorie-dense foods. Salty snacks, nuts, GORP, sandwiches, basically whatever you can get the rider to take. During the day, lighter foods and beverages will go in better. Add salt to everything.

Don’t neglect crew hydration either. Even moderate dehydration will make the crew less effective, which hurts the rider.

Bring one extra cooler JUST FOR ICE. Make sure it’s full at the start and consider ice to be as important as gasoline to the van – i.e. you won’t get far without it, so don’t be in danger of running out.

If your rider unzips his/her jersey all the way to increase ventilation make sure that he/she gets sunscreen on his/her chest. Experience speaking here. Ouch. Many cyclists NEVER see sun there.

You will be running AC nonstop in the van (since the rider is paying for the gas and hopefully has signed on SMART and EMPOWERED people to crew). In conjunction with the low speed of travel, this puts extra stress on the vehicle’s alternator. Double-check all belts and hoses before the race. Consider bringing a spare alternator belt. Take any funny squealing alternator belt noises VERY SERIOUSLY. Again – words of experience.

When possible, park the van in shady spots while doing leapfrog support. This should be a "duh" but sometimes we forget. Don’t let the rider stop in sunny areas if possible; find him/her some shade.

Team riders who use LOOK-style plastic cleats should bring cleat covers and/or limit their time standing on the road in cleats; meltdowns have been documented at these temperatures. Losing the ability to clip in due to melted cleats would suck, but don’t expect the solo riders to have any sympathy.



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