Spitting, what is the body telling me?

Okay, you asked, so I'll tell you what I think...

Does your nose run, too, when you are biking? I think this all has to do with sweating... That runny nose is not a runny nose, it's sweating mucous membranes (sorry to use the "m" word). Your extra saliva may fall into the same category, or be a result of nasal run off.

Okay, you say, that's sweet, but what can I do about it, then? Well, I think proper breathing technique can help a lot to keep the whole saliva/M.M.-Sweat thing in check. For exaple, try to get in the habit of inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. I know it's a lot to think about in the heat of action, but it helps for many reasons. Keeps you fro swallowing air. Keeps your mouth from drying and then recompensating with 10 gallons of spit. Lets your nose filter the dust particles.

Give it the proverbial whirl and let me know if it helped....

S

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by stormer94
Frankly, I think spitting is a pretty nasty thing to do. I try not to do it when I'm out and about. Lately, however, during hard rides, I notice that when I'm working HARD up a climb, and the pulse is way up it seems like I need to hauk a loogie about every 15 seconds or it seems as though I will die.

I would like to nip this nasty habit in the bud. I don't like it, but in the face of what feels like "death" if I don't, I end up doing it. What's the deal?

I can't imagine following a guy with this habit, and I don't want to be that guy either. I can't help but think there is not a lot of loogie hauking in a TDF peloton.

What's the deal? What is a persons body telling you? I know this sounds like a silly topic, but I am flat curious what's going on.

Thanks,
-B

Interesting thoughts.

I know on 155-160bpm climbs, there is no way I'm gonna be doing any breathing in through the nose. It's in and out every available opening, as fast as I can stuff the air in and out... 🙂

I'm gonna try the breathing thing though. I also thought about he mucous and sweating thing. Looking for opinions and thoughts.

I thin unfortunately that the spitting thing is natural, unpleasant sure, but natural.

I agree with Stormer, when I'm knocking out 170- 180 bpm up a climb, desperately trying to hang on to the back wheel of someone whose a stone lighter than me. I'm far more likely to be able to breathe through my [censored] than I am my nose.

But maybe thats just me.

Happy cycling,

Goldfishboy...

Just had a thought. Ted have you considered trying different sports drinks in different strengths. i used to have a really bad problem with sticky saliva whilst MTB racing, turned out my sports drink just had to much glucose in it, a weaker solution works much better for me.

I know from previous threads you make up your own powder and probably know more about this subject than I do but it's worth a look.

Ya, I hear what you're saying about just taking in the air any way you can get it, and I don't live in Montana, where I imagine you've got some steep climbs. But breathing technique is an interesting topic, think I might do a little research to see what I come up with. I have a hunch that it can help, if not eradicate, the excess saliva thing.

I've had to find a solution (especially to the runny nose thing), because as a woman, spitting when cycling/running, or worse, clearing my nose sans kleenex, is perhaps even less attractive...

But it is less of a problem for me now, and I do have a "standard" breathing technique I now naturally fall into when I'm really working... it's gotten better.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Goldfishboy
Just had a thought. Ted have you considered trying different sports drinks in different strengths. i used to have a really bad problem with sticky saliva whilst MTB racing, turned out my sports drink just had to much glucose in it, a weaker solution works much better for me. I know from previous threads you make up your own powder and probably know more about this subject than I do but it's worth a look.

FWIW, in very hot weather where I expect to increase my fluid intake significantly for a given unit of time, I thin the solution. You can only absorb so much carbohydate in a given period of time. Therefore, if you need to ingest more fluid in that same period of time, it makes sense to adjust the carbohydrate concentration accordingly.

This has turned out to be a suprisingly interesting thread.

less'go, What's a "kleenex"? :p

I haven't ridden with anything other than water in the last years. "Back in the day" when I was younger, etc, I used to drink a product called Cytomax on ries. It never occured to me that what a person drinks might effect saliva output. Wonder if Cytomax is still around? It seemed to take some leg burn out of my riding.

May have to experiment with things to drink on rides.

I could do without the nose cleanings as well, as less'go mentioned. In fact, that is worse, now that I think about it, but it happens less than the saliva problem, thankfully. 🙂

Yea, the spitting can get annoying. but if I don't, my mouth starts to just be 'dry' saliva, no real moisture, as a result, it tastes really weird.

Spitting obviously isn't 'attractive', but I think it kind of comes with the territory. Just watch where you spit. lol

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by stormer94
This has turned out to be a suprisingly interesting thread.

less'go, What's a "kleenex"? :p

I haven't ridden with anything other than water in the last years. "Back in the day" when I was younger, etc, I used to drink a product called Cytomax on ries. It never occured to me that what a person drinks might effect saliva output. Wonder if Cytomax is still around? It seemed to take some leg burn out of my riding.

May have to experiment with things to drink on rides.

I could do without the nose cleanings as well, as less'go mentioned. In fact, that is worse, now that I think about it, but it happens less than the saliva problem, thankfully. 🙂

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Goldfishboy
I agree with Stormer, when I'm knocking out 170- 180 bpm up a climb, desperately trying to hang on to the back wheel of someone whose a stone lighter than me. I'm far more likely to be able to breathe through my [censored] than I am my nose.

But maybe thats just me.

Happy cycling,

Goldfishboy...

[censored], hell i am trying to suck in air throw my eyeballs and ears as well😄

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by stormer94
T
less'go, What's a "kleenex"? :p

Did I say Kleenex? Sorry, I meant "quality disposable facial tissue squares". I always have a couple tucked under my bra strap when I go out riding... Trick I learned from my Grandma.

BTW, Does one hauk a loogie, hawk a loogie or hock a loogie?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by less'go
BTW, Does one hauk a loogie, hawk a loogie or hock a loogie?

I believe where "loogies" are concerned it's "hauk". But I'm not so sure that "hauk" is even a word.... Likely neither is "loogie"... lol

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jcjordan
[censored], hell i am trying to suck in air throw my eyeballs and ears as well😄

<--- Gonna try that breathing through the eyeballs and ears thing, Anythings gotta help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🙂

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by less'go
Did I say Kleenex? Sorry, I meant "quality disposable facial tissue squares". I always have a couple tucked under my bra strap when I go out riding... Trick I learned from my Grandma.

Under the strap or in the cup? I have heard of such things. People assume women "stuff" to augment size bit it could just be for extra padding in case of a crash! Ha ha. I have read a lot of your posts Less'go and I see your sassy nature so I figured you would appreciate the humor.

Well, FWIW, here's some info on the etymology of both hawking and loogies.

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/lang/h.htm. Lists the following synonyms for the loogie act...

Hawk A Loogie, Hock A Loogie, Hawk A Louie, Hawk A Lungie, Hawk A Lunger, Etc =
To cough up phlegm.

As per location of the "facial tissu" that birdman mentioned, you just kind of stick it, and occasionally other loose items such as money, under the strap at the top, use it like a bungee cord! sometimes it works its way down into the cup, but that's alright, there's not enough room for it to go very far.

Just for the record, I only stuff my bra for utilities' sake. SOrry, fellas, you'll have to find somewhere else to lodge your facial tissues, unless we have some cross-dressing cyclists here?

Okay, I take it back, breathing through the nose is not possible when you're really pumping it... Tested it out this morning. Mea Culpa.

Tested it out this morning. Mea Culpa.

I see this thread has deteriorated, and caused me much anxiaty,

Firstly how am i going to explain to the wife that i need to wear her bra for the sole purpose of retaining my square paper toweled tissues for safe keeping on a ride.

And secondly is there some poor spelling here because if and when the occassion has arisen for me to excrete fluid from my facial opening, im certain it was'nt a "loogie, logie or whatever"
im convinced it was a 'lung' wanting to get out of my rib cage.