Post ride irritability need help

[bryanquinn]

Hey all,
I've been really irritable post ride lately, down right cranky and very hard to live with. It usually lasts for 1 to 2 days. I hate the way I feel when this happens. I'm kind of spacey and really feel like I have no control of how I am acting at times. I'm not sure if part of it is because I'm dehydrated or not, but I have taken to weighing myself pre and post ride and am trying to replenish the amount of water I have lost. It usually is about a pound for a three hour ride. I don't know how long it takes to replenish this amount though. It seems like quite a lot of loss to me. I do however try to stay hydrated on the bike. I take in about 32 to 64 ounces of water for a ride like this then continue to sip through out the day. Because I am eating in between I don't know if I have actually consumed the whole amount. Sometimes I will also stop towards the end of my ride and get a bottle of Gator aid or orange juice and pour it into my bottle and drink that.
Can someone please help? I don't know if I am depleting a mineral, or what else might be happening.

 

[garage sale GT]

If you are depleting a mineral, sodium, potassium, or magnesium would be good guesses.

 

[Scotty_Dog]

I'm kind of spacey and really feel like I have no control of how I am acting at times.

Sounds like a blood glucose issue to me. Anyone in your family a diabetic? I would see a doctor regarding this problem.

 

[bubsy]

Normal mate!
Residual fatigue low vit/mineral stores and just in a general overreached state will make me feel EXACTLY as you described and as l train quite hard and frequently this is just something l have to live with with,
The things that bring me back to feeling like a normal human being again faster aren't so much hydration levels but making sure getting a nutritious post ride meal IMMEDIATELY after stepping of the bike and continuing to keep on top of nutrition for the coming days as well as plenty of rest before anymore hard traing blocks can resume, if l skimp on nutrition at anytime when training hard then the symtoms you describe get a hell of a lot worse for me and last a hell of a lot longer.
The thing is.... as l have gotten faster, (more aerobically powerful) even though the hours l train and types of rides l do don't change the calorie requirements have gone up an enormous amount,
It took a while for me to get it into my head that just because l was doing the same amount of hours training l still actually needed to increase the calories l was consuming and like l said when l don't keep on top of this as well plenty of quality sleep moreso on the days l am resting/recovering then l end up like the 'cranky bear with the sore head' again going into the next block of hard training.
lf your training whilst tired/fatigued and feeling cranky with the world and don't have a good rest period coming up then it's likely that nothing will ever change and you will continue going round and round on this emotional roller coaster (Been there done that)
IOW Suck it up and deal with it... or train less, less hard, or less frequent even if just for a week or 2 or find another hobby or interest that doesn't physically wear you down as much, but its just part and parcel of hard training some handle it better than others and some get better at dealing with it as l have leared to do over the years.

 

[tonyzackery]

Sounds like a blood glucose issue to me. Anyone in your family a diabetic? I would see a doctor regarding this problem.

I'm going with this. Diagnosis of an apparent chemical imbalance is best left to an individual with an acronym(s) before/behind his/her name - better yet, a sports dr.

Sounds pretty odd to me as almost exclusively the folks I ride with feel much BETTER after riding - the endorphin thing and all...

 

[bubsy]

Yeh almost everyone feels great strait after riding including me but eventually that subsides and if there is work to do later that day its a struggle to get through it,
not sure if l know too many people that can do say... 3 x 20 and then head off to work as though they've just jumped out of bed and ready to tackle the world, l certainly can't,
Also the op states it lasts for 1-2 days afterwards so if in an overreached state than it is perfectly normal for me and most folks l know to feel this way and at a guess the op needs to take some off or tone down the rides,

But as always if symtoms persist see your doctor and get some blood work done.
Also Bryan hasn't mentioned how long or hard these rides are and what other activities he has been doing leading up to this fatiged state so could be lots of contibuting factors we don't know about, it all adds up and plays a part.
It would be good if he chime back in and let us know how it works out.

 

[bryanquinn]

Sounds like a blood glucose issue to me. Anyone in your family a diabetic? I would see a doctor regarding this problem.

Nah...we're all good as far as no one being diabetic in the fam.

 

[bryanquinn]

Normal mate!
Residual fatigue low vit/mineral stores and just in a general overreached state will make me feel EXACTLY as you described and as l train quite hard and frequently this is just something l have to live with with,
The things that bring me back to feeling like a normal human being again faster aren't so much hydration levels but making sure getting a nutritious post ride meal IMMEDIATELY after stepping of the bike and continuing to keep on top of nutrition for the coming days as well as plenty of rest before anymore hard traing blocks can resume, if l skimp on nutrition at anytime when training hard then the symtoms you describe get a hell of a lot worse for me and last a hell of a lot longer.
The thing is.... as l have gotten faster, (more aerobically powerful) even though the hours l train and types of rides l do don't change the calorie requirements have gone up an enormous amount,
It took a while for me to get it into my head that just because l was doing the same amount of hours training l still actually needed to increase the calories l was consuming and like l said when l don't keep on top of this as well plenty of quality sleep moreso on the days l am resting/recovering then l end up like the 'cranky bear with the sore head' again going into the next block of hard training.
lf your training whilst tired/fatigued and feeling cranky with the world and don't have a good rest period coming up then it's likely that nothing will ever change and you will continue going round and round on this emotional roller coaster (Been there done that)
IOW Suck it up and deal with it... or train less, less hard, or less frequent even if just for a week or 2 or find another hobby or interest that doesn't physically wear you down as much, but its just part and parcel of hard training some handle it better than others and some get better at dealing with it as l have leared to do over the years.

I have started considering my nutrition more as of late. generally I ride in the morning getting back to the house right before lunch, so I'll drink a serving of endurox (not trying to promote it in anyway here) then eat lunch within 30 to 45 mins. I don't eat a lot of greens but do supplement with B vitamins. I get a lot of protein in my meals, some times supplementing with egg white protein.
Sleep is sometimes a problem with me as I have BPH that sometimes causes me to be up more during the night than at other times. I try not to let this interfere with my rides but some times I have to cancel. Other times I suck it up and force myself to go out. On these days I "do" have more of a problem with cranky issues.
I have also started resting more on the 4th week of training hoping this will help.
Thanks for your input!
B.

 

[bryanquinn]

Yeh almost everyone feels great strait after riding including me but eventually that subsides and if there is work to do later that day its a struggle to get through it,
not sure if l know too many people that can do say... 3 x 20 and then head off to work as though they've just jumped out of bed and ready to tackle the world, l certainly can't,
Also the op states it lasts for 1-2 days afterwards so if in an overreached state than it is perfectly normal for me and most folks l know to feel this way and at a guess the op needs to take some off or tone down the rides,

But as always if symtoms persist see your doctor and get some blood work done.
Also Bryan hasn't mentioned how long or hard these rides are and what other activities he has been doing leading up to this fatiged state so could be lots of contibuting factors we don't know about, it all adds up and plays a part.
It would be good if he chime back in and let us know how it works out.

My rides are usually 2 to 3 hours long and in the 65 to 85% of max HR. This has been coming down more as of late and I am able to stay more in the 65% MHR range. At least 1 day a week I try to do an hour of intervals, and 1 group a week when schedule permits. Last week a 4 hour ride was followed by 2 hours on the beach shooting a wedding. (that was difficult).
I have been dropping around 1.5 to 1 pound of weight per week as my fitness improves.
Also I have been taking an omega 3 supplement for the past 2 nights and this has improved my sleep.

 

[bryanquinn]

Thank you all for your input. It's great to know that I have a forum I can go to and get help when I have something going on I can't put a finger on.
Keep the rubber side down!
B.

 

[jhuskey]

A thryroid imbalance can cause these symptoms also. A blood analysis can tell you a lot about what is going on.

 

[garage sale GT]

1/4 of the laxative dose of epsom salts would tell you if you needed magnesium. Salt substitute is potassium chloride. These things would give a strong indication because they are salts and dissolve as soon as they are put in water, unlike milk or (most) calcium/magnesium tablets.

 

[11ring]

Buddy it sounds like hypoglycemia make sure you get lots of carbs straight after riding- any sugary **** is good. Don't worry so much about the protein you don't need that much.

At other times, get lots of low GI carbs this really aids in glycogen storage and general control over blood sugar levels.

Carbs are your best friend.