Post-ride shivers

[Alan O]

Now that the weather is getting colder, I've started suffering from quite intense shivering a little while after I get home from a ride. Yesterday, for example...

I rode a total of 74 miles, mostly in a group (but 15 miles alone to get to the start) at an average speed of 10mph, with a couple of lengthy stops.

The weather was very cold when I set out at 06:30, with frost, and I had to have a couple of 10-minute stops out of the wind chill to let my fingers and toes warm up. But by a couple of hours after sunrise it was very pleasant, and gradually got a warmer (if still bracing) through the day - and my fingers and toes were fine.

I didn't really feel cold at all when moving, but also didn't really generate any sweat - at least, my cycling clothes when I got home weren't even damp. I changed into several clean layers and was nice and warm, but after about an hour I was starting to get shivery, and half an hour after that I was so cold and shivering I was further layered up and in bed to keep warm.

Every time I've gone out in the cold recently, this has happened. Explanations I've read tend to focus on fairly high intensity workouts rather than a gentle cycling pootle, and put it down to continuing to sweat after stopping, dropping core body temperature too much. But I just wasn't sweating after I stopped - I remained as dry as the moment I stepped off the bike. And it's never happened when I have worked up a sweat in warmer weather, only when I'm riding in the cold.

I consumed plenty of kcals and fluids during the day, and clear urine showed no suspicion of dehydration.

Does this happen to anyone else? Any thoughts?

 

[vickster]

There's been a little discussion in the past
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/post-ride-shivers.229285/
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/i-get-colder-and-colder.226245/

 

[Alan O]

There's been a little discussion in the past
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/post-ride-shivers.229285/
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/i-get-colder-and-colder.226245/

Ah, thanks - I'll have a read of those.

 

[vickster]

Might be more if you stick shiver in the search box

 

[Alan O]

Might be more if you stick shiver in the search box

Thanks - I did a few searches (here and elsewhere), but all I really found were discussions that ended up pointing to https://blogs.scientificamerican.co...ng-and-thermoregulation-the-post-run-shivers/

But that's essentially about the continuation of sweating after stopping exercise, which cools down the core too much. But as I say, gentle pootle, no sweat - and I don't seem to fit the profile of that Scicurious writer.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I get this after long winter rides. Merino LS tops have helped. I also wear thin merino gloves under my usual ones. And a buff. Thin undersocks under the usual summer ones and overshoes. Hot drinks. Warm pub at the end.

 

[Alan O]

Interesting, thanks folks. I'm pretty sure it wasn't dehydration, as I drank 0.5L of water before I left, 1.75L of hydration mix plus 1L of commercial drinks while out, and I was peeing just fine.

I also wasn't feeling cold while riding (apart from the very early morning, but I soon warmed up) and I'd have been too warm with any extra layers. (As an aside, I can't wear any kind of wool against my skin, even merino, as it brings be out in a nasty itchy rash).

Warm pub at the end does sound good, and it was on offer at the end of the group ride (and then train home). But I needed to ride back to get in a 100km ride this month.

 

[mjr]

Interesting, thanks folks. I'm pretty sure it wasn't dehydration, as I drank 0.5L of water before I left, 1.75L of hydration mix plus 1L of commercial drinks while out, and I was peeing just fine.

I also wasn't feeling cold while riding (apart from the very early morning, but I soon warmed up) and I'd have been too warm with any extra layers. (As an aside, I can't wear any kind of wool against my skin, even merino, as it brings be out in a nasty itchy rash).

That sounds familiar, except that I don't much bother with hydration mix or commercial drinks. Mine isn't restricted to cycling either and it's a very faster. I can go walk around outside in the current near-zero for a few minutes and I'll only start shivering after I return to a warm building. That has its uses, but I suspect it's not really a good thing to get so cold and only to react after it's irrelevant! I don't remember going out in the cold underdressed for more than a few minutes and with the reports from others like yourself of shivering lasting longer and getting deeper, I'm not inclined to try!

I can't wear wool against my skin either, so I wear merino for warmth over thin loose-weave cotton long-sleeve T shirts as a base layer. Loads of people rant against cotton base layers, but I think they're mainly a problem if they get wet with sweat and then get cold - I'm not sweating, so that's not a problem. I think bamboo can do both jobs as a single non-irritating base layer but it's often blended with plastics which stink quickly, which is annoying. I've also a nice Rapha technical cotton T-shirt which is pretty warm, but not warm enough to use alone for this weekend's 3°c.

 

[bikingdad90]

Symptom of hypothermia and the body heating up to fast after getting warm?

 

[Alan O]

That sounds familiar, except that I don't much bother with hydration mix or commercial drinks.

My hydration mix is just 6 teaspoons of sugar plus one teaspoon of salt per litre of water (more salt than standard ORT, for sweat replacement - not so important in this weather).

Loads of people rant against cotton base layers, but I think they're mainly a problem if they get wet with sweat and then get cold - I'm not sweating, so that's not a problem.

Same. I have half a dozen thin cotton ones, and they make very comfortable base layers. My cycle clothing almost never gets wet with sweat - when it is warm enough for me to sweat, I wear sufficiently few layers so it evaporates in the breeze. The only time I do get sweaty-wet is if I have to wear a waterproof, and I hate that wet feeling whatever fabric I'm wearing.

 

[Alan O]

Symptom of hypothermia and the body heating up to fast after getting warm?

Hmm, yes, I guess it's possible that even if I don't feel cold, that's to some extent psychological and I'm actually just not noticing my core getting a bit too cold.

 

[CXRAndy]

Your pace wasnt sufficient to generate heat, even riding in winter you need to get a bit of a sweat on. Wear a full length lycra base layer with a wicking cotton layer ontop and further layers if cold . Lycra keeps moisture away from skin.


On another note, i had a sweat on this week, but I was riding in Gran Canaria . I dont
ride outdoors in the UK in autumn through to spring-all indoor turbo training

 

[mjr]

Your pace wasnt sufficient to generate heat, even riding in winter you need to get a bit of a sweat on. Wear a full length lycra base layer with a wicking cotton layer ontop and further layers if cold . Lycra keeps moisture away from skin.

Like wool, Lycra irritates some people's skin.

No-one needs to "get a bit of a sweat on" IMO. Balance clothing and effort to reach and keep a steady temperature state.

On another note, i had a sweat on this week, but I was riding in Gran Canaria . I dont ride outdoors in the UK in autumn through to spring-all indoor turbo training

So the above advice is based on how much experience of riding in cold UK weather?

 

[Alan O]

Your pace wasnt sufficient to generate heat

Well, to be pedantic, we homeotherms have no choice but to generate heat, whatever pace we're moving at

Sufficient heat, of course, is the issue, and I'm not convinced we need to sweat to achieve it - in fact, sweating is an indication that we're generating too much heat. Having said that, I guess sweating does give us an indication that we are at least generating enough heat, whereas a lack of sweat doesn't indicate anything either way - could be fine, could be too cold. But either way, I wouldn't deliberately get myself sweaty, not on social occasions (which is what my rides are).

Wear a full length lycra base layer...

And no, I'm not wearing lycra - nothing against those who do, but it's definitely not for me at my age on my vintage touring bike (not even as a base layer)

Just another thought about cotton - decades ago, before everyone wore lycra and other cycling-specific clothing, I seem to remember cotton being recommended as an ideal layering fabric and being comfortable and easy to wash. It's certainly the most comfortable material I've ever worn against my skin.

 

[Alan O]

[QUOTE 5425740, member: 9609"]May be (unlikely but will give it a mention) you are pooling cold blood in your arms and when you get indoors and circulation gets back to normal the cold blood in your arms is dropping the core temp.

This can be an issue with people submersed in cold water, the body restricts flow to the limbs to preserve core temp, then if the patient is warmed too quickly all that cold blood in the arms and legs flowing back into the core can cause problems. Obviously as a cyclist your legs won't be cold, but may be there could be enough cold blood in the arms?[/QUOTE]
Interesting thought, and extra thanks for reminding me of Hancock ("Why, that's very nearly an armful.")