hobkirk

Sometimes 1-2 hours after a cold ride I feel "chilled to the bone" even though I only got moderately cold while riding and don't sweat much (hat soaked).

• I will come in to my 70° house, sit at my desk, upload my ride, and get distracted. I drink cold water, typically about 20 ounces.
• After 1-2 hours, I will start to feel cold.
• Sometimes my fingers will start to tingle.
• In the hot shower -
  • if it hasn't happened before, my fingers will start to tingle. This can last 15 minutes.
  • the hot water has little impact on feeling cold.
• Hydration? Yesterday (2 hour ride):
  • I peed before leaving, I felt I had a slight urge to pee during the ride, I did pee as soon as I got home, and I peed in the shower 90 minutes later.
  • I only drank about 1/2 bottle of water during ride, probably more than my total sweat -
    • My hat got soaked but nothing was dripping off the brim, my T-shirt back damp).
  • I drank a pint of cold water before I started to feel chilled.

OK! I'm bad! I am sure I should strip and shower immediately. But I'm still curious:

1. What is happening? Why do my fingers tingle?
2. Is there a cure for feeling "chilled to the bone"?
   • I've tried long hot baths (adding hot water as needed to keep it hot), but they didn't seem to do anything special.

Background: I'm 72, this has happened at least since I was 30 (although it would have been running and hiking), I ride 1.5 to 3.5 hours 3 times a week, and I'm fat (6'1", 230).

Bikewolf

I guess it may have to do something with your body having trouble adjusting to the new temperature.

You’re no longer in motion, you probably have been sweating nonetheless...

Never drink cold water (has to be room temperature). My suggestion: enjoy a hot cup of tea or warm milk.

(And maybe try a synthetic/Merino wool mesh wicking base layer.)

As you say, take a shower immediately after your activity.

Hapsmo911

When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked?

Carbonfiberboy 

Another vote for the doctor. Or . . .

Tell us the temperature and weather during your ride and exactly what you were wearing. I have a sneaking hunch that might have something to do with it. I grew up in Fairbanks and ride long distances in cold rain. Quote me, please.

TimothyH

Get out of the cold and/or wet clothing right away.

If your skin is chilled at all then cycle clothing will not let the warmth penetrate and you will stay cold.

Just change into something dry, that's all. Comfy PJ's while you upload the ride and sip your favorite recovery drink.


-Tim-

WNCGoater

I have similar experience though not as severe or long. I think that even though we are exercising, we FEEL warm or even hot and don't wear TOO many layer so as to not overheat but down in our core, it is being affected by colder air temps and the chill factor. Sounds like your core temp is dropping slightly and it takes a while to get it back up to normal. On cold rides when I finish, I tend to feel cold for an hour or so, even though I was sweating and warm while riding, but putting on a jacket or something usually helps. I also believe you aren't drinking enough. When you exercise, you sweat even on cold days. Cold air is usually dryer this time of year and we don't get soaked like in the summer humid air. The sweat evaporates quicker cooling our skin but you can darn sure get just as dehydrated. I believe we sweat way more than we think during cold rides. Fingers tingling could also indicate lowered core temperature. The body reduces blood flow to the extremities first when trying to preserve the core temp.


Anyway, I'm no doc nor anyway an expert or sports authority. I'm just speculating. I'd try to make it a point to drink more as I ride and maybe eat a snack too. If you are cold after a ride, some warm tea or coffee may help. If it continues a doc may need to be seen.

hobkirk

As stated, this has happened often over the last 40 years (except the tingling fingers, I think that only started in recent years*). But to answer you questions:

• On this day, it was about 45° and sunny
• I had not bothered to put on a wicking T-shirt. I was wearing a regular cotton T.
  • I know this must have been a significant factor: the first place I felt cold [after an hour] was my back which was damp.
• The rest of my clothes were my standard "in the 40's wear" -
  • Smart Wool socks, Lycra leg warmers, bib shorts, a Castelli cycling jacket, cycling gloves, and a baseball cap to tame the sun.
  • I always carry stuff in my handlebar bag that I would wear if it's under 40°: neck gaiter, fleece hat w/ ear flaps, and a rarely worn nylon shell (all except a long-sleeve nylon T).
  • Around 35° I need to add nylon over-mitts, which I also always take.
• When I got home. I didn't really feel warm but I also didn't feel chilled. I had no sense I wish I'd worn more or less. My average heart rate was normal.

So you are certainly right about what I was wearing was a factor.

I asked this Q in Bike Forums because there is an impressive array of knowledge (including you, CF Boy). And I suspected that this might be somewhat typical among people who push their limits (pretty common among cyclists). Now I think it might not be so common.

* I have severe attention deficit. I don't remember details well.

hobkirk

My BP seems to range all over the place.

• Doctors always tell me it's fine, altho I don't remember the numbers. In the last 5 years, after a lifetime of rarely needing a doctor, I've had prostate cancer, breast cancer, new knee, new hip, and a broken pelvis (the last two from my only 2 cycling mishaps). So LOTS of BP measurement! 4 surgeries, chemo, radiation.
• I get an annual checkup every 2 years or so. BP has never been a concern.
• Measuring it myself, using 2 older instruments (they agree with each other) -
  • 2 nights ago (the night of the ride I'm discussing): 127/83 (that seemed low)
  • Last night: 156/79 (this seems more typical, as far as I can remember)

So a pertinent and good question, but it doesn't seem to clarify much as far as I can tell.

Spoonrobot 

After hours outside in cold weather I too can stand in a hot shower for a very long time without really warming up. Instead I now drink hot water/tea/soup/etc and I can go from frozen and chattering teeth to sweating in less than 15 minutes.

Eating/drinking hot foods is a cornerstone of a good rewarming drill. I first saw it at the link below and have incorporated the sentiment into my winter rides since then. I can ride a lot longer with more comfort now.

https://gizmodo.com/how-the-navy-sea...sur-1737644998

If you're going for a 2 hour ride and then not eating for 1-2 hours and only drinking a small amount of cold water your body is reducing those heat making automatic processes and slowing your metabolism to converse the calories it does have. Especially if you're sitting and not being active. This is also probably why your fingers tingle, age/exertion contributing.

TimothyH

^^

That is a good article. Bookmarked.


-Tim-

hobkirk

I concur - excellent link. Thank you "Rewarming" is an excellent word I just added to my vocabulary.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, good article. Except for Smartwool socks, I haven't worn cotton or wool while exercising outdoors in 40 years. Or worn anything waterproof. Note how the frost was on the outside of their jackets. Not waterproof! The only way you can dry is for your gear to be very breathable from the skin all the way out. So-called "breathable" garments really aren't.

I have a test for outer layers: I hold the item to my mouth and attempt to suck air through it. If no air movement, no good. But too much air movement also no good. It should be possible to suck air, but not a lot.

Inner layers all need to be synthetic layers which the wind would go right through, so porous. Keeping the wind out is what the wind shell does. Keeping you warm is what the insulating layers do. One of the worst garments I own is a PI softshell jacket. Its insulation holds water and its windproof construction keeps it from drying. No matter what the weather, I just get wetter and wetter in it. On a long rain ride, the thing gets to weigh like 5 lbs. It's still warm, but incredibly heavy and it'll never dry except in a warm room. Totally the opposite of what those Seals were wearing.

Next to the skin, a Craft undershirt. Next some sort of jersey, then a windshell over the top as necessary. On the bottom, appropriate tights, which can get complicated, but in general legs don't get cold like the upper body because they're working. I have leg warmers plus tights of 3 different weights and materials for different conditions. If I pick the next warmer weight from what I really needed it's no problem because non-waterproof tights don't hold sweat.

As far as the tingling fingers, that sounds like an individual issue. Reynaud's Syndrome? I have several riding buddies with that. They just can't get cold because if they do, the circulation to their extremities shuts down. I've had tingling fingers myself at the end of a cold, wet ride, from inadequate gloves. I've had excruciatingly painful fingers and feet from getting my hands or feet too cold during Alaskan winters. My cure for that was simply to jog for 1/2 mile. That'd fix me right up. Similarly on the bike, if you get cold, try riding harder.

I have no opinion on hot food and liquids, simply because I've never had the need to do that. I can see how it would work. A hot shower always feels good though.

Machka 

I get the chilled to the bone thing in moderately cool temperatures (-15C to +15C approx.) ... inside or outside.

In other words, I can go into our unheated "basement" where the temp is maybe 15C or so, do an hour on the trainer, and about 30 minutes later, I'm chilled to the bone and it takes forever to warm up.

And it often happens when I ride outside in those temps. I'm fine while riding, but then about 30 minutes later ... chilled.

I wear wicking clothes while cycling.
I change out of my cycling clothes immediately after the ride.
I turn the heat up in the house.
I take hot showers.
I wrap myself in fleece and bathrobes and all sorts.
I have a hot drink.

There's no reason whatsoever that I should be chilled to the bone or that I should be chilled to the bone for several hours after the ride. And yet ... I am.

I'm just accepted it as part of riding in moderately cool temps.



I do wonder about Reynaud's Syndrome when it comes to your tingling fingers ... do they turn blue too?

Machka 

BTW - the chilled to the bone thing doesn't just happen to cyclists. It also happens to runners and others who workout.

Have a look at this article:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com...t-run-shivers/

dabac

IME, activity can mask a lowered body temperature fairly well, which then appears as a delayed reaction.
For short rides(abt 1 hour) my fix is post-ride routine discipline.
For longer rides, or rides starting on an empty stomach, it's regular snacks during ride AND post-ride routine discipline.
At the very least, get out of wet clothing and into dry "first thing" after ride.
Shower helps.
A snack helps.


Sweating or not is a very personal indicator.
My body run on a simplified algorithm.
Pulse up = sweat on.
Only times I can work hard w/o breaking a sweat is when I'm actually freezing.
Only that it's masked by being active until I stop.
First time I got home from a winter commute with a dry back I was happy to have finally dialed in my clothing right.
That's the standard response - if you're sweating, you're overdressed, end of story.
But then I discovered that I couldn't open my door.
Couldn't manage the lock.
Had to be helped in, helped out of my clothes and into the bath.
In hindsight, that kind of rapid heating probably wasn't the smartest move.
I was so cold that I had to warm up before I even started shaking.

banerjek

I was also wondering about Reynaud's, because mine often kicks in long after I've returned.

I don't know what's actually going on, but my operating theory is that while you're working hard, the warm blood is pumping nicely through your system -- i.e. heating up your fingers with nice warm blood helps keep them warm which keeps blood vessels big so more warm blood can flow for a nice self reinforcing cycle.

I have found that keeping my forearms warm noticeably helps with Reynaud's

Carbonfiberboy 

That's really interesting. I'm a sweater. My wife sweats a lot less than I do and has to dress a little warmer. Though we both work just as hard on the tandem, I put out more watts than she does and thus generate more metabolic heat which I have to get rid of.

I've never had the "chilled" reaction and have never ridden with anyone who has. We all head for a tavern and drink cold beer immediately after a cold rain ride. No problem. That said, I was once on a long rain ride with a fellow who got chilled and had to make the call of shame from a grocery store. He was long gone, so we had to really push him to make the call. But that was probably inadequate clothing. Thus my guess is that being chilled is always inadequate clothing.

My rule for cool/cold weather riding is shiver in the parking lot, sweat copiously on the bike, wear clothing to cope with all that.

Iride01 

1/2 bottle of water for a 2 hour ride. I'd think you need to drink more fluids during that ride. I have the same trouble though. I really have to make myself drink when the temps go down. In low temps, you can't judge hydration just by sweat. Urine counts too.

Whether that is part of your problem I can't say. But you might try to drink more, at least a full bottle and part of another for any other two hour rides you do between now and seeing the doctor.

Machka 

Yeah ... this is something that has to be experienced and it goes beyond the little sayings we all know.

"The Chill" doesn't seem to be related to what I wear, and as I mentioned, it only happens in a range of moderately cool temps. When it gets really cold, it doesn't happen.

It will happen whether I'm exercising indoors or out, and whether I'm running, rowing, cycling, weightlifting or whatever.

And it is not hypothermia. I've experienced some of that too, and this is different.

For example, I'll do commercial intervals on my trainer in our "basement" at 15C. I'm wearing a long-sleeved wicking polypro with a wicking T over it and cycling shorts. I feel a little bit cool to start, but I warm up quickly to a comfortably warm temperature. An hour later, I finish my commercial intervals and then do 15 minutes of weights. I'm still feeling good.

I go upstairs where it is warmer, change into warm, dry clothing, get something hot to eat and drink ... and I'm feeling fine. And then all of a sudden, I'm chilled to the bone. Seriously, painfully chilled to the bone. And it takes a couple hours to come out of it.

Carbonfiberboy 

That's so interesting. Metabolism is dropping out for some reason. A wild guess is that blood sugar might be dropping out after eating, but why?

This is kind of interesting: WTS vs Hypothyroidism - Wilson's Syndrome

As is this: https://www.wellnessresources.com/ne...yroid-problems
especially the list of things that might seem like but aren't thyroid related. I know CoQ10 levels are age-related, so we've been taking 100 mg/day for years. Our doc said we were low on D, so we take D3 every day. Also B12, iron (18mg 3Xweek). Zinc's in our multiple. Whatever's going on, it's not normal.

Machka 

Well ... I get my thyroid checked at least once a year, and it always comes back perfectly normal.

I also take a multitude of vitamins and minerals (including the ones you mention) ... sometime I think I take too many but my last three blood tests (over a period of about 2 years) checked my levels of vitamins and minerals, and I come up completely normal for all of them.

And when I say I have something hot to eat, it's usually along the lines of dinner ... like chicken, rice and veg or something similar.


It's something I've experienced ever since I can remember ... since I was a child.

Oh yes ... when I come in from exercising, whether it is up from the basement or in from outside, my hands will be toasty warm, almost hot. So warm Rowan will comment (because my hands are usually just slightly cool). But as soon as I go into The Chill, my hands will become absolute blocks of ice. So cold they hurt to move. So cold it is almost hard to image that they are attached to a human being whose body temperature is supposed to be 37C.

And there's no brain fog or feeling of fuzziness or anything like that which might accompany hypothermia. In fact, if anything I feel too alive, too awake, too sensitive to everything. Painfully, tingly, absolutely freezingly alive.

Carbonfiberboy 

After looking around, I see that you're not alone. No satisfactory answers, except this: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com...t-run-shivers/
which says to me, "everyone's different." Congratulations on being different!

Machka 

Yeah, I posted that link earlier.

And thanks ... I guess. But yes, there does seem to be a small group of us affected by this.

Weird thing, but just how it is. And no amount of hydration, eating, clothing, etc. etc. etc. seems to make any difference. If it is going to come on, it's going to come on. And it is usually quite sudden. Sometimes it'll be an hour an a half after a 10C ride, and I'll think that everything is going to be OK ... and then wham ... frozen sold.

But of course, all of that (hydration, eating, clothing, etc.) may help somewhat, sometimes so I keep trying to do everything right ... and occasionally the planets align and The Chill decides to leave me alone that day.

banerjek

I also get this on a regular basis, and it also doesn't appear to be an issue at really cold temperatures. For example, I don't have problems camping even when temps are below 0°F.

The funny thing is I can be out literally all day with no problems whatsoever. But it can hit hard. Aside from me freezing, I apparently sometimes don't look too good -- I was recently in a pub where strangers and staff were offering assistance and it took awhile to convince them I was OK.

And as you say, it's not like hypothermia. Brain works fine, but it takes a long time to shake once it hits. Never occurred to me to get checked out. I figured I just drew down my stores and my body was going into some kind of recovery mode.

rumrunn6

back to BP for a sec ...
what you say is low, is not
what you say is normal, is high
https://foenix.com/BP/is-156/79-good...-pressure.html

also, an annual check up every cpl of years, or so ... is not an annual checkup

side note, lately been throwing my PJs in the dryer for a cpl minutes before donning them. toasty!