Syncope and biking

[CubbyJaggy]

Hey guys I am new I have just recently started cycling and on saturday I collapsed in Tesco. The hospital is saying it is because I have started cycling which is odd cos I don't ride fast maybe 12 mph average and I don't go for miles and miles only about 20 miles a day. Its just made me a bit apprehensive about going on the roads again. What is I faint while riding my bike. Eeeeeeepp

[Cyril Haearn]

If you have just started or restarted cycling maybe you should do less
Cycling is such fun and so easy, and one has to get back home too, the miles just mount up
Best to see a doc too maybe

[Flinders]

Best to see you GP, as stated above.
Why did they think it was? Low blood sugar or what?

[foxyrider]

How was the supermarket trip linked to your riding? Straight after, during, next day?

[softlips]

Was the syncopal episode immediately post ride? It’s quite common for ones blood pressure to be low post ride due to the vasodilation in the kegs. I know I’ve felt feint several times in the few hours after a ride. Usually when I stand up after being sat down a while.

[Gearoidmuar]

If you feel faint after rising suddenly, having been cycling it is most likely to be due to loss of salt due to sweating, even though you may not have noticed that you were.
Simple test. Dissolve a stock cube with about a gram of salt in it, in water and drink when cool. You'll feel a lot better very quickly if it's salt loss.

[Audax67]

If your collapse involved a swimming head and your vision blacking out from the edges in then it's probably low blood-pressure, as a reaction to getting off the bike with a high heart rate. In that case I would suggest:

1 - if you haven't got one already, get a heart rate monitor.

2 - Watch your heart rate and get used to what your heart does in various conditions: resting, riding on the flat, climbing and recovering.

3 - work out your max heart rate (220 - your age) and don't go over it until you have enough experience to know what will happen. As it happens, max heart rate by this formula is a bit on the low side, and going over it probably won't hurt you if your heart is OK, but work up to it gradually.

4 - Never stop dead when your heart is beating close to max. Taper off your effort for the last 100-200 yards.

You might also just have driven down your blood sugar. Shove in some orange juice or something else sweet next time. But do the HRM bit anyway.

[mnichols]

I suffered from syncope attacks for 20 years, but haven't had one for 10 years.

What worked for me may not work for you, so not relevant. What changed was getting in contact with specialists that really understand the condition

http://www.heartrhythmalliance.org/stars/uk/

Point of fact, I restarted cycling because I lost my driving licence due to my attacks

[Paulatic]

If your collapse involved a swimming head and your vision blacking out from the edges in then it's probably low blood-pressure, as a reaction to getting off the bike with a high heart rate. In that case I would suggest:

.

I’ve been in hospital on the Treadmill checking out my heart today. Learnt that the higher the heart rate the higher the BP is. My own instance at 125 bpm my BP rose to 196/93

[Audax67]

If your collapse involved a swimming head and your vision blacking out from the edges in then it's probably low blood-pressure, as a reaction to getting off the bike with a high heart rate. In that case I would suggest:

.

I’ve been in hospital on the Treadmill checking out my heart today. Learnt that the higher the heart rate the higher the BP is. My own instance at 125 bpm my BP rose to 196/93

Yes, but if you stop dead, or even with a moderately elevated heart rate, you can have a sudden drop in BP.

[Paulatic]

If your collapse involved a swimming head and your vision blacking out from the edges in then it's probably low blood-pressure, as a reaction to getting off the bike with a high heart rate. In that case I would suggest:

.

I’ve been in hospital on the Treadmill checking out my heart today. Learnt that the higher the heart rate the higher the BP is. My own instance at 125 bpm my BP rose to 196/93

Yes, but if you stop dead, or even with a moderately elevated heart rate, you can have a sudden drop in BP.

Ah right, so a fall in BP not low BP.