Do you get HEADACHES during or after rides?
What are exercise headaches, how to avoid them and is it just dehydration?
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Riding headaches that you get during or after your mountain bike rides can be a real pain (literally). Today we are looking into what causes these exercise or exertion headaches and how you might be able to prevent getting exercise headaches in the future. Are exercise headaches something you get? How do you prevent getting these headaches? Hit up the comments.
So, I’m 67 and still shedding the parks and yet I do struggle more than I used to if I don’t look after myself. So, what’s that to do with headaches?
This is a great vid and covers the topic well (I’m also a retired doc). My experience was that exercise headaches were worse when I was a teenager into my early 30’s. What worked then was keeping well hydrated before and during a ride (or any sport as it happed with whatever aerobic sport I did and I did a lot of them). I used to think that having some salts and sugar in there mattered, but I’m not so sure now: the science doesn’t really support that for ‘normal’ exertion (it does for long lasting long distance stuff, biking or otherwise). What is certain is that hydration matters.
And for the last 15 years or so as I’ve started to get those aches and pains that come and increase with age, my headaches returned (despite the above). I soon worked out that was due to stiffness in my upper back, neck and where muscles attach to my skull. A physio confirmed that and now I do warm up stretches aimed at this before and after rides and I still do gym work which I also have tailored to this area. The headaches have gone.