Return of the MummyOct 02 '01 (Updated Feb 10 '04) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Drink water to ride safely
Ever get your motor runnin', head down the highway, and a couple of hours later do something REALLY STUPID? Later at the diner did you sit down and wonder, "Why did I ever do THAT?" It might have been dehydration. When you are dehydrated, your blood literally starts getting thicker. It gets harder to push through the miles of tiny little capillaries that feed oxygen and sugar to your brain. Without food and air, the brain starts getting a bit muzzy and the decision-making ability experiences a severe fall-off. This is REALLY BAD when it happens at 60 mph on a motorcycle. In addition to the reduced mental ability, dehydration also physically slows your reaction time because dehydrated muscles just don't respond as quickly as well-hydrated muscles. But, as long as that nice cool breeze is blowing across you, you probably feel pretty comfortable and don't notice the effects of dehydration. But the reason that breeze feels so nice and cool is because of all the water that it is evaporating from your skin (and eventually the rest of you). Seems a bit of a catch-22. A good rule to remember is: By the time you FEEL thirsty, you are already dehydrated. The ONLY cure for dehydration is water. You might want to flavor it or juice it up as a "sports drink" with electrolytes and all the other cool stuff, or whatever you do to make it palatable. But to cure (or better yet, prevent) dehydration, drink water. The reason I have put this under highway riding is that in the city you can always pull over to a drive in, restaurant, gas station, or whatever. You are probably not traveling very fast, and you are only going a short distance. On the highway, the tendency is to want to keep going. You are moving faster, creating more wind, so you are drying out faster. I spend a good 15 hours per week riding highways. I may be new, but this I know: You really dry out. MSF recommends a break every hour. On a warm dry day, I stop every 40 minutes. Even a two minute water break is a help. In the last few years, things like Camel-Pacs have become popular. They are basically squishy canteens you strap on your back, and they have a tube that goes to your mouth. You can sip water as you like, without stopping. Personally, I'll stick to the old-fashioned method because it lets me stretch my legs and take pictures! Symptoms of advancing dehydration include: grumpiness slowed thinking slow response time confusion dizziness Don't let yourself get to that point. Plan water breaks. Drink well before you get to the dry gummy mouth stage. For those of us more driven by vanity than sense (like me), remember that dehydration RUINS your skin and hair. Avoid these anti-dehydration tips, and you, too, can look like The Mummy's older sister. Dehydration prevention tips: Plan your water breaks - every 60 minutes in cool moist weather, more often in hot and/or dry weather. Use a good moisturizer - let the wind suck water out of that instead of your skin. If you find yourself guzzling at the planned water breaks, you are not getting enough water. Use a camel-pack or similar product so you can drink (WATER, YOU JOKER) while you drive. Wear your protective gear. Yeah, it's hot when you are sitting still - how much do you sit still on your bike? All that leather (or if you are blessed by the Motorcycle Gods, Kevlar) not only keeps your skin on, but by trapping a layer of moisture near you it keeps your skin from dehydrating. Until next time, stay hydrated! Hula Rider  |
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