Tips from Dr Chris
About this page
Here are some tips from our Care Team Leader
Sweat, Fatigue and Keeping Going
Did you know that you lose more salt when you sweat during exercise than when you sweat through heat?
When riding, you lose water and salt through sweating, and water just from breathing. It’s essential to replace both the salt and the water.
If you are losing salt and only drinking water you can dilute the body’s salts – making you even thirstier, dizzy faint and tired.
I get around this by taking one water bottle of sports drink (my favourite is gatorade, but you can use any of the others) and one of water and topping both with water at the Rest Stops. On an average day, say 80km. this means you should be drinking 750ml sports drink and about 2 litres of water.
Dehydration's Warning Signs
Aching Knees?
Seat height is everything.
Make sure when you sit comfortably on the seat and place your heal on the pedal your leg is straight. If not, move the seat up or down.
Do You Carry A First Aid Kit ?
You could invest in a Personal Care Pack - see information in the panel on the right.
Ok, on a Ride like this, there is usually someone around to help – but – don’t we Riders like to be self sufficient too? A simple kit can be small and light. A minimal kit could have:
- Bandaids – for blisters
- Bandage – a good quality 100mm bandage to strap that aching knee or sprained wrist
- Bandage – light gauze 50mm to cover cuts and grazes
- Dressings – a few self adhesive island dressings or non adhesive dressings to cover those grazes
- Adhesive tape – or electricians tape to secure your dressings, tape damaged fingers together or fix the bike
- Cotton Buds – to get that insect out of your eye
See our Basic Care Team Pharmacy on each Campsite for supplies.
Gastro
Gastroenteritis is the scourge of any big camping group. It is an illness triggered by the infection and inflammation of the digestive system. Typical symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. In many cases, the condition is self-limiting and resolves in a few days. However, it can spread through a large group very quickly.
The most common types are:
- Viral gastroenteritis – viruses are found in human faeces. Infection is caused by person-to-person contact such as touching contaminated hands, faeces or vomit, or by drinking contaminated water or food.
- Escherichia coli infection – this is a common problem for travellers to countries (and campers) with poor sanitation. Infection is caused by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated raw fruits and vegetables.
Prevention
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after going to the toilet.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food or eating.
- Use disposable paper towels to dry your hands rather than cloth towels, since the bacteria can survive for some time on objects.
- Wash your dishes and disinfect them with the SNOBS sprays provided.
- Only drink water from the Campsite marked water filling stations.
- Do not drink water from the shower or toilet trucks as this water may be recycled.
- Wash you teeth in drinking water – from your water bottles not in the shower or toilet truck sinks.
- Notify the Care Team immediately if you are unwell so we can help you and help the infection spreading to other riders.