Concussions in Cycling and Recovery Tips and Tricks
On April 2, 2011 I was on a group bike ride getting some base miles in. At the end of the ride my Dad and I had broken off from the group. Only a few miles from home we touched wheels and I went down hard on the left side of my head. I started to get a mild headache almost immediately. We waited a few minutes because I was a little bit dazed, but then we got back on our bikes and rode home. I thought I was fine.
Unfortunately I wasn’t fine. It turns out I had a concussion and for 8 weeks I was in and out of work and off the bike. The good new is I’m better. I’m also an expert on concussion. I spent most of my recovery time reading everything I could get my hands on that was related to concussions. Here is my resulting plan for managing and preventing future concussions. I think it should be fairly easy to adapt to your own cycling plans and even other sports.
How I Plan to Prevent Future Concussions
I’m completely changing the cycling events I plan on participating in and adjusting my commuting. This year I’m focusing on centuries and individual time trials and I’m avoiding group rides alltogether. After this experience I don’t know if I’ll ever race in a crit. Next year I’ll probably throw in a road race and add cyclocross. The incidence of head injury in cyclocross is relatively low compared to road racing. I’ve also changed my commuter to a cyclocross bike so I can put on wider, nobby wheels for the winter. You won’t see me taking the icy cemetery shortcut to work ever again.
I need to improve my bike handling skills.
Not just bunny hops and wheelies, although those are fun. Specifically, I need to work my way into riding with other riders, then with a group.
I bought a $230 helmet.
It’s an absurd amount of money for a piece of styrafoam, but it’s the only Snell certified cycling helmet I could find that my fellow roadies wouldn’t mock me for wearing. And honestly I probably wouldn’t wear a dorky helmet. Snell certification is essentially no different than the CPSC standard all American helmets must meet. The difference is Snell actually buys helmets on the market after they are certified and retests them. In my opinion, helmets that meet this standard are likely to have higher quality control. I also think that a manufacturer that pays the extra money to be Snell certified takes safety seriously.
Here is the helmet.
I’m adding neck strengthening to my routine.
A strong neck, (and all of it’s supporting muscles), can prevent a concussion altogether.
Neck strength and preventing concussions.
I’ve started supplementing creatine.
Creatine has been shown to lower brain damage in rats with head injuries. I’ve also gained 5 pounds of water weight since I started taking creatine; weight-weenies beware.
Creatine may limit brain damage.
I will be taking a baseline IMPACT test.
The baseline score will help me measure recovery in future concussions. I think all cyclists should do this at the beginning of the season.
Brain supplements.
In addition to the creatine I’m taking a few other supplements that have been shown to be good for the brain in general.
- Fish oil
- B-50 complex (for the b6 and b12)
- D3
- Magnesium (helps with migraines)
- Creatine
Oops, I hit my head again. Now what?
Assuming I’ve been to the emergency room if necessary and my brain isn’t bleeding, here are all the guidelines for the first 2-3 weeks:
- Cram in the protein as soon as I can and continue eating a diet very high in protein
- Total cognitive and physical rest. Lay around in a dark room and do as little as I can stand. This is incredibly important.
- Sleep as much as possible
- NO DRINKING ALCOHOL WHATSOEVER
- Keep taking the creatine and other supplements
- As you start feeling better, use the IMPACT test to guide a return to work and riding
- Don’t forget, most concussions also come with a neck injury. And neck injuries have symptoms very similar to a concussion.
- If the symptoms last longer than 6 weeks, don’t forget it could be a neck injury. Start considering adding exercise back in
ala the University of Buffalo concussion clinic. - Supplement resveratrol
These are all the things that helped me feel better:
- Sleep. Lots of sleep. The more the better.
- Meditation. I couldn’t do this at first, but as my symptoms lightened up it was quite helpful.
- Noise cancelling headphones (these were a life saver while at work)
- Slow walks outside
- Melatonin helped a little with sleep problems. Amitriptyline worked a little better, but requires a prescription.
- Modest, daily goals. It was always uplifting to get something done.
- Go really light on the caffeine. I didn’t outright quit but I cut back. Caffeine made my symptoms flare up in the mornings.
- Ask for help. Friends and family want to help, they probably just don’t know how.
A great place to look for general information is the post concussion forum on neurotalk. There are some very helpful people there. If you post only a few days after a concussion, they will all tell you the same thing: rest as much as possible!
Here is my description of my experience at the University of Buffalo concussion clinic.
That’s literally everything I know. Be safe out there and always wear a helmet.
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