Daughter losing energy during 800m/mile with lightheadness at finish. Need pre-race energy recommendation.

It hindsight, it was definitely poor planning for her first long trip. There were definitely a lot of moving parts including her side stitch and Covid protocols. After the delay she refused to eat a meal because of the cramp fear. I went to a remote grocery store to buy her a cliff bar, She couldn’t stomach it. On the way home the fast food places were closed at the interstate exit (10:00pm) due to a worker shortage. They were also closed at the interstate oasis halfway home.

Weight gain would be a good thing. Our entire family cannot gain weight if we try. We have requested weight training, but have not been successful. They have a beautiful facility, but it seems to be reserved for the football team.

Still waiting for the final stress test results, but the nurse said she did recover quickly which could lead to lightheadedness. Her blood pressure seems to be fairly low. I believe this is a contributing factor. The blood pressure and/or faster race may have put her over the edge:

Sorry for the multiple posts, I am on my phone and could not see the entire response. I challenge you to find a family and extended family with a higher metabolism. My wife fixes home cooked meals that include healthy meats and carbs. She weighs more than her father at that age and is near her historical heaviest weight. She could still use 5 lbs: one interesting tidbit is that she could not eat for three days after the last incident. That was actually more concerning to us than the incident itself. She is now loading up and is at her normal low weight. This is a difficult situation because most people have trouble being overweight and society is geared towards that problem.

I am a man, but the problem is complex. I have collected a huge amount of data and left out much of it.

Good suggestions on the water. I am the same way. I do not get thirsty often. I have to remind myself to drink water. My wife constantly reminds us to drink water and fills our bottles. We usually send food with her or, when the bus situation is normal, the team will get food. This was an anomaly. It was also a remote location so there were fewer food options outside of bringing our own.

Unfortunately, this is one sport where the coach is not very helpful. My wife actually requested that she not run back to back meets. We are still in the learning process. My daughter took herself out of the mile the night when food was an issue. The coach did suggest honey before that last race. My daughter had it in her bag and forgot to take it. That may have ultimately put her in this position. That being said, I don’t think two honey sticks would have made much of a difference.

The main problem seems to be an over collection and analysis of data. Adults micro-managing something as simple as a kid running a race cause all sorts of complexities.

When you are at a meet and no food sources are available you can bring these things called sandwiches which have typically allowed kids to go to school and survive from lunch until afternoon practice.

Get back to basics.

joereger8 wrote:

Sorry for the multiple posts, I am on my phone and could not see the entire response. I challenge you to find a family and extended family with a higher metabolism. My wife fixes home cooked meals that include healthy meats and carbs. She weighs more than her father at that age and is near her historical heaviest weight. She could still use 5 lbs: one interesting tidbit is that she could not eat for three days after the last incident. That was actually more concerning to us than the incident itself. She is now loading up and is at her normal low weight. This is a difficult situation because most people have trouble being overweight and society is geared towards that problem.

High metabolism is mentioned a lot in your posts but it's a big unquestioned assumption. That and the fixation on weight sounds like rationalization for something.

Agree that not eating for three days is more disconcerting. I'd take her to a doctor to look into this.

joereger8 wrote:

This will be helpful for her diet going forward. I have tested her blood sugar several times while fasting and after sting. It has never gone below 82 except after that one race. I think her very fast metabolism makes her body stay closer to the edge. The coconut oil may help increase that buffer.

As I said, I tend towards hypoglycemia. I first discovered it about six years ago. For me, it's the rapid drop and not just the absolute glucose reading. I've felt the symptoms of hypoglycemia when my BS was still 90. Like your family, I also have a high metabolism.

I can't eat solid food within three hours of a race. I feel full, bloated, and slow. Gatorade and gels sort of whipsaw my BS. I'll feel okay for a half hour or maybe an hour and then, suddenly over only five minutes, I'll feel hypoglycemic.

Costco has MCT oil in the vitamin section and organic coconut oil in the cooking oil section. It can be mixed in a bullet blender in coffee or tea. MCT is tasteless. Coconut oil has a very mild sweetness.

I've never tried them on race day, but there are exogenous ketone supplement powders for pre-workout. You can buy a jar for $30 on Amazon. I've thought taking it on days when I have have multiple events on the track over a period of several hours. Since your daughter's reaction is so severe, I'd suggest she try it.

One other point, I NEVER go anywhere without one or more of my preferred energy bars just in case I have an energy crash. I have a cousin who carries sugar packets for emergency use in her purse. It appears to be somewhat hereditary.

I missed the part about not eating for three days. That's scary and could be anorexia. However, I've noticed that when my BS is low, I'm not just not hungry... I don't want to eat!

Please try the MCT oil. It moderates BS fluctuations. It really made a big difference in my life. You can buy 32 oz for $28-$34 on Amazon.

Precisely what was the ferritin? It should be above 30.

Not sure if you can just ‘have’ hypoglycaemia, isn’t there usually an underlying condition?

Could be anything at this stage. Might even just go away.

She runs the race and we manage the nutrition. The one meet was delayed and restaurants were closed. I’m sure some people plan for everything. She was not allowed to run until the doctors gave the ok.

No. She was not eating because she was still recovering from her bonk. The same thing happened after her previous issue. She eats well and the doctors have cleared her from any eating related disordersWe are well aware of that issue. She is near the heaviest she has been I her life. That being said, we are all thin and it leaves less room for error.

I went back and checked the blood test. I did not see a serum iron test or a Ferritin test. I know I asked the doctor question. Hemoglobin is good. Her blood sugar has been normal while testing before and after eating, running and the stress test. I will ask the doctor. They recommended seeing a pediatric endocrinologist, but they are booked until August.

joereger8 wrote:

I went back and checked the blood test. I did not see a serum iron test or a Ferritin test. I know I asked the doctor question. Hemoglobin is good. Her blood sugar has been normal while testing before and after eating, running and the stress test. I will ask the doctor. They recommended seeing a pediatric endocrinologist, but they are booked until August.

You test your daughter's blood sugar before and after eating? And you have her weight herself and report the results back to you frequently enough that you are able to tell us exactly how many pounds off her peak she is right now? Does she have some chronic medical condition that necessitates this kind of monitoring, or are you just a crazy person?

You obviously have not read the posts. These tests are at the doctors office or requested by the doctor and this situation began in February.

I've been like this all of my running life (20 years), so I *have* to eat something about every 2 hours or I get light-headed, dizzy, and weak. It's low blood sugar. I haven't been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, but there are a lot of things that can cause low blood sugar.

I suggest she always pack snacks, even if just for an emergency like having a delayed race. Not just for race days, but in general too. I usually keep a banana and some sort of bar(s) in my bag/purse wherever I go. Electrolytes are important as well as sometimes I drink too much water.

Thanks! That sounds like a good strategy. As far as we know, she was only hypoglycemic after that one race and she was only slightly below the normal blood sugar level 68 vs 70.