You鈥檙e clearly not the only snotty cyclist on the road as most bike gloves have fleece-backed thumbs for nose wiping. But while many cyclists wouldn鈥檛 consider a ride complete without a snot rocket, the cause of their nasal leakiness can vary.
One reason for rhinitis (irritation of the nose)鈥攁 symptom of which is rhinorrhea (runny nose)鈥攊s allergies. If you experience a runny nose on outdoor rides, but not at an indoor spin class, for example, allergies might be the culprit. Allergic rhinitis affects up to 30 percent of adults, according to , and is often associated with asthma. If you don鈥檛 have allergies or asthma, but still get rhinorrhea when cycling outside, the weather could be to blame.
鈥淐old itself is one of the most common triggers for non-allergic rhinitis,鈥 says , co-author of the paper cited above. Dry air, which often accompanies cold weather, can also get the nasal flow going. Why? 鈥淣obody knows exactly why it occurs,鈥 Schroer says. is that your nose is working overtime to warm and humidify the air entering your lungs. Along those lines, the National Institutes of Health that people whose noses are sensitive to cold air 鈥渕ay have reduced ability to compensate for the water loss that occurs during exposure to cold air.鈥 The result is overcompensation to restore 鈥渕ucosal homeostasis.鈥 More simply, the result is more snot.
If it鈥檚 not cold, and you don鈥檛 have allergies, there鈥檚 yet another explanation for your runny nose. 鈥淗igh level athletes are breathing a large volume of air in and out per minute, and no matter what the humidity is outside, the lining of the nose as well as the lungs gets dried out,鈥 Schroer says. 鈥淓xercise-induced rhinitis might be triggered purely because of the dryness.鈥 If your snot is not clear, however, it could be the sign of a sinus infection.
So what to do about it? Most cyclists enjoy snot rocketing, and as long as you don鈥檛 have a sinus infection, your runny nose is probably nothing to worry about. But if you want to stop it, Schroer suggests trying nasal spray.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The root of your rhinitis may be allergies, low humidity, cold weather, hard exercise, or any combination of these triggers. As long as your snot is clear, it鈥檚 probably more of a nuisance than a reason for concern. But if you want to stop the leak, sniff some ipratropium nasal spray before your next ride.