Bonk 1 Pdf
Clotilde Wilks
The trails are more available than ever and many of us have more time than before, or maybe we just need the distraction, so we are pushing our mileage further and further. But what can you do to prevent running into Bonk City?
If you prefer to run first thing in the morning, make sure you consume something to boost your blood sugar. Even if you eat an energy bar or piece of toast as you head out the door, having something in you will help fuel your run.
Would you like to refine your fueling? I specialize in fueling between the athletic moments, but can also help you refine your training and (hopefully someday soon!) racing fuel. Send me a note at he...@tiffanysageswan.com, I would love to hear your bonking stories.
Physiologically speaking, a bonk occurs when your glycogen stores are depleted to the point where they can no longer adequately supply your working muscles with the fuel needed to produce energy, or maintain your blood glucose levels. As a result, your body has to take drastic measures to slow you down.
In all, glycogen generally provides about 90 to 120 minutes' worth of endogenous (stored) fuel for pretty high intensity exercise before levels drop to the extent that performance is substantially impaired.
It stands to reason that, if you can increase your glycogen storage capacity, then your fuel tank will effectively be bigger and therefore (all other factors being equal) it will take longer to run out.
The specifics of carbohydrate loading protocols are hotly debated (and should be considered somewhat individual), but basically boil down to significantly increasing the total amount and % contribution of carbs to your dietary intake in the 2-3 days before competing, whilst observing a drop in your training load.
Most experts tend to agree that ingesting around 30g of simple carbohydrates per hour (what you'll find in a PF 30 Gel) is sufficient for activities of up to 2 hours, or for longer sessions when the intensity is low to moderate.
Experimenting with different types of carbohydrates and rates of ingestion is something that most elite athletes spend a decent amount of time on in a bid to become better at sustaining high energy outputs for hours on end.
The protocol for achieving this is usually as simple as taking in gradually more carbs during key training sessions, over a period of weeks, whilst monitoring performance outcomes and GI issues. This article by Asker Jeukendrup provides a more comprehensive overview of the topic.
The science seems to be clear that by undertaking training in the relative absence of carbs (and with increased fat availability), your body can massively up-regulate its ability to burn fat and to spare glycogen.
The literature suggests that, even with aggressive carbohydrate replenishment, it can take 24 hours to restore your glycogen stores to optimal levels. And practical experience suggests up to 48 hours or slightly longer in extreme cases, or when carbohydrate ingestion is anything other than massive.
Andy Blow is a Sports Scientist with a BSc Honours degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Bath. An expert in hydration, he has co-authored a number of scientific studies and books.
Andy has finished in the top 10 of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races, as well as winning an XTERRA Age Group World title. It was his own struggles with cramp that led to him specialising in hydration and founding Precision Fuel & Hydration.
What it looks and feels like is a marked decline in their performance. Forward progress either slows to a crawl or stops altogether. Other signs of bonking while hiking are lethargy, apathy, irritability, and sometimes either acute hunger or nausea. Having experienced it myself on more than one occasion, I can definitively say that you will know when you bonk. Your inability to maintain your previous pace is unmistakable because so sudden and significant.
Hitting the wall and bonking while hiking, backpacking, and trekking are preventable. With thorough training and preparation, as well as paying diligent attention to your nutrition, many cases of the wheels falling off can be avoided. Most people focus on their cardio, strength, and flexibility training during their preparation for an endurance event. Nutrition is generally the most forgotten piece.
During endurance activities, defined by steady movement for at least 2 or more hours, your body will burn more calories per hour than it can readily absorb, so you will be calorie deficient no matter what. Eat before you are hungry, because once you feel depleted you are really behind the power curve. If you practice this during training, then during the actual event your body will be used to eating while moving, which will help you prevent hitting the wall. The other thing you will learn is which foods work best for you and what you find most appetizing when you are exercising.
Usually, the last 4.5 miles of a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon crossing is when I see the wheels fall off of most clients attempting this beast of a hike. Recently, I had a group of guys at varying levels of experience and fitness. One of the less experienced hikers was from Florida, which is known for its distinct lack of hills, so even though he was well trained, I had a pretty good idea that the latter part of the hike would be challenging for him. Sure enough, as we got to that point, his pace started slowing. Because this is the first sign of hitting the wall, we stopped immediately, and I gave him a Gu gel. I always carry a variety of gels and chews with caffeine in my first aid kit. If I can get them into someone soon enough and they can keep it down, then I can usually prevent them from bonking. Prevention is critical and doable, but you need to know what to look for and how to respond.
One final note: try to avoid being the type of person who overestimates their abilities and underestimates the difficulty of the adventure. Train consistently, pay attention to nutrition, and practice eating while exercising. If you do this, then you will stand a fighting chance of never having to experience the painful feeling of having your wheels unexpectedly fall off!
Usually, the scenario goes something like this (this was sent to me by a potential client): This past weekend I did a road century and had a bonk experience. I got behind with eating on the bike, and I was starving by the time we stopped at the half-way point. I overdid the lunch with foods at a buffet restaurant all at once. I figured my body needed quite a bit of fuel at that point to replenish and get me through the ride. Not the best options there, mostly heavy foods. There were 52 miles to go. At mile 90 I lost energy and went from 16-18 mph to about 12-14. I felt like I had enough calories to get me there, but apparently not. Do you think this was from not refueling every hour, or did I just not fuel enough period?
Next, when you eat a lot, your body has work to digest it. This means it must divert more blood, energy, and oxygen to your gut; and less to your legs and other muscles. You may not have felt it this time, but this is often why athletes feel like they are dragging immediately after eating too much. Usually, it feels like all the power has been taken from your legs.
The real foods options can range from mashed sweet potatoes, small rice burritos or rice balls, half sandwiches, cheese and crackers, bananas and peanut butter, and more. These options provide an opportunity to eat something savory or salty during a ride, which can be a welcome flavor after hours of sweeter drinks and fuels. They will help you add more calories and avoid that nagging hollow-stomach feeling. I recommend seeing these calories as icing on the cake, above and beyond your normal hourly nutrition needs.
And what about our buffet cyclist? Next time, I recommended that he aim for hourly nutrients, as outlined here. Then, add a small amount of real food every three hours, avoid the buffets, and most of all, avoid the old mid-ride feast-and-bonk!
The symptoms of a bonk can vary, but on a physical side you will generally feel extremely weak and tired and you may shake, sweat a lot and feel dizzy or light-headed. You may also have heart palpitations and will probably be very hungry. Bonking can also affect the brain as that too burns glucose, and you may feel anxious, irritable, confused and emotional. At the very extreme, a bonk can induce a coma, so it is vitally important that you look after your body, learn what it needs to function properly and understand how to avoid a bonk.
The first thing you must do if you feel a bonk coming on is ingest some simple carbs that your body can quickly absorb in order to raise your blood glucose levels again. Simple carbohydrates include food such as energy gels (make sure you drink water with these), jam sandwiches, sugar cubes or sweets such as jelly beans. More complex carbs, such as energy bars, take much longer for the body to process into glucose and so are best avoided at this point in time. If you identify that you are about to bonk and manage to catch it early, you should be able to carry on cycling whilst ingesting your simple carbs. However, if you have missed this window and are showing more serious symptoms, it is important that you get off your bike and give yourself a bit more of a chance to recover.
As long as you have caught the bonk early enough and have successfully ingested some simple carbs you should be able to recover fairly quickly and carry on with your ride. However, you must be especially aware about what you are taking in for the rest of the ride and ensure that you refuel often. Eating lots of high carb foods at regular intervals of 30 minutes or so will ensure your glucose levels do not dip again. You should also be aware that even though your body may have recovered and you feel ok, your mental faculties may not have been fully restored and your awareness and sense of the world around you may not be back to normal. It is therefore important to take extra care, especially on busy roads.
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