bonk?

How often are you training? Your body may just need a rest.

koremitsu said:

help! i am constantly bonking out during rides. i am starting to have more bad days than good. i usually eat two bowls of grape nuts or organic granola cereal, 2 glasses of water, 1 bananna, and a yogurt before my ride. I thought i was eating properly, but i start feeling crappy 20 minutes into my ride. i ususally carry 2 powerbars with me, and that helps but only for a short time. i cant figure out why i feel so fatigued so quickly. i also have noticed that i get major cramps in my sides, and my stomach is often full of gas. am i doing something wrong here? i am also experiencing some major muscle soreness. i think im going to visit my doctor... any ideas?

Unless you are eating that large of a breakfast more than 5hrs before you ride, I can at least assure you that you are not "bonking". Even if you were, 20min is not long enougn to deplete the glycogen stores in your liver. Your liver is responsible for maintaining blood glucose levels during both rest and exercise; when blood glucose gets too low, you become hypoglycemic, with symptons that include light headedness and severe fatigue....the "bonk".
There must be something else going on. I'm not going to venture a diagnosis on so little information, but you have several symptoms that need to be evaluated. Visiting a Dr. would be an excellent idea, including one with a sports medicine background.

The breakfast you describe contains many grams of sugar....check the contents on the cereals, yogurt and banana. Eating that much sugar before a ride could be triggering the insulin response and low blood sugar at just the wrong time... shortly into your ride.

Suggest you try an egg and a piece of toast before your morning ride. If you're riding more than 90 minutes, you could take a Powerbar with you. Save the banana or sugary cereal as a post-ride recovery snack when you get home; that's when your body is most ready to accept hi-glycemic carbs to replace glycogen stores.

About 25 years ago I had a "borderline-low" result on a Glucose Tolerance Test. Doc advised me to avoid sugar in the AM, and eat a protein breakfast instead. That's all it took in my case, but of course you may be different. Worth checking out.

dhk said:

Eating that much sugar before a ride could be triggering the insulin response and low blood sugar at just the wrong time... shortly into your ride.

This contention is very common in the popular press but is not supported by the research. The few studies that do support a low glycemic meal before exercise either used untrained subjects or did not allow any feeding during the bout of exercise. In studies that used trained endurance athletes, the GI of the pre-exercise meal often did not effect performance even when feedings were allowed; and when the subjects ingested carbohydrate during the exercise bout, as per the exercise science recommendations, the GI of the pre-exercise had not effect whatsoever.

When I ride I normally eat at least an hour before I will start pedalling (just like swimming) and while riding I consume only water, fruit leather, a few almonds. Eating large meals causes the body to focus blood and energy on the stomach and digestion. Eating a lot and then riding too soon thereafter will create conflict in your body.

I am not a nutrionist, so my advice is purely from experience.

What I have found to work best is, a packet of Oatees, which is an oat cereal (funny they always put them in our goodies bag). It is a single serving. A banana. That before I leave home. Then waiting for the race, another banana, and an energy bar. During the long ride or race, I have an energy bar, and FIT Carbo Surpreme drink. Tastes almost like medicine, but works very well, and of course a bottle of frozen water. After the race I have an energy bar, something a bit more wholesome, and of course an energy drink like Energade, or Powerade.

The term "bonk" seems to mean a general fatique to some, and to others it seems to be a scientific term. Not sure in what context it is being used here.

Other helpers might be, to ensure a good nights rest before. I know that the mind plays horrible tricks the night before a race, so it is a difficult one for most. Of course then proper training before the race, as there is no substitute for this, and I also believe in a very good rest period before. I usually do not even ride three days before the race, and by then my body is just looking for a bicycle to get on. It seems to help mentally and physically. and lastly try relax when you are riding; do not pressurise yourself with cutt off times, take a one minute breather when you are feeling tired, and look at the scenery.

I know what I said might seem odd, but give it a try when you feel "bonked", and off course do the prep work too.

It doesn't sound like your eating has anything to do with your condition. take Rics advice and see a doctor.

zaskar said:

It doesn't sound like your eating has anything to do with your condition. take Rics advice and see a doctor.

Ric???? who the hell is that? 😉

Smartt/RST said:

This contention is very common in the popular press but is not supported by the research. The few studies that do support a low glycemic meal before exercise either used untrained subjects or did not allow any feeding during the bout of exercise. In studies that used trained endurance athletes, the GI of the pre-exercise meal often did not effect performance even when feedings were allowed; and when the subjects ingested carbohydrate during the exercise bout, as per the exercise science recommendations, the GI of the pre-exercise had not effect whatsoever.

Michael: Understand. I was quoting what my doctor advised based on my individual glucose response. At the time, I was an untrained subject.
The poster may have a similar medical condition, or not.

Based on my own experience, agree that endurance training seems to regulate blood sugar and improve ability to utilized the high GI carbs.

dhk said:

Michael: Understand. I was quoting what my doctor advised based on my individual glucose response. At the time, I was an untrained subject.
The poster may have a similar medical condition, or not.

Based on my own experience, agree that endurance training seems to regulate blood sugar and improve ability to utilized the high GI carbs.

I hear you on the blood sugar issue if you (ie: anyone) have not been exercising or have a genetic disposition towards diabetes. Perhpas this is a good time for me to mention that all of my comments/advice are assuming that the individual does not have any medical condition that would preclude racing/training/sports nutrition theories and practices. In general, when you read cycling/training articles, this is assumed, as we cannot account for (nor are we trained for) all of the different possible medical conditions that exist.
But yes, endurance training will improve your body's ability to regulate blood sugar, as well as increase insulin sensitivity, decrease overall blood insulin levels and increase the utilization of glucose/fat from the blood stream for energy. But again, any medical condition (and subsequent advice from your Dr.) must be taken into consideration 🙂.

Smartt/RST said:

I hear you on the blood sugar issue if you (ie: anyone) have not been exercising or have a genetic disposition towards diabetes. Perhpas this is a good time for me to mention that all of my comments/advice are assuming that the individual does not have any medical condition that would preclude racing/training/sports nutrition theories and practices. In general, when you read cycling/training articles, this is assumed, as we cannot account for (nor are we trained for) all of the different possible medical conditions that exist.
But yes, endurance training will improve your body's ability to regulate blood sugar, as well as increase insulin sensitivity, decrease overall blood insulin levels and increase the utilization of glucose/fat from the blood stream for energy. But again, any medical condition (and subsequent advice from your Dr.) must be taken into consideration 🙂.

Well think that the original poster is taking the [censored]

Smartt/RST said:

Ric???? who the hell is that? 😉

Sorry i seen RST and thought you were Ric Stern

zaskar said:

Sorry i seen RST and thought you were Ric Stern

Just to clarify, currently, there's three coaches at RST
Myself, Michael Smartt, and Andy Bloomer

Ric

I understand exactly what this bloke is talking about. I get the same feeling every time I ride at around the 20 minute mark.

I've experimented with what I eat before I ride but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

It really sucks when you're on a particularly steep hill at this point.

However I find that if I keep going then by the 25 minute mark I'm fine and in fact feel even stronger than I did when I started. It's like my body is just taking it's time getting into the groove.

I can then easily go on for three hours and only get tired near then end of it. Out of the 6 fellows I ride with regularly only one of them feels the same thing.

I actually thought it might be the glycogen stores depleting but the apparent experts here seemto think not...maybe mine does deplete quickly ?

Curious...

Andrew