What is bonking?

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

My definition is pretty much the same!
When I used to run marathons we called it "hitting the wall" because
that is what it felt like. It is not just feeling a bit logy or tired.
It is a drastic decrease in energy and often happens quite suddenly.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

And general fatigue.

In shorter races, there's another phenomenon, which my more knowledgable
friends claim is likely a changeover from long-term to short-term energy
sources, where after a bit of intense riding you get into this pit of
immense depression. It's not that your fatigue level suddenly goes over
a cliff, it's just that you suddenly wonder what the heck you're doing
in a bike race, and since you're feeling so bad, you should probably
just give up.

Then a few minutes later it passes.

Some of my best race results came when I felt that pit of black despair,
told myself to just ride a few more laps, and then made it onto the
podium.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

That sounds like the real meaning of bonking. I tend to use it when I
just can't get up the energy to pedal faster and am just dragging.
Sort of like having a bad day. It doesn't happen to me too often,
maybe a few times a year.

I realize that it isn't the real definition but, judging by the
criteria, I'm never going to get to use the word bonk and I hate
letting a good word go to waste.

gds said:

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Quoted message said:

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

Quoted message said:

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

My definition is pretty much the same!
When I used to run marathons we called it "hitting the wall" because
that is what it felt like. It is not just feeling a bit logy or tired.
It is a drastic decrease in energy and often happens quite suddenly.

The few times when I have bonked I was also unable to get my pulse up
above about 65% of max. And this was for rides not long enough for
major HR drift to have been an issue. And it was a reasonably quick
change. One minute I was able to work hard with a high pulse trying to
hang on to the group, the next minute I was in a world of hurt, and my
legs just wouldn't push hard enough to get my HR up. No power as I was
apparently getting all my energy for fat which has a limited rate of
metabolism. Both times this happened near th eend of the ride, so I
just suffered to the end. I have no experience (that I recall) with
trying on bike recovery from bonking, but I'll bet a Coke or a
chocolate, (or a pizza!) would have got me rollig again at least for a
while.

Joseph

gds said:

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Quoted message said:

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

Quoted message said:

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

My definition is pretty much the same!
When I used to run marathons we called it "hitting the wall" because
that is what it felt like. It is not just feeling a bit logy or tired.
It is a drastic decrease in energy and often happens quite suddenly.

When I sit through three cycles of the traffic light trying to decide
which route is the shortest one to get me to drinking water and snacks
and the difference between the two routes is ultimately about 150
meters.

I've done the incredible hunger thing a few times though more often I
find that while I don't feel particularly hungry I have an incredible
ability to eat everything put in front of me and go back for tenths.

-M

Ryan Cousineau said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Quoted message said:

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

Quoted message said:

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

And general fatigue.

In shorter races, there's another phenomenon, which my more knowledgable
friends claim is likely a changeover from long-term to short-term energy
sources, where after a bit of intense riding you get into this pit of
immense depression. It's not that your fatigue level suddenly goes over
a cliff, it's just that you suddenly wonder what the heck you're doing
in a bike race, and since you're feeling so bad, you should probably
just give up.

This sounds almost exactly like what happens to me right before the
happy endorphin high fairies start making the world extra special
interesting.

In the one race where this happened I also found myself feeling a lot
more tired and a lot less capable to the point where it was clear that
the heart rate monitor and odometer weren't merely lying but were
actually broken and something was wrong not just with me but with the
rest of the world too because I was, strangely enough, still in the
pack.

In the "let's ride our mountain bikes up that nearby 10km length of
steep dirt road" event at new year's the only thing that kept me on my
bike when the depression hit was the knowledge that someone I barely
tolerate was behind me and if I stopped riding he might catch up with
me, see me resting, and decide to stop and talk at me. Shortly after
that the colors of the world got brighter.

In my the journal I was keeping for class at time I wrote that "I rode
my bike until I was thirsty. I rode my bike until I was hungry. I
rode my bike until I was tired. I rode my bike until I was drunk with
pain. And still I rode my bike. I rode my bike until I wasn't
thirsty. I rode my bike until I wasn't hungry. I rode my bike until
I wasn't tired. I rode my bike until there was no pain anymore. And
still I rode my bike."

-M

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

There are some useful posts in this thread, thanks.
But you should know, in the UK, Bonk, has a completely different slang
meaning! 🙂

"me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:xUjii.81075$NV3.68979@pd7urf2no...

Quoted message said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it?
What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

There are some useful posts in this thread, thanks.
But you should know, in the UK, Bonk, has a completely different slang
meaning! 🙂

The slang term is 'bonk?' My wife (a Brit) sometimes says 'boink.'

Zen Cohen wrote:
:: "me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
:: news:xUjii.81075$NV3.68979@pd7urf2no...
::: On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:00:49 -0400, Roger Zoul wrote:
:::
:::: I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes
:::: it? What
:::: are the variables involved?
:::: Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be
:::: the worst possible form of an exercise induced hypo?
:::
::: There are some useful posts in this thread, thanks.
::: But you should know, in the UK, Bonk, has a completely different
::: slang meaning! 🙂
::
:: The slang term is 'bonk?' My wife (a Brit) sometimes says 'boink.'

Depends on if it good or not.

"gds" <[email hidden]> wrote

[snip]

Quoted message said:

My definition is pretty much the same!
When I used to run marathons we called it "hitting the wall"
because
that is what it felt like. It is not just feeling a bit logy or
tired.
It is a drastic decrease in energy and often happens quite
suddenly.

I've heard it said, though I can't speak from personal experience,
that bonking and hitting the wall are slightly different, although
both glycogen depletion related.

With bikes, and the bonk, its the glycogen reaching the brain, or
not, which is important, so the main effect is mental. With running,
and hitting the wall, its supposedly glycogen in (or not) the leg
muscles.

Diabetics also get the bonk, I believe, or hypoglycaemia, if they
overdose their insulin

If anyone can give us more information, I would appreciate it

Jeremy Parker

In article <[email hidden]>,

dgk said:

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
are the variables involved?
Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
possible form of an exercise induced hypo?

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

That sounds like the real meaning of bonking. I tend to use it when I
just can't get up the energy to pedal faster and am just dragging.
Sort of like having a bad day. It doesn't happen to me too often,
maybe a few times a year.

I realize that it isn't the real definition but, judging by the
criteria, I'm never going to get to use the word bonk and I hate
letting a good word go to waste.

The word you're looking for is "suck." No, seriously, I'm not trying to
be a jerk, that's pretty much how racers describe that experience.

Sadly, NY Velocity has broken their site, so I can no longer find the
excellent article "Levels of Suck Explained."

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Jeremy Parker said:

"gds" <[email hidden]> wrote

[snip]

Quoted message said:

My definition is pretty much the same!
When I used to run marathons we called it "hitting the wall"
because
that is what it felt like. It is not just feeling a bit logy or
tired.
It is a drastic decrease in energy and often happens quite
suddenly.

I've heard it said, though I can't speak from personal experience,
that bonking and hitting the wall are slightly different, although
both glycogen depletion related.

With bikes, and the bonk, its the glycogen reaching the brain, or
not, which is important, so the main effect is mental. With running,
and hitting the wall, its supposedly glycogen in (or not) the leg
muscles.

Diabetics also get the bonk, I believe, or hypoglycaemia, if they
overdose their insulin

If anyone can give us more information, I would appreciate it

Jeremy Parker

I sometimes get short spells of shakiness and weakness, but they usually
pass if I take it easy for a few minutes and down some sports drink and/or a
gel. Don't know what that's called -- maybe low blood sugar? -- but it's
not true "bonking" IMO.

I've seen people totally seize up with cramps -- literally can't pedal (or
run) because their leg muscles lock up. Don't know what THAT's called,
either -- but still doesn't seem like bonking to me. (Once they get cramps
ironed out, usually can continue?)

Only time I ever bonked was when I was training for a marathon (St. George)
and ran with two guys who were way too fast and strong for me on a very hot
day. We hit 22 miles or so and I just "hit the wall". I didn't collapse or
anything, but I literally had to stop running and just walk rest of way to
car. They tried to convince me it wasn't very far, but I was DONE. Period.
Finis. (Later found out I had stress fractures all over my body -- calcium
absorption condition that caused kidney stones and weak bones...poetry
NOT -- but still managed to run AFC half marathon a week later. Had to drop
the full M, however, which remains a bummer to this day. Darn bones...)

I think "bonking" is when you just have to stop, no matter how much you want
to continue. Prolly mental almost as much as physical. Sheer exhaustion.

Bill "ample fat stores usually keep me going" S.

"Jeremy Parker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[snip]

Diabetics also get the bonk, I believe, or hypoglycaemia, if they overdose
their insulin

If anyone can give us more information, I would appreciate it

Jeremy Parker

Sort of, but not always. I am Type 2 diabetic, and control my blood glucose
with pills and by restricting the carbohydrates in my diet. I have "bonked"
a few times before I realized that I had to consume extra carbs before, and
sometimes during, long rides.

You may find it ironic that the first time this happened to me was during a
Tour de Cure ride (for those of you unfamiliar with it, it is a fund raising
event for the American Diabetes Association) when it actually knocked me off
of my bike.

Jeremy Parker wrote:
:: "gds" <[email hidden]> wrote
::
:: [snip]
:::
::: My definition is pretty much the same!
::: When I used to run marathons we called it "hitting the wall"
::: because
::: that is what it felt like. It is not just feeling a bit logy or
::: tired.
::: It is a drastic decrease in energy and often happens quite
::: suddenly.
:::
:: I've heard it said, though I can't speak from personal experience,
:: that bonking and hitting the wall are slightly different, although
:: both glycogen depletion related.

I think they are both exactly the same thing, though described differently
in different sports. The "bonk" is exercise-induced hypoglycemia.

::
:: With bikes, and the bonk, its the glycogen reaching the brain, or
:: not, which is important, so the main effect is mental. With running,
:: and hitting the wall, its supposedly glycogen in (or not) the leg
:: muscles.

Again, I think it depends on who you talk too. As a low-carber, I've tried
to ride long distances without eating carbs either before (ie, LCing for a
long period before riding) or during the ride. The most I have be able to
get on the bike under these conditions is about 35 lbs before the "bonk"
hits. I've had some serious episodes where I became shaky, weak, had severe
difficulty in turning the cranks, and difficulty in concentration. And this
would be miles from home. Eating carbs would help a bit, but a full on bonk
takes hours to recover from. Of course, I'd want to eat everything in
sight.

::
:: Diabetics also get the bonk, I believe, or hypoglycaemia, if they
:: overdose their insulin.

Yes, that is possible for those who need insulin. I'm a type 2 and I control
my diabetes by exercise and diet (ie, low carb). I get away with eating
extra carbs when I get ready to ride lotsa miles. I'm more susceptabe to
bonking since I don't eat nearly as many carbs as "normal" people do, so I
can have depleted glycogen stores (especially on days after a hard (weights)
gym workout). I do most of my riding on weekends, so I'm very strict during
the week and on days when I don't ride.

::
:: If anyone can give us more information, I would appreciate it
::
:: Jeremy Parker

me said:

There are some useful posts in this thread, thanks.
But you should know, in the UK, Bonk, has a completely
different slang meaning! 🙂

In the US, as well. One can only imagine how it morphed into the
meaning offered in this thread ;-).

Ryan Cousineau said:

Sadly, NY Velocity has broken their site, so I can no longer find the
excellent article "Levels of Suck Explained."

Is this it?

http://www.velocitynation.com/article.aspx?ID=182&CID=53

dgk said:

I realize that it isn't the real definition but, judging by the
criteria, I'm never going to get to use the word bonk and I hate
letting a good word go to waste.

Just head for the UK, where it means something else altogether. ;°>

EFR
Ile de France

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:43:12 GMT, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

dgk said:

Peter Cole said:

Roger Zoul wrote:
> I'm curious as to what people here think is bonking. What causes it? What
> are the variables involved?
> Are there degrees of "bonking" or is "bonking" considered to be the worst
> possible form of an exercise induced hypo?
>
>

Bonking is when your blood sugar gets depleted to the point where you
have no energy. It usually takes at least a couple of hours of high
exertion. At moderate exertion you can run off of fat and most of us
have several days worth of capacity there.

I've only bonked a couple of times. Besides no energy, my main symptom
was an *incredible* hunger.

That sounds like the real meaning of bonking. I tend to use it when I
just can't get up the energy to pedal faster and am just dragging.
Sort of like having a bad day. It doesn't happen to me too often,
maybe a few times a year.

I realize that it isn't the real definition but, judging by the
criteria, I'm never going to get to use the word bonk and I hate
letting a good word go to waste.

The word you're looking for is "suck." No, seriously, I'm not trying to
be a jerk, that's pretty much how racers describe that experience.

Sadly, NY Velocity has broken their site, so I can no longer find the
excellent article "Levels of Suck Explained."

Levels of Suck! I love it. Yes, I guess that pretty well explains the
feeling. Sometimes I just can't get the feet moving.