HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE WORD “ BONK “
BONKING, OR "HITTING THE WALL," IS A TERM MOST ATHLETES KNOW
IT IS SOMETHING CONCERNED WITH SUGAR LEVEL IN BLOOD
TO REACH A POINT
WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING, EXERCISING, PLAYING SPORTS,WHERE YOU ARE SO PHYSICALLY TIRED YOU FEEL YOU
CANNOT CONTINUE:
BONKING IS DUE TO LOW BLOOD SUGAR (HYPOGLYCEMIA), AND SIMPLY RUNNING OUT OF FUEL FOR YOUR BODY AND YOUR
BRAIN.
As if you have hit a wall… and forced to stop
THE FEELING OF SEVERE WEAKNESS, FATIGUE, CONFUSION, AND DISORIENTATION
THE ENERGY AND THE FUEL TO GET THE ENERGY FOR LONG-DISTANCE EXERCISE RELY ON ADEQUATE AND CONTINUOUS
SUPPLY OF GLUCOSE ……….TO KEEP THE MUSCLES CONTRACTING.
You get this glucose from several sources:
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Your bloodstream—which gets used up within a few minutes of high-level exercise.
Your muscle cells—which can carry most people through a 90-minute workout just fine.
Your liver—it releases glucose into the bloodstream to keep up with demand.
THIS GLUCOSE IS PRESENT IN LIVER AND MUSCLES AS A STORAGE FORM – GLYCOGEN –
MUSCLES STORE AROUND 500GMS AS COMPARED TO LIVER WHICH STORES 100 GMS
SO WHEN ALL THESE .. ARE EXHAUSTED ..
YOU FEEL WEAK,, TIRED EXHAUSTED .. DUE TO LACK OF ENERGY .. MUSCLE TREMBLING AND SHAKING,
SWEATING, AND LACK OF COORDINATION.
CONFUSED,, STAGGERING.. DAZED.. DISORIENTED -- DUE TO LACK OF GLUCOSE AND FUEL TO
BRAIN.. – most extreme may cause seizures… convulsions due to low sugar to brain
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experience a variety of cognitive symptoms as well.
BRAIN IS VERY SENSITIVE AND IT DOES NOT ACCEPT FAT OR PROTEIN AS A SOURCE OF FUEL.
NOW YOU HAVE HIT THE WALL… NO FUEL – NO SOURCE FOR FUEL
MEANS DEPLETED ALL THE GLUCOSE… CIRCULATING AS WELL AS STORED –
ANYONE CAN BONK IF THEY DON’T EAT PROPERLY DURING INTENSE ENDURANCE EXERCISE
STOP EXERCISE, AND EAT SOME SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES THAT CAN BE RAPIDLY ABSORBED
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At rest, this can be plenty of glucose to keep all your bodily functions going strong for hours at a time.
But during high-intensity endurance exercises such as a five-hour bike race or Ironman triathlon, you can quickly use up
all your stored glucose.
If you don't continually add some more fuel, that can spell disaster for your body and your mind.
It's not just your muscles that need glucose to function properly. Your brain needs glucose too.
If you use up all the glucose in your system and "hit the wall," you won't just have to slow down and stop exercising; you
may experience a variety of cognitive symptoms as well.
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Signs and Symptoms
If you watch any Ironman triathlon events, you'll find more than one athlete staggering along the course,
appearing dazed, confused, and disoriented. These are all athletes who drastically depleted their glucose stores.
Lack of glucose in your bloodstream has both emotional and cognitive effects in addition to physical ones.1
When blood glucose levels drop too low, the first thing you'll experience is problems continuing muscle contractions.
You will feel slow, heavy and weak.
If you keep going, physical exertion becomes increasingly difficult and you may even start to experience muscle
trembling and shaking, sweating, and lack of coordination. You may feel extreme hunger or no appetite at all.
At this point, your body is protecting your brain by shutting down your muscles.
Soon, your brain and nervous system will be affected, and the result is the
mental and emotional symptoms of bonking.
Dizziness, light-headedness, tunnel-vision, and disorientation are all common experiences.
Anxiety, nervousness, and even irritability and hostility may develop in some people. Some athletes experience an
overwhelming feeling of depression. At its most extreme, hypoglycemia can result in seizures and even coma.
Anyone can bonk if they don’t eat properly during intense endurance exercise.
Lance Armstrong bonked during the climb up the Col de Joux Plane in the French Alps during the 2000 Tour de France.
At the time, he recalled it as the worst day on the bike he’d ever had.
Bonking is more common in cycling than other sports because pedaling causes far less muscle damage than something
like running, so you can continue cycling at an extremely high intensity for hours on end. The limiting factor for elite
cyclists with well-trained muscles tends to be available energy rather than muscle fatigue. However, many runners and
triathletes will find themselves on the road to a bonk, particularly during competition.2
What to Do If You Bonk
As soon as you feel any of these warning signs, especially if you've been exercising hard for a couple of hours, stop
exercise, and eat some simple carbohydrates that can be rapidly absorbed.
The best sources are sugary drinks such as sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, fruit juice, or an energy gel washed
down with lots of water to get it into your bloodstream quickly. Other options are straight sugar such as hard candies,
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gumdrops or jelly beans. Energy bars and solid foods are full of complex carbohydrates take longer to process, so they
are less helpful during a bonk.
If you catch the bonk early enough, you might be able to keep riding—though it might be slower—and refuel with
glucose and carbs. But if you are really hitting the wall, you should stop, eat, and recover before continuing with the
exercise.
Ask for Help If You Are Bonking
One important factor in recognizing and recovering from a bonk is to be aware that you may not be thinking clearly. For
this reason, it's a good idea to ask for help. Have someone keep an eye on you as you recover, especially if you choose to
keep going. Use the buddy system to prevent further decline, and to make sure you are riding safely. For your part, try to
pay more attention to what’s happening around you and keep checking in with yourself frequently.
How to Prevent the Bonk
To prevent your blood sugar from dropping to dangerous, bonk-inducing levels, it's wise to eat properly for exercise and
to eat at regular intervals.
If you exercise intensely for more than two hours, try to eat something small every 15 to 20 minutes. It doesn't really
matter what you eat, as long as it works for you. Some athletes like energy bars for convenience but foods like fruits,
nuts, PB&J, and pretzels all work just fine. Try different foods to find your favorite before competitions. Then, stick with
your plan.
Recognizing Your Personal Warning Signs of the Bonk
Keep in mind that developing low blood sugar isn't just related to how far and how fast you've exercised.
It also depends on how well your glucose stores were stocked before your ride, how efficient your body is at accessing
and delivering glucose, and a variety of other factors including the conditions, terrain, and climate.
Getting to know your body and paying attention to how you feel is more important than just eating and drinking on a
schedule. Over time, you will learn your own unique responses to low blood sugar, when it is likely to happen, and how
to stop it from getting worse
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