Bonk Recovery Tips

[Nokomis]

I had a great ride yesterday. Fueled up thru the day - I made sure not to cut calories to help esure that I had enough going in to the ride. Drank lots of water. The ride itself was very challenging for me, but I managed all the climbs and recovered on road for a very strong finish. 2 hours, 28 miles, avg HR 150, and only rarely & breifly went above my lactic threshold. I went thru 1 water bottle (with electrolytes) and a TrioBar on the road (about 170 cal, 15g carbs). I didn't feel hungry, tho we were riding when we'd normally be eating dinner.

Once we got home, I got cold. I tried to get some hot dinner together as quickly as possible, but I was already bonking - hard. Headache, nausea, tired, shaky, and nothing sounded good. DH took over cooking to let me recover. I had to force myself to eat. It took about hour to warm up, even then I had to stay tucked under a blanket, and let the dog snuggle in for extra heat.

I am not sure if I should have eaten more on the road, or had some food ready to go directly after.

How do you best recover if you bonk? Can you tell you are about to bonk - or does it happen too quickly?

[mimitabby]

were you bonking or were you suffering from hypothermia?

[Nokomis]

I'm wondering the same thing - based on how long it took to warm up, that might have been it.

[KnottedYet]

I get cold when I bonk.

(but I'm hypoglycemic anyway) Lots of Clif Bloks before, during, and after rides, hot drinks after rides as needed, a cozy wool hat for after rides, and thick wool sweater. (even in the summer)

Seems to go better for me if I anticipate a bonk at every ride and treat myself accordingly.

Kind of a bummer, but it works.

[TryToKeepUp]

agreed, you have to prepare for the worst and follow the same routine everytime after a hard training session. your body will eventually get used to using the routine as a sort of calming effect

[Andrea]

I know you said you had some electrolytes, but a lot of electrolyte supplements & additives don't really have as much salt as what you need (it's 99% of what you lose in sweat as far as electrolytes go). I put 1/8 tsp of salt in my water bottles and choose carb supplements that also have some sodium, like powerbar gels.

I get chilled very easily after rides, too (even if it's not too cold out). So, like everyone else said- could be hypothermia.

[OakLeaf]

I know nothing about bonk, but if I only drank one bottle of water in two hours (electrolytes or not) I'd be seriously dehydrated. Isn't there a general rule about two 21-oz bottles an hour?

[alpinerabbit]

not really. 1.2 Liters an hour (or 2.4 Liters for nokomis' ride of 2 hours ) can be too much. Or too little. All depends on the weather.

But my boyfriend reacts with chills and needing a hot broth to recover. I am much more resistant to the bonk than he is. No Idea why. And when he gets it on the road, I have to make him eat energy bars. So it sounds like it was "it".

[Di bear]

I get really cold after my workouts, too, but it's not hypothermia. If anything, your temperature is elevated. Think about it, if you have a fever, you'll feel cold. Of course, elevated temperature post-workout is *not* a fever.

It is known that the body "reacts" to exercise for several hours after. I think what you're experiencing is actually quite normal. Apparently, there are NOT enough PhD candidates conducting studies on this issue.

[Flybye]

Here is a question on the water consumption thing.......

I am NOT a sweaty person. It doesn't seem to matter where or what I am doing. For example, I did two spin classes this week, one hour each, and just was a little sweaty in the seat and on the small of my back. I sweat a bit more on my ride today - just a smidge more sweaty than in the two spin classes. I have ridden 20 miles in 101 degree weather and been a little wet on my back.......when I run on the treadmill is when I sweat the most.

My point isn't to sick you out, but to ask how the electrolyte and salt replacement and water needs are different (or are they?) for someone like myself? I still try to follow the same advice as if I were sweating. Just curious. It would help to know for future possible bonks.

[Kano]

Flybye --

climate makes a difference too, I think -- is it as dry where you are as where I am? (Boise) I was a soaking wet person back in the day, when I lived in Minnesota. I am pretty dry here in Boise, where a "humid" day is about 20% humidity. DH always says the worst thing about finishing a ride is that THEN he starts to sweat. The reality of that, of course, is that he's just not making enough breeze to evaporate it all anymore!

Karen in Boise

[Flybye]

We are dry, thought I bet not quite as dry as you. Still, though, I seem to sweat less than others doing the same thing as I am. The lady on the bike next to me was sweating profusely - dripping! I thought, hmmmm............ I am just a bit wet on the back.

[shootingstar]

I know nothing about bonk, but if I only drank one bottle of water in two hours (electrolytes or not) I'd be seriously dehydrated. Isn't there a general rule about two 21-oz bottles an hour?

When I lived and cycled in Ontario, which gets 90% humidity and more... quite often in summer, I would finish off 2/3 of 21 oz. bottle of water in 3-4 hrs. I seriously cannot seem to ingest a whole lot of water before, during a ride, without prompting powerful need to empty my bladder every hr. ...which is not a sensation I want for a ride of several hrs. at a spritely pace.

However during the same 3-4 hr. time period, I do need to drink and also stop, eat something small at least...fruit, or at least 1/2 sandwich or gelato/frozen yogurt, muffin, etc.

Now living in Vancouver where our humidity..just feels perfect (and less draining than Central-Southeastern Canada), I seem to have less need to drink alot of water/liquid but probably due to age, not our mild climate, I seem to need to eat more energy food before a ride, etc.

However definitely cycling in the interior British Columbia, where it is much drier, I do need more liquid.

I did experience bonk in 99% humidity when we were cycle-touring. It was only a 45 km. ride and I didn't have any breakfast except for a fruit and water. Thought I would be ok and so with my panniers loaded, we cycled off. By the edge of town on a major 100 kms./hr. highway, I was weaving...ready to faint.

Fortunately the impending lightning-thunderstorm truly kept me going.....for shelter without collapsing.

I was very surprised by my (weak) reaction...already I had done 350 kms. in a few days on the trip, in prior to that near-fainting-blackout..

[rocknrollgirl]

I get really chilled like that when my blood sigar drops. Right before dinner I am awalys freezing. When I train at dinner time, I always go through what you have described. I usually cook ahead so that food is ready immediatley.

Did you eat enough during the day? A front load?

[Starfish]

Last year when I was really upping the climbing on my long training rides on the weekends, I had a few rides when afterward I was just TRASHED. I live in a cold, damp climate. And, on these rides, I dressed as well as possible (in ways that would keep me warm on the bike), ate religiously with a balance of protein bars, sugar gels, electrolyte tabs, real food, etc. All stuff I know from experience works for me and keeps me going on rides.

But, I was just very much upping the difficulty of my endurance rides. I would get in a zone, and not bonk on the ride, and even feel like I could keep going when I got home.

BUT...once I stopped, and got off the bike, I sometimes got very cold, and just downed a huge glass of sugary chocolate milk, and got in a hot epsom bath asap. My leg muscles would just ACHE. And, sometimes it would take a half hour to warm up in a hot bath.

THEN...bathrobe, regular meal, etc, and I would start feeling like a human being again.