What Is Bonking and How to Avoid It in Cycling?
What is bonking? So if bonking isn’t the fun we might initially imagine it could be, what is it? In simple terms, bonking is when your body feels as if it has completely run out of energy, bar the absolute minimum needed to turn the pedals at the slowest possible pace. In scientific terms, bonking comes about when your body’s easily converted glycogen energy stores are depleted and instead your body has to resort to solely burning fat for fuel. How do I avoid the bonk? Step 1 The most obvious way is to eat glycogen-promoting complex carbohydrates (such as rice and potatoes) in the time leading up to a ride. However, it’s actually a relatively fine balancing act. If you spend the days before a big ride gorging on pasta, you’ll almost certainly take on more carbs than you’ll burn on the ride itself and will therefore put on fat. So simply make sure you have a sensible amount of complex carbohydrate foods in meals during the two days before a big event. Step 2 Once you’ve start...