Hypoglycemia / Bonking

Bonking is that feeling when you truly run out of gas. Most athletes have had this happen, regardless if you're a swimmer, runner, triathlete or any other type of athlete.

Fortunately, it's an easy condition to prevent. But that's the key, you've got to prevent it. Because once the dreaded bonk occurs, there goes your race!

So, what is bonking exactly? Bonking isn't a real scientific or medical term, by the way. If we wanted to define it medically, we'd call it hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia just means your blood sugar is so low that it's affecting you and causing symptoms.

Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia & Bonking)

Extreme fatigue. Like, you want to lay down in the middle of the road kind of fatigue.
No energy. Like, zero energy.
You may feel hot and become sweaty.
Anxious. "Hangry".
Speaking of hangry, you'll have intense cravings for food - especially something sugary.
Dry mouth, dizziness and extreme weakness.

You can blame bonking on not eating enough - that can affect you as well, but a true bonk is when you’ve depleted your readily available carbohydrate stores.

Carbohydrates are our immediate source of energy. We’ve got about 24 hours worth of stored glycogen but after that (and add in race conditions) you’re gonna chew right through it and enter the bonk.

How to Prevent the Bonk:

Eat well the week before your race - don't skip meals, especially those in the 24 hours preceding your race or training session.
Eat breakfast - complex carbs + protein + very little fat. Your body needs the carbs for immediate energy, and the protein and fat slow their absorption so that you don't tip over into hypoglycemia.
Eat & drink during your race. Take advantage of the opportunities to refuel. Huge mistake not to! This also includes hydration - dehydration negatively affects your ability to absorb calories.

Dietary Timing for Hypoglycemia

Historically, it was recommended to avoid carbohydrates before exercise altogether to prevent this phenomenon from happening; however, our viewpoint on this has changed.

In those that have experienced reactive hypoglycemia or are prone to it, the timing and type of carbohydrates before exercise is important. Since both blood glucose and insulin concentrations peak 20-40 minutes after eating a meal/snack, eating carbohydrates within the 10 minutes before starting to exercise or during the warm up is one strategy for treating reactive hypoglycemia. The sugar from the carbs is then released as the working muscles start requiring it, and this keeps insulin (mostly) out of the picture. This is thought to result in a much less precipitous, reactive drop in blood sugar.

Also, choosing low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates, such as a slightly under-ripe banana, may also help. The glycemic index refers to how quickly a food can raise blood sugars. A low glycemic carbohydrate will cause sugars to rise more slowly than high glycemic carbohydrates, resulting in a gradual (versus rapid) rise in blood glucose and therefore insulin levels will also be lower.

If neither of these strategies work for someone who is prone to reactive hypoglycemia, avoiding all carbohydrates within 90 minutes of exercising might be worth a try. At this point, blood sugars should be stable and no longer affected by any changes in insulin levels.

Note: You may be thinking "oh my gosh, no food before a workout?" Yes, that's right. In truth, we all have multiple hours of stored carbohydrate in our liver and muscles, known as glycogen. Unfortunately we've all been sold by the makers of sports drinks, bars and gels that we need energy right then and there or we'll crash. Not true - give it a try (no food before a workout lasting under 75 minutes) and you'll do just fine.

Hypoglycemia Dietary Basics

Outside of exercise, paying close attention to the timing and composition of meals and snacks can help manage reactive hypoglycemia.

Eating small meals and snacks no more than 3-4 hours apart throughout the day can help keep blood sugar stable.
High-fiber foods (whole grains, fruit, and vegetables), lean proteins (animal and non-animal sources), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, and liquid oils) as part of a well-rounded diet can help. In fact, most people don't get enough protein on a daily basis as is. Increasing your protein intake will drastically improve your tendency toward hypoglycemia.
Limit or avoid simple high GI carbohydrate foods (soda, sports drinks, breads, pastas, candy, etc.), particularly on an empty stomach. And if you choose to consume alcohol, avoid sugary mixers and be sure to have some food on board when you do drink.

Nutrient Solutions

Despite these dietary solutions, some individuals still struggle with reactive hypoglycemia. These are the cases where we need to look at and evaluate the use of specific nutrients which can help improve how the body deals with carbohydrates.

The botanical medicines Momordica charantiaand Gymnema sylvestre slow how glucose is absorbed from the gut and support the pancreas (where insulin is made).

Chromium, vanadium, zinc, copper and magnesium are all minerals that play a vital role in how our cells interact with insulin. By supplying these nutrients, the pancreas releases insulin in a more measured way and the cell's ability to absorb and utilize sugars is improved as well.

Supplementing with all of these nutrients has helped a lot of our client-athletes minimize their reactive hypoglycemic symptoms along with getting more detailed with their diets as far as understanding each person's unique tolerance or intolerance to simple carbohydrates.

We really like Glycemic Formula because it contains all of these nutrients in a synergistic combination - it contains the 9 most effective natural ingredients known for their ability to optimize blood sugar levels so they stay balanced. You can read more about how it works here.

Everyone is different in how their body tolerates carbohydrates. If you do suffer from reactive hypoglycemia, experiment with the type and timing of meals prior to working out.

This is a treatable symptom of dietary imbalance that can be improved and corrected with strict attention to meal timing with exercise, type of carbohydrates that are tolerated by the individual, protein and fat to carb ratio, and supporting it all with the blood sugar balancing nutrients found in Glycemic Formula.

That’s it - It’s actually quite simple!

Diet needs to be a good mix of complex carbs, proteins and fats. Watch out for the simple carb diet - This may actually make it easier for you to bonk!