# Bonk Training.



## cherrypie (Jan 14, 2012)

Bonk Training.
A rather unfortunate name with connotations.
Have read the link, I cannot understand why a non diabetic would train so hard that they induce a hypo?
http://www.superskinnyme.com/bonk-training.html


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## Northerner (Jan 14, 2012)

Interesting. Although I didn't do anything to extreme, my normal practice prior to diagnosis was to get up at crack of dawn, have a cup of tea, then go out for a run without eating anything. I could happily run for 12 miles and then eat when I got back. Was I therefore 'bonk' training? Never heard of it before, but then cyclists are very extreme! There's also 'carbo-loading' in marathon running where you run to deplete muscle glycogen and then eat a big carb-laden meal, with the theory that this gives you extra glycogen capacity in the race. Certainly, I've hit the wall in marathons but never fely hypo (as I now understand it). Shattered, yes - hypo, no.


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## mcdonagh47 (Jan 14, 2012)

Northerner said:


> Interesting. Although I didn't do anything to extreme, my normal practice prior to diagnosis was to get up at crack of dawn, have a cup of tea, then go out for a run without eating anything. I could happily run for 12 miles and then eat when I got back. Was I therefore 'bonk' training? Never heard of it before, but then cyclists are very extreme! There's also 'carbo-loading' in marathon running where you run to deplete muscle glycogen and then eat a big carb-laden meal, with the theory that this gives you extra glycogen capacity in the race. Certainly, I've hit the wall in marathons but never fely hypo (as I now understand it). Shattered, yes - hypo, no.



Bernstein's idea for diabetics is Anaerobic exercise. You work the dumbells until your muscles ache (no glucose left) then exercise some more - draws large amounts of glucose from the bloodstream. Also builds muscle which in turn use even more glucose.
He even allegedly had his 70 year old T2 ladies working the dumbells.


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## macast (Jan 14, 2012)

omg!!!  why would anyone WANT the side effects listed??????


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## Copepod (Jan 14, 2012)

I've known a couple of situations when a person, well known to me, with a normal pancreas has become hypoglycaemic after a very long day running in fells in cold conditions. Naturally, feeling not right, they found me, so I fed them biscuits, muesli bars, hot drinks with sugar, noodle soup etc - hot food was as necessary as sugar, as they were a bit hypothermic, too - and for interest, they asked me to check their blood glucose levels, too.


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## Julia (Jan 14, 2012)

Copepod said:


> I've known a couple of situations when a person, well known to me, with a normal pancreas has become hypoglycaemic after a very long day running in fells in cold conditions. Naturally, feeling not right, they found me, so I fed them biscuits, muesli bars, hot drinks with sugar, noodle soup etc - hot food was as necessary as sugar, as they were a bit hypothermic, too - and for interest, they asked me to check their blood glucose levels, too.



Out of interest, how low was he (I assume I know who you're talking about?!)?

I remember being amused the first time I heard cyclists saying they had bonked on a ride!!


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## Copepod (Jan 14, 2012)

Replied by PM, as didn't want to discuss someone else's bonking in public!


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## Julia (Jan 15, 2012)

Thanks Copepod. Sorry to everyone else if the dialogue came across as "cliquey". I was just wondering how low a non-D person can go if pushed to the extreme. 
Every now and then you get someone say they know how you feel because they get low blood sugar if they don't eat regularly  - yeah right, I think, it gets worse than just feeling a bit wobbly!
One of my good friends is terrible when we're cycling together if she doesn't eat every hour or so. I am proud to say she has never had to feed me jelly babies, but I often have to ask her if she needs to eat!


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## Northerner (Jan 15, 2012)

Julia said:


> Thanks Copepod. Sorry to everyone else if the dialogue came across as "cliquey". I was just wondering how low a non-D person can go if pushed to the extreme.
> Every now and then you get someone say they know how you feel because they get low blood sugar if they don't eat regularly  - yeah right, I think, it gets worse than just feeling a bit wobbly!
> One of my good friends is terrible when we're cycling together if she doesn't eat every hour or so. I am proud to say she has never had to feed me jelly babies, but I often have to ask her if she needs to eat!



Paula Radcliffe relates experiencing quite a serious hypo during an event earlier on in her career in her autobiography, and from her description it sounds very authentic! I think we forget or fail to realise sometimes just how hard some of these athletes push themselves (ice bath, anyone? ) I agree though that some people exaggerate and would be shocked if they really knew how a hypo can feel!


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## macast (Jan 15, 2012)

Copepod said:


> Replied by PM, as didn't want to discuss someone else's bonking in public!



spoil sport 

so what would a 'normal' person's BG level be to get the shakes??? 

for many years (possibly 15) I've suffered from 'the shakes', extreme tiredness and confusion, when my blood sugar was low and I hadn't eaten for a while.  I kept a packet of biscuits, a can of coke, a packet of jelly babies, an orange and an apple in my desk drawer at all times....... just can't understand why I didn't think to ask for a test!!!   I suppose I never suspected I had diabetes as I have M.E. and exhaustion, raging thirst and trips to the toilet are 'normal' for M.E. sufferers 

still can't understand why anyone would willingly put their body through that!!


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## Copepod (Jan 18, 2012)

OK, I have recorded a blood glucose level in a "normal" male person who competes in endurance adventure races etc (without diabetes) of 3.x mmol/ (can't remember what the x was, but I think between 3.1 and 3.6). This was after a long day (over 12 hours) running / walking round northern English fells in winter, putting out controls for a navigation challenge - he returned to base very cold, distressed, confused, collapsed into a chair, but was coherant enough to tell me that he needed food, and I knew what he'd eat, so kept handing him things, as he was also dehydrated and very cold, not just hypoglycaemic - only discovered that because he asked me to check him, for interest!

He's been in that state a few other times, but haven't bothered to check his blood glucose levels, just fed him and made him drink until he needs to pee!

But, prefer to maintain patient confidentiality, hence lack of some indentifying features!


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## fencesitter (Jan 18, 2012)

Macast, I'm interested in what you say about not getting a test ... do you think you were hypo when you got the shakes? I get the shakes a lot, and it seems to be related to my hormones (worse at certain times of the month). Like you I always just grab some food and wait for it to get better, but now I have a T1 son in the house I also have access to a meter! So a month ago I felt wobbly and tested my bg which was 3.8. I haven't tested more than once though. 
My mum always used to say the wobbles were a sign of low blood sugar, and in my case she seems to be right. So do you think your shakes were related to your T2?


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