Cycling UK Forum

Absolutely beautiful, around 25° and light wind; so of course the song of the lawnmower is heard in the land.

mattheus wrote: ↑12 Apr 2024, 12:27pm

Audax67 wrote: ↑12 Apr 2024, 10:04am

mattheus wrote: ↑11 Apr 2024, 5:24pm
Probably the biggest reason for this happening is you've effectively hooked your body on high-sugar intake.

Just like smokers who cough through the waking hour until their first fag. They say it makes them feel soooo much better!

I've been diabetic for 40 years. My standard medication reduces sugar uptake from the gut, burns muscle glycogen all the time and depresses the release of glycogen from the liver. If I cut stop taking it, it takes 4 days to be eliminated, so on every ride a deal of the sugar I consume remains in the gut. When I ride without sugar intake I depress my blood sugar & the remaining muscle glycogen in about half an hour. Not recommended.

Oh dear - sorry to hear about that :-/

You fooled me with the "stent-talk". I didn't twig that - like the OP - you hadn't mentioned your diabetes.
SO ... when I looked into all this sugar/exercise business, I wasn't considering diabetes, so this is just off the top of my head, but:
the whole point of fasted training, low-carb diets etc (even keto for the hard-core!) is that you need much reduced, minimal sugar absorption from the gut. I can ride quite hard for hours on an empty stomach, and ride 4 days with 7h sleep just on fats/protein.

A quick google - a VERY quick google - suggests fasted training works well with Type 1 Diabetes.

No sweat. I'm a Type 2 so quite different from a T1. My current régime works pretty well, apart from the odd panicky scamper into the undergrowth/nearest patisserie, and I wouldn't care to try a shift to fat-burning or some such.

LittleGreyCat wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 5:02pm I use flat pedals with plastic toe clips (no straps) which do seem to help with the up stroke.

+1 for toe hooks. I use them on the shopping bike. They cure the instep habit, too.

mattheus wrote: ↑11 Apr 2024, 5:24pm

Audax67 wrote: ↑11 Apr 2024, 5:12pm I can offer this, though: after I got my first stent, the hospital dieti-chienne told me to stop putting sugar in my bottles and avoid sugary stuff at controls. I tried it for one ride, and had such a vile case of bonk that I thought I was having a heart attack: no energy, trembling, ready to fall over sideways. I ate one of the sugary bars she'd told me to leave behind and I was fine in a few minutes.

Probably the biggest reason for this happening is you've effectively hooked your body on high-sugar intake.

Just like smokers who cough through the waking hour until their first fag. They say it makes them feel soooo much better!

I've been diabetic for 40 years. My standard medication reduces sugar uptake from the gut, burns muscle glycogen all the time and depresses the release of glycogen from the liver. If I cut stop taking it, it takes 4 days to be eliminated, so on every ride a deal of the sugar I consume remains in the gut. When I ride without sugar intake I depress my blood sugar & the remaining muscle glycogen in about half an hour. Not recommended.

For added entertainment, the sugar that stays in the gut is fermented by intestinal bacteria so that faeces are reduced to a kind of high-pressure expanding foam, sometimes posing a swift and severe sphinctoral challenge. I can avoid this by totally abstaining from sugar but when I'm on the bike the outcome of that is gloomy.

The sugar in my bottles is Isostar, BTW, not the stuff people ruin their coffee with.

Paulatic wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 6:56pm

Jdsk wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 4:31pm

Audax67 wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 4:25pm Bonk is simply hypoglycaemia, i.e. your blood sugar level has dropped below the normal range.
...

I don't think that it is. But if you have some evidence...

... and of course it's much much easier to measure plasma glucose concentration it used to be...

Jonathan

The OP links to Trainer Road an esteemed training app it says 'Bonking is a dreaded experience and occurs when the body becomes functionally depleted of glycogen.'

What do you think it is ?

Glycogen is simply a storage form of glucose, and has to be converted to glucose before it can be used. You can find it in the muscles or in the liver.

Jdsk wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 4:31pm

Audax67 wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 4:25pm Bonk is simply hypoglycaemia, i.e. your blood sugar level has dropped below the normal range.
...

I don't think that it is. But if you have some evidence...

... and of course it's much much easier to measure plasma glucose concentration it used to be...

Jonathan

Nonetheless I'm not going to schlepp my BG meter along on rides. I can offer this, though: after I got my first stent, the hospital dieti-chienne told me to stop putting sugar in my bottles and avoid sugary stuff at controls. I tried it for one ride, and had such a vile case of bonk that I thought I was having a heart attack: no energy, trembling, ready to fall over sideways. I ate one of the sugary bars she'd told me to leave behind and I was fine in a few minutes.

Bonk is simply hypoglycaemia, i.e. your blood sugar level has dropped below the normal range. You can push it up again any way you like, whether it's by stopping for cake, using a sports drink powder such as Isostar in your bottle or eating bars. Personally, I'd avoid bars containing caffeine, since too much caffeine can cause an adrenalin reaction which can feel as shuddery as bonk. It's worth remembering, though, that eating nothing but sugary stuff on a ride will eventually make you feel sick, so it's best to include something with a bit of salt, fat and protein (preferably animal since humans make better use of it than vegetable protein). I used to carry miniature salami, that I ate in combination with crystallized ginger; nowadays I just stop for a hefty chicken sandwich at lunchtime. My favourite bars are Decathlon's almond bars, and fruit gels.

Pre-ride I usually have a plate of pasta and lardons, with a small handful of raisins on top.

Hope this helps.

Glorious today, 25° forecast for tomorrow and 24° on Monday.

Jdsk wrote: ↑3 Apr 2024, 10:04am "Cups v grams: why can’t American and British cooks agree on food measurements?":
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/a ... asurements

Jonathan

What's the objection to the following margarita recipe?

1 part tequila
3 parts triple sec
3 parts Rose's lime juice

Back in the Stone Age, when I still drank alcohol, this was one of my favourites. It doesn't matter what size the 'part' is as long as the proportions are observed. Replace part by cup and the drink will still taste the same, you'll just get more addled if you drink it all.

And that was the whole point of giving recipes in cups: settlers moving out west in the 19th century might not have scales, but they'd usually have a cup or two with them. Although the size might vary the proportions wouldn't, and in a recipe that's what counts.

PS I note that the original poster used the American spelling of kilometre.

I'll just leave this here:

https://youtu.be/wif1OaM-_W8?si=7qRXagnHqfvAJb9i

Isn't it the clever Dutch who open a car door with the opposite hand, so that they have to swivel in the seat to reach the handle and so can see anything approaching from behind?

I've tried to get into the habit but I usually forget.

Jdsk wrote: ↑2 Apr 2024, 9:42am

Audax67 wrote: ↑2 Apr 2024, 9:02am I have read of this somewhere else since then. Apparently feeling the presence of another is a kind of hallucination that most commonly occurs in cases of brain damage, but I'd not be surprised if it happened due to fatigue and sleep deprivation. Somaesthesia is the tech term.

Somaesthesia refers to any perceptions about the body.

Gotcha. I was taking it as feeling the presence of another body.

Interesting. Last year I had a Durano with a bump in it. Persevered a bit then complained and got my money back.

I have read of this somewhere else since then. Apparently feeling the presence of another is a kind of hallucination that most commonly occurs in cases of brain damage, but I'd not be surprised if it happened due to fatigue and sleep deprivation. Somaesthesia is the tech term.

Audax67 wrote: ↑1 Apr 2024, 9:26am Bloody wet here. Forecast dry tomorrow but wind gusting 60 kph so no bike, next dry day Friday. <i>[please insert rude word of choice]</i>

As forecast yesterday but wet.