If you regularly engage in endurance sports like long-distance running, cycling, or endurance swimming, chances are, you have encountered the dreaded bonk. Bonking or “hitting the wall” is when you experience sudden severe fatigue caused by a depletion of glycogen stores (low blood sugar) in the muscles and liver. Beyond severe fatigue, you will also likely experience physical weakness, confusion, disorientation, and headache. Depending on how extreme you hit the wall, you may also experience noticeable problems in how your muscles function since it becomes more difficult for them to contract. You may also experience shaking, lack of coordination, extreme hunger, vision changes, anxiety, and irritability. If left untreated, bonking can lead to seizures and even coma! Here are some valuable tips to avoid bonking during your endurance training.
If you plan to partake in endurance sports that will last three or more hours, such as a marathon, you should consume more carbohydrates than you usually do five days before the event. One day before the event, increase your carbohydrate intake by about five grams of carbs per pound of body weight. However, focus on slower digesting complex carb sources such as pasta, potatoes, cereal, and whole wheat grain products. On the day of the event, consume about 60-70 grams of complex carbohydrates about 30 minutes before the event.
After several hours of endurance training, staying hydrated and continually fueling with carbohydrates is critical to avoiding the bonk. Make sure you have convenient sources to help you stay hydrated and fueled with carbs to keep your energy stores up. However, unlike your carb loading before the event, you should focus on simple carbs that absorb into your system more quickly during your endurance event. For example, Citrus-flavored Tapout Hydration contains fructose as a carb source, an ideal simple carb to help you stay fueled.
Taking a few Citrus-flavored Tapout Hydration drinks with you during your endurance event is an incredibly convenient way to remain hydrated and fueled with carbs. Citrus-flavored Tapout Hydration is like a supercharged way to hydrate with its five essential electrolytes. Citrus-flavored Tapout Hydration also contains 28 grams of carbohydrates to help you stay fueled throughout your endurance event. During your endurance event, you should rehydrate and fuel with carbs every 30 minutes.
No one wants to slow down during an endurance event, but sometimes you should, even if only for a few minutes. If you are beginning to experience any of the symptoms of bonking we discussed, it is better to slow down for a few minutes than push yourself until you hit the wall and must stop completely. If you need to slow down, use this as an opportunity to hydrate and fuel up.
This may seem obvious, but staying committed to a continuous endurance training routine is essential to power through a more extended endurance event. Ensure you are training for the big endurance event months in advance. The science behind increasing your overall fitness level is that your body will learn to metabolize fat quickly into glycogen and increase your capacity to store energy-producing glycogen in your muscles. When you increase your fitness level, you also burn fewer calories per mile to maintain your energy levels for longer.
Ensure you maintain proper form throughout your endurance event, especially when fatigue sets in. Maintaining good form will lead to better running efficiency and less energy expenditure.
TAPOUT Performance Hydration and Recovery Drinks have been designed to activate your body's natural energy reserves, improve performance during competition and training and promote quick and healthy recovery after exercise.
TAPOUT comes in four flavors:
- Citrus
- Cherry Lemonade
- Orange
- Peach Mango
Our Citrus flavor has 120 calories to replenish natural energy and give you a boost under difficult training conditions. It also has 240mg of natural sodium, and a blend of electrolytes and vitamins. As you work out, these vitamins and electrolytes are used by your body or lost in sweat. That's why each TAPOUT contains:
- Vitamins A, C, E
- The Vitamin B Complex
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Chloride
If you're looking for a sports performance drink that replenishes these electrolytes and vitamins but prefer a no-sugar drink, TAPOUT Orange and Cherry Lemonade contain the same scientifically derived formula with zero sugar and only five calories.
No matter which flavor you choose, you can be assured that you're getting great taste from a sports drink made with no artificial colors, flavors or ingredients.