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I don't believe your thoughts on what causes you to bonk are completely accurate. This is my view of what happens, from an article on line. From you posts I've read, it seems that you disagree with this explanation.I want to get back to your point on bonking during athletic events. Long one, so bear with me. I get into a little bit of basic physiology before I get to the point.
How the body breaks down glucose, simplified: C6H12O6(molecule of glucose)+6O2(breathe in) = 6H20(water)+6CO2(breathed out). Not much oxygen is required for this process, that's why it's called anaerobic. Fast energy.
Typical fatty acid: C54H108O6(quick Google search, I didn't remember this formula off the top of my head). Similar process as above, but you can clearly see that MUCH more oxygen is required for the process to take place. The rate limiting factor is oxygen. That's why it's called Aerobic. Much more energy is released via this process, but it's slower.
When the chemical bonds are broken, is when energy is released, the whole acetyl CoA/ATP to ADP to ATP/Krebs Cycle process. Byproducts are water(sweat), carbon dioxide(expelled during breathing), and heat(we're warm blooded) It's more involved than this, but it's honestly been awhile since I studied this, so I'd need to dig back into my physiology textbooks to give a 100% accurate description of the process.
Back to the BONK. You can walk all day, because the energy requirement is low, and is easily covered by the slower burning fatty acids. You start jogging, and as you go faster, you start breathing more because more oxygen is required for the processes described above. Eventually you're going so fast that you past the Aerobic threshold and either have to slow down or you'll burn through available glucose and the oxygen you're taking in isn't enough to keep up with energy demands via fatty acid oxidation. The "bonk". Your fuel utilization has slid so far to the glucose side of the spectrum that the body can't keep up. That's why you neither sprint nor walk a marathon, you want the ideal blend of fat and glucose utilization for peak performance. It's a spectrum, NOT an either/or.
Bonking
What is bonking and why does it happen?
Bonking, also known as hitting the wall, is a term used to describe what happens when your body runs low on glycogen to burn as a fuel source. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn and more efficient. Thus, when running at marathon pace, some portion of your energy output is going to come from burning glycogen – there’s no way around this. As your glycogen stores begin to run low, your body recognizes the potential danger and slows the body down gradually to conserve energy.
At this point, you can still run, but your pace will begin to slow unless you increase your effort. However, if you continue, your glycogen stores will get so low that your body will basically shut down and even jogging will be almost impossible.This is what’s called bonking. Bonking is not feeling tired; bonking is not an inability to move your legs faster. Bonking is when your glycogen stores get low enough that your brain shuts down your body.
What does it feel like to bonk?
A “true” bonk will almost always result in you not being able to physical run any longer. You may be able to shuffle and probably walk, but anything that resembles running is likely out the window. More than likely you’ll feel dizzy or light-headed (a result of your brain not getting the glycogen it needs) and some runners feel nauseous. As you can see, this feeling is a bit different than fading or getting fatigued during the latter miles.