The literature suggests that, even with aggressive carbohydrate replenishment, it can take 24 hours to restore glycogen stores to optimal levels. And practical experience suggests up to 48 hours or a little longer in extreme cases, or when carbohydrate intake is not massive. Recovery from a stroke usually takes at least a few days, and sometimes longer. During this time, you may find yourself more exhausted, tired, and hungry than normal, and it's important to give your body the rest and nutrition it needs.
Your immune system may also be compromised up to 3 days later, so take your recovery seriously; getting sick as a result of a stroke could interrupt your training for the next few weeks. While hydration may seem like an obvious course of action when you immediately get off the bike, it's also important for the hours after the ride. If you've pushed yourself to the limit, you almost certainly haven't replaced all the fluid you lost during your trip. Throw your favorite electrolyte powder or pills in your bottle and continue to hydrate regularly for the rest of the day.
Fast sugars and proteins will help your recovery, so if you can, drink some juice or chocolate milk before you get home. You may feel like you deserve a drink right now, but a beer after the trip won't help you feel better. Alcohol can act as a diuretic that will actually further dehydrate you, hindering your rehydration process (and possibly causing a headache). Alcohol also inhibits muscle repair and glycogen reduction, which impairs recovery.
Focus on eating and drinking, slowing down if you need to, and staying mentally engaged. Once your body can start processing new foods, you'll begin to recover and recover. The most important part of recovering a bonk is food to restore glycogen stores, so eat something as soon as possible. Many endurance athletes bring energy bars and sports drinks to extended events, and this helps provide some relief before you can access more substantial food.
Your body needs time to repair and recover, so if possible, taking a nap after eating or lying on the couch is the ideal course of action. The most important part of recovering from a stroke is eating to restore your glycogen stores, so eat something where you can and eat. This is one of the reasons why recovery is so important in training, and why pushing the body to the point of failing bonking can be dangerous. It's not safe, it's very hard on the body, and taking days (and for some people a week) to recover means that all your subsequent trips are compromised.
The term is used a lot, but if you've ever been in bed, you know how bad it can be and how difficult it is to recover. An important factor in recognizing and recovering from pussies is to keep in mind that you may not be thinking clearly. Functional exhaustion is a serious and counterproductive event, and your next priority should be a safe recovery. Usually, the worst nausea and weakness of a bonk can be resolved relatively quickly with enough food and drink, but that doesn't mean you've recovered.
