Fatigue and Nutrition
Fatigue
We have a total load of energy to utilize on a daily basis. The amount of energy is altered by the food we consume, our ability to absorb the nutrients from this food, our ability to use these nutrients for energy, the amount of water we drink, our sleep allotment, nutritional supplementation, injuries, and stress.
Our perception of fatigue has less to do with energy allotment and more to do with our experiences.
Nutrient Deficiency
See Nutrient Handout for more information on sources and results of deficiency.
Examples of vitamins needed to directly influence energy production include Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Biotin, and B3. All three are necessary for enzymatic reactions in the Krebs (TCA) cycle to yield available energy.
Example: Potential causes of B1 deficiency…
G.I. Dysbiosis (imbalance of intestinal bacteria)- some bacteria are able to synthesize B1 while others are not and compete with the available B1 from the host (in this example you or me). If the bacteria unable to synthesize B1 is present in excess, this can lead to decreased available B1 to the host.
Additionally, alcoholism, anorexia nervosa, hyperthryoidism, poor diet ( highly processed carbohydrate diet low in meat, fish, nuts and seeds), and diarrhea may lead to decreased availability, absorption and utilization of B1.
Muscular Fatigue
Physical activity endurance time, intensity, and type of exercise all play a factor in developing muscle fatigue related to exercise.
Some factors responsible for muscle fatigue include depletion of stored sugar (glycogen) in the muscle cell and blood, decreased availability of ATP (provides energy), and creatinine phosphate (CP) (which is important because a phosphate group can be given from CP to yield ATP (adenine triphosphate)).
Noticing muscular fatigue with exercise may be a result of incomplete nutrition, pre or current overuse, and/or poor circulation.
Increasing available energy to the tissue, addressing overused muscles, and improving circulation with proper breathing techniques, manual therapies, botanical medicine and nutritional changes are all ways to ameliorate muscle fatigue.
We can address nutritional changes through a diet and exercise recall and lab results.
Muscular Fatigue can be a result of overuse of the muscle group. Sometimes this is a result of job related movements. As an example, using a mouse at your desk for long hours can lead to shoulder tension which can overtime compress nerves in the arm that lead to the hand. When this occurs, a decrease in grip strength may present. This decreased grip strength may be noticed when lifting weights or climbing but when more severe can be present in more everyday actions.
Mental Fatigue
Generally, people report mental fatigue by expressing multiple symptoms such as having a harder time focusing at work or in conversation, background noise bothering them more than usual, the energy they use to exercise is taking away from their resources needed to get things done, they are having a harder time multi-tasking, Some people find incremetal poorer vision and hearing.
Stress
When we are stressed, we redirect some of our available energy for the day. For instance, when stressed, our brains sends signals that release epinephrine from our adrenal glands leading to an increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and vessel constriction in our hands and feet.
Being stressed uses energy that we could use for more constructive cognitive or physical functions. We may find ourselves feeling fatigued easily and reach for extra caffeine to complete our tasks.
Sex hormone Imbalance
Changes in available estrogen and progesterone availability can increase the feeling of fatigue. The suggested causes of increased fatigue during perimenopause are loss of sleep from hot flashes or hormonally related anxiety and/or increased blood loss (loss of iron) from breakthrough bleeding.
For men, low testosterone is associated with fatigue.
In my area, HBOT sessions can be found at Rocky Mountain Hyperbaric Institute.
