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Six secret causes of low energy
23 Nov 2022 • 6 min read
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Feeling short of get-up-and-go? Find out what could be triggering your low energy issues We all get tired sometimes, but what if you can’t shake off that feeling of not having enough energy to get through the day – even after a good night’s sleep? One in five people spend their days feeling unusually tired and one in 10 have long-term low energy, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.1 If you’re always tired or feeling exhausted, a number of things could be triggering your lack of energy, but some of them may surprise you…
1. Eating too much sugar
Eating a diet rich in simple carbohydrates, like cake and biscuits, can lead to feelings of low energy and fatigue. This is because refined starches and sugars cause spikes in blood glucose levels, and as they plummet back down, you experience fatigue.2,3 A 2015 study published in the journal Obesity found that teenagers given a high-sugar, low-fibre breakfast experienced fluctuating blood glucose levels, giving them less energy – they were later more likely to turn down sport in favour of a sitting-down activity.4Handpicked content: How to fight fatigue
2. Not eating enough vital vitamins
Certain vitamins and minerals are important when it comes to getting the most energy out of the food we eat. Magnesium and phosphorus – found in tofu, beans and wholegrains – are two of the nutrients that help break down our food into fuel.5,6,7 Meanwhile, iron is essential to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body to the cells: our cells need oxygen to break down glucose into energy. Iron deficiency also triggers anaemia, which makes you feel extremely tired.8,9, Iron is in dark green leafy vegetables, egg yolk and sesame seeds.10Handpicked content: Does low magnesium mess with your blood sugar?
3. Portion distortion – eating large meals
If you’re suffering from low energy, avoid eating three large meals a day with long gaps in between. Health experts believe our brains have only small stores of energy and need a regular supply of nutrients to feel refreshed, so try eating a small meal every few hours.11 Watch out for heavy lunches in particular. They cause a spike in blood sugar, and what goes up must come down… usually in the form of an afternoon energy slump.12Handpicked content: Is an iron deficiency causing your low energy?
4. Overdoing the alcohol
Daytime drinking may make you feel drowsy and lethargic.13 And boozing before bedtime risks disturbed sleep: alcohol increases the levels of the stress hormone epinephrine, raising your heart rate and making you more likely to wake in the middle of the night. In fact, drinking causes 10% of cases of persistent insomnia – something that can definitely reduce your energy levels.14 Try cutting back by alternating every alcoholic drink with a soft drink, or going alcohol-free for a number of days a week.15Handpicked content: What causes poor sleep?
5. Suffering from stress
A 2011 study, published in BMC Research Notes, found that people experiencing the most stress reported greater levels of fatigue.16 This is because stress lowers your immune system, raises your blood pressure and breathing rate, slows the digestive system and heightens alertness – all of which can make getting a good night’s sleep that much trickier.17,18 Make time to relax every day – even just 15 minutes. This will help lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and calm the stress response.19 Try meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises.20Handpicked content: Which type of yoga should I be doing?
6. You’ve got a medical condition
Certain conditions and diseases can trigger feelings of low energy. These include:21,22- chronic fatigue syndrome
- fibromyalgia
- depression
- diabetes
- underactive thyroid
- kidney infection
- coeliac disease
- anaemia
1. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Tiredness. Available from: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsanddisorders/tiredness.aspx
2. Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Stress, Food and Inflammation: Psychoneuroimmunology and Nutrition at the Cutting Edge. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2868080/
3. Harvard Health Publishing. Eating to boost energy. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/eating-to-boost-energy
4. O’Reilly GA, et al. Effects of high sugar and high fiber meals on physical activity behaviours in Latino and African American adolescents. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4551584/
5. Huskisson E, Maggini S and Ruf M. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Energy Metabolism and Well-Being. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/147323000703500301
6. Dietitians of Canada. Food Sources of Phosphorus. Available from: https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Minerals/Food-Sources-of-Phosphorus.aspx
7. Dietitians of Canada. Food Sources of Magnesium. Available from: https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Minerals/Food-Sources-of-Magnesium.aspx
8. BBC Bitesize. Life processes. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/organisms_behaviour_health/life_processes/revision/3/
9. Medical News Today. What to know about iron deficiency anaemia. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318096.php
10. Dietitians of Canada. Food Sources of Iron. Available from: https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Minerals/Food-Sources-of-Iron.aspx
11. As Source 3
12. As Source 3
13. Harvard Health Publishing. Alcohol and fatigue. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/alcohol-and-fatigue
14. As above
15. Drinkaware. Reasons for cutting down on alcohol. Available from: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/how-to-reduce-your-drinking/how-to-cut-down/reasons-for-cutting-down-on-alcohol/
16. Kocalevent RD, et al. Determinants of fatigue and stress. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21774803
17. Greenberg DB. Clinical Dimensions of Fatigue. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181235/
18. Medical News Today. Why stress happens and how to manage it. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php
19. Harvard Medical School. Best ways to manage stress. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/best-ways-to-manage-stress
20. As above
21. As Source 17
22. NHS Choices. 10 medical reasons for feeling tired. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/10-medical-reasons-for-feeling-tired/
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