What influences your body energy levels?

Not every day we wake up full of energy.

Sometimes we feel more tired and we can not indicate the reasons or mistakes we make in our daily routine that have an impact on our well-being and consequently on our energy level.

The reasons can be different. The cause may even be related to food, our sleep quality or our activity levels.

3 key factors that can negatively influence your body energy levels

Not sleeping enough

A large part of the population is unable to have a stable sleep rhythm, either due to the demands of working hours, social activities or any other less “controllable” reason such as sleep disturbances.

This deprivation compromises a good metabolic function, since the quality of sleep has a great influence on the perception of fatigue.

For example, glycolysis, a process by which glucose is converted into energy, is affected when we make a short sleep, which is unfavorable for our body.

According to Andrew Mchill and Wright, K.P., Jr,:

Not sleeping enough

“(…) predispose an individual for poor metabolic health by promoting excess caloric intake in response to reduced sleep, food intake at internal biological times when metabolic physiology is not prepared, decreased energy expenditure when wakefulness and sleep are initiated at incorrect internal biological times, and disrupted glucose metabolism during short sleep and circadian misalignment.”

Not eating enough or eating too much

Food has a great influence on the tiredness we feel.

We must maintain a balance between the intake of macro and micronutrients.

In the matter of energy, carbohydrates, sugars and vitamins and minerals play an important role.

However, this relationship is unknown to most people, which means that they are not aware of the changes they need to make to feel better.

Not eating enough

When what we eat is not enough for our body’s needs, for example when we take in fewer carbohydrates than the recommended amount to ensure proper brain function, or when we fast for a long period of time, the sugar levels in our body can fall, reaching a state of hypoglycemia (concentration of glucose in the body below the desired level).

One of the symptoms of this state may also be the feeling of fatigue.

“Poor nutrition and inadequate calorie intake can cause fatigue.”, as referred in the article  “Eating to boost energy”.

On the other hand, a diet that lacks some of the key vitamins and minerals will, of course, influence energy levels.

Among other things, they can help reduce fatigue and help keeping your body’s energy levels stable, boosting the absorption of nutrients, for example.

In these cases, when the diet is low in vitamins, a multivitamin supplement may help.

Know the Zumub multivitamin here!

 Fat is also critical for your body to have adequate levels of energy.

So do not exclude fat from your diet, make the right choices: always choose mono or polyunsaturated fats.

Eating too much

In contrast, when we eat a meal with a high energy content, the glucose level increases, which causes a state of hyperglycemia (concentration of glucose in the body above the desired level). This imbalance is also responsible for the feeling of fatigue.

As the National Sleep Foundation notes:

“On top of that, consuming too much sugar during the day can lead to an energy crash. Eating lots of sugar reduces the activity of what are called orexin cells. As a result, you’re going to feel pretty sleepy.”

In addition, frequency and quantities should also be considered:

“Where energy is the issue, it’s better to eat small meals and snacks every few hours than three large meals a day. This approach can reduce your perception of fatigue because your brain, which has very few energy reserves of its own, needs a steady supply of nutrients.”

It is therefore important to keep a balanced diet, taking into account the needs of our body and our goals to avoid the symptoms mentioned.

Not drinking enough water / liquids

The issue of hydration is much more important than you might think. Drinking water / liquids has a much greater influence on the normal functioning of our body than quenching thirst.

According to the article “Understanding clinical dehydration and its treatment”:

“Dehydration in clinical practice, as opposed to a physiological definition, refers to the loss of body water, with or without salt, at a rate greater than the body can replace it.”

Hydration influences various systems and organs of our body.

Mild or moderate dehydration can create a sensation of drowsiness and exhaustion, and this is all the more visible when it comes to physical performance during exercise:

“Under relatively mild levels of dehydration, individuals engaging in rigorous physical activity will experience decrements in performance related to reduced endurance, increased fatigue, altered thermoregulatory capability, reduced motivation and increased perceived effort.”

Therefore, it is very important to ingest liquids such as water at a recommended dose of 2 to 2.5 L / day.

These values may not be the same for everyone and depend on several factors, such as the speed at which you lose fluids.

For example, when exercising and losing many fluids through sweating, the recommended dose will increase.

Not doing the proper exercise

Exercise too much

With regard to physical exercise, fatigue is usually associated with excessive practice. This relationship is not unfounded.

In fact, the current literature refers to a relationship between the prolonged practice of intense physical exercise and the sensation of fatigue.

Low physical activity

Conversely, in situations of low physical activity, the feeling of tiredness may not be immediately recognized as a consequence.

However, current research also relates physical inactivity to the sensation of fatigue:

“Sedentary people who regularly complain of fatigue can increase their energy levels by 20 percent and decrease their fatigue by 65 percent by engaging in regular, low intensity exercise, according to a new study.”

Therefore …

A healthy lifestyle, respecting sleep schedules, aiming for a balanced diet and a recommended level of activity is decisive in avoiding oscillations of energy levels.

Make small corrections to your lifestyle to have better body energy levels!