Tips To Help With Fatigue
Your diet can help to improve your energy levels. Below are some useful hints and tips to help you along the way:
Always eat breakfast Aim for your five a day. This is the easiest way to ensure youre getting a good variety of nutrients from your diet the more colour on your plate, the better Include slow releasing starches in your diet. Potatoes, wholegrain pasta and rice are nothing to be feared, they all release energy slowly to keep you going throughout the day Cut down on sugar. Many people reach for sugar when theyre feeling tired, but this is a short-term energy fill that can actually leave you feeling lower than before Give your body the right amount of calories for your daily activities, as this will help keep your energy levels up Include foods rich in vitamin B in your diet, as they support healthy energy levels. B vitamins are nutrients that convert your food into energy, and include B1, B2 and B3 Make sure your food is rich in iron, this is essential for your red blood cells which carry oxygen around your body* Include magnesium rich foods in your diet. Magnesium supports energy and muscle functions,* so its important to ensure you’re getting the right levels
Get Tested For Other Conditions
Anaemia is often found alongside arthritis and is a common cause of fatigue. Anaemia can be caused by lack of iron in your diet, and this means your red blood cells cant carry enough oxygen to the parts of your body that need it.
GPs are generally very good at diagnosing and treating anaemia, says Dr Rae.
However, thyroid disease remains a major concern, because it can masquerade as so many other conditions. Dry skin and thinning hair are common symptoms, alongside the fatigue and aching joints that people put down to arthritis. Your rheumatologist or GP should offer tests to check your thyroid function.
If thyroid disease is diagnosed, its reasonably easy to manage with the right medication.
Overview Of Cellular Energy Production
In humans, dietary macronutrients provide the fuel required to maintain the biochemical and structural integrity of the body, to perform physical activity and to enable new tissue deposition . Ingested food is digested by enzymes that break down carbohydrates into monomeric sugars , lipids into fatty acids and proteins into amino acids. Sugars, fatty acids and amino acids enter the cell, where a gradual oxidation occurs, first in the cytosol, then in the mitochondria. The energy-generation process can be broken down into the three steps described below, that ultimately produce chemical energy as ATP that can be easily used elsewhere in the cell.
Oxidation of macronutrients into acetyl co-enzyme A
Overview of the involvement of vitamins and minerals in the major pathways of cellular energy production. This figure displays a simplified scheme of energy metabolism. Briefly, macronutrients are oxidized into acetyl-CoA through several pathways including glycolysis, which produces pyruvate from glucose, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and C play important roles Then acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle , which generates energy as NADH and FADH2 through a series of eight oxidations that involve vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8 and B12 as well as iron and magnesium. Finally, the electrons of NADH and FADH2 are transferred to the electron transport chain , where they provide energy used to generate ATP molecules this step needs the input of vitamins B2, B3, B5 and of iron.
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Magnesium Promotes Better Sleep
Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body, required for more than 300 different biochemical reactions, including muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and energy production. It is commonly found in foods like fish, almonds, and whole grains, and is an excellent source of energy.
According to a 2012 study published by the National Institute of Health, magnesium has been shown to improve symptoms of insomnia. If difficulty falling asleep is contributing to your fatigue, a magnesium supplement may improve your sleep quality, and help you feel more rested.
A Holistic Approach To Boosting Energy
If you want to naturally increase your energy levels, then we think you should always take a holistic approach. That means trying to fix all of the issues that might be causing low energy levels. It means boosting energy via multiple pathways at the same time.
Its no good trying to boost energy by taking ever-larger amounts of caffeine.
We have always seen better results when combining multiple substances that treat fatigue and low energy in different ways.
Thats why the best energy supplement will include a sensible dose of caffeine, along with substances known to enhance energy metabolism, reduce stress, support mitochondria function, and more.
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Ease Stress And Feel Your Best With Adaptogens
Wondering what adapotgens are? They’re a group of botanical supplements that protect the body against the effects of physical and mental stress. To be considered “adaptogenic,” an herb must be non-toxic, provide widespread physiological support, and help balance the body’s processes.
While this concept may feel new, the plant-based medicines it refers to, such as ginseng, have been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. The best part? Recent clinical research is proving that these remedies have a real impact on health.
How Does Vitamin B Help With Tiredness
In total there are 8 vitamin Bs, often they are given a different name such as folate or niacin. However, theyre all part of the same clan. B vitamins are incredibly important for helping our bodies convert food into energy.
The more you workout or train the more energy you need, so B vitamins are used to help with this. One of the reasons for feeling tired and fatigued after a hard training session is due to these now being in limited amounts in the body.
Now getting down to the science of this. Basically, B vitamins are involved in every single step of the essential catabolic process of creating energy .
Being deficient in just one of the 8 B vitamins can affect the whole process and function . For example, the active forms of the B vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid are all essential co-enzymes within the mitochondrial aerobic respiration and energy production , via their roles in the citric cycle, the electron transport chain and the resultant formation of ATP .
Furthering this, the B vitamins thiamine and biotin play additional roles in the mitochondrial metabolism of glucose , which is the biochemical process responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates, and we all know how good carbs are at giving us that well needed sustained energy boost throughout the day.
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The Best Vitamins For Tiredness
Home » Health & Wellbeing » The Best Vitamins For Tiredness
Vitamins are naturally occurring compounds that we gain from what we eat. They help to keep our bodies functioning at optimal levels, from muscle contractions, all the way to brain function. Without them, our bodies would struggle to survive, breathing, organ function, and everything else that goes on inside, all require certain vitamins to function.
Most vitamins that we require cannot be created by our body, and as such why we must gain them through our diet, or supplementation.
There are 13 vitamins altogether, with each of them playing certain roles in the body, so maintaining high levels is important. Vitamins can be very easily consumed through our diet, however many individuals can struggle to meet the requirements, which is why they use supplementation for ease, convenience and its also very cost effective.
So, even though each vitamin has its own role, theyre actually grouped into two categories: water-soluble vitamins, and fat-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble These are vitamins that are dissolved in water and readily absorbed into tissue for immediate use. Unfortunately, these are not stored, meaning they need to be replenished regularly in the diet. Water-soluble vitamins include Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, folate, biotin and pantothenic acid.
Customer Close Up Amir
Amir works in the city and where he would like to make more time to prepare his meals, he is often found running out the door and grabbing breakfast on the go from one of the shops on route. Lunch tends to be a poorly chosen snack at his desk, but he generally affords more time to cooking from scratch in the evening after the gym. Amir knows that taking a multi-vitamin doesnt replace a healthy diet, but it can contribute to the daily nutrients he needs. Amir chooses Multi-Guard® Active as its in a convenient one-a-day tablet.A multi-vitamin and mineral suitable for both men and women, means a sharing pot will save on cupboard space! But practicality aside, Multi-Guard® Balance for Men and Women is an inimitable formula containing cinnamon, chromium and magnesium at high strength levels. Other key ingredients include energy supporting nutrients vitamin B1, B3 and B6.
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The Interplay Of B Vitamins In Cellular Energy Production
All the B vitamins except folate are involved in at least one and often in several steps of the energy-production system within the cell . Adequate supply of each B vitamin is required for appropriate functioning of the energy-production system and a shortfall in any one of them will be rate limiting for energy production, with potentially severe metabolic and health consequences.
Vitamin B1 occurs in the body as free thiamine and as various phosphorylated forms, including thiamine pyrophosphate . TPP is involved in dehydrogenase reactions, which result in the decarboxylation of pyruvate and of branched-chain amino acids to form acetyl-CoA . Within the citric acid cycle, TPP supports the decarboxylation of alpha-ketoglutarate into succinyl-CoA .
Riboflavin is an integral part of the coenzymes flavin adenine dinucleotide and flavin mononucleotide , which are mandatory in the function of the flavoprotein enzymes. FAD and FMN act as proton carriers in redox reactions critical for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins . FAD is involved in the production of acetyl-CoA from fatty acids via beta-oxidation, from glucose via the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and from catabolism of branched amino acids . FAD is required in the citric acid cycle steps that produce succinyl-CoA from alpha-ketoglutarate and fumarate from succinate , and FADH2 acts as an electron donor in the electron transport chain .
Know Whats In Your Supplement
Research is your best friend when it comes to natural vitamins so make sure to do some research before taking anything new!
Avoid any artificial sweeteners while on the quest for natural energy boosters as they may actually cause fatigue instead of stopping it.
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Vitamins B3 And B5 Iron Magnesium And Zinc Are Important For Neurotransmission
Through NAD, niacin is involved in the control of intracellular calcium release. Calcium signalling is strongly integrated with nucleotide metabolism and the energy status of the cell, which are both dependent on NAD. Knowing the role of calcium in generating action potential in neurons, this is of high relevance regarding the role of niacin in cerebral functions .
Pantothenic acid-dependent palmitoylation of certain neuronal proteins is needed for release of neurotransmitters in the synapse, and is thus mandatory for transduction of information in the brain .
Iron is thought to be important for synaptic function as iron deficiency has been shown in a large set of preclinical studies to induce alterations in the electrophysiological properties of neural circuitry and neurotransmitter systems . Furthermore, recent findings suggest that a limited and controlled amount of reactive oxygen species in hippocampal neurons, including those generated by iron through the Fenton reaction, may stimulate calcium release, and thus allow calcium signals to activate the signalling cascades that lead to the transcription of genes known to participate in synaptic plasticity .
Vitamin B6 For Sustained Vigor
Do any of the B vitamins work harder than B6? B6 or pyridoxine helps with muscle repair, combating anemia, brain function and much more. More importantly, B6 converts proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to glucose. The vitamin manages energy use too and prolonged energy can be expected when taking a B6 supplement.
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Supplement For Energy And Focus Performance Lab Stim + Energy
If your goal is higher energy levels, improved focus, and better cognitive performance, then this is the supplement stack for you.
Performance Lab Stim delivers a 50mg dose of natural caffeine combined with 100mg of Suntheanine. This results in a cleaner, sharper, longer caffeine buzz with fewer side effects.
The caffeine and theanine is supported by Tyrosine, which has been shown to improve cognitive performance in people with sleep deprivation. All this is capped off with a B vitamin complex to support energy metabolism and neurotransmitter production.
Performance Lab Energy works in a very different, but complimentary way, to Stim. It is designed to optimize and protect your cell mitochondria, enhance energy metabolism, and reduce oxidative stress. This is a daily, long-term energy supplement for people fighting chronic fatigue.
The benefits of using Performance Lab Stim and Energy together are extensive. They include:
- Enhanced mitochondria for lasting energy
- More efficient energy metabolism
- Rapid increase in mental and physical energy levels
- Reduced fatigue
- Heightened focus
- Enhanced cognitive function
Performance Lab have completely dominated the market with their brand new range of energy supplements. The company focuses exclusively on high quality, pure ingredients, and simple, easy stackable formulas. This stackability is a major selling point for people with very particular needs.
Learn more about Performance Lab Energy.
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Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Its ironic that those with fatigue often find their sleep is disturbed and unsatisfying. Sleep hygiene techniques can be very helpful, says Dr Rae.
Simple things such as establishing consistent times for going to bed and getting up, and sleep rituals such as screen shutdown followed by slow, deep breathing and stretching, can help.
Japanese researchers found that a routine of holding and releasing tension throughout the body in a systematic way is effective in preparing the body for sleep. Start by stretching the hands for the count of several deep breaths and then gradually relaxing them. Next, clench a fist and release. Progress slowly down the body, extending out the spine while clenching and releasing the glute muscles in the bottom.
Finally, stretch out the legs, releasing the knees and tensing and stretching the toes, each time releasing the tension over the course of four or five deep breaths.
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Vitamins For Energy And Tiredness: Benefits And Which Foods To Eat
It can be difficult to maintain energy levels during the day, especially when life gets busy or you are exercising. But there are vitamins that could help boost your energy levels and make it easier for you to go through your day feeling well-rested and refreshed! In this article, we look at some of the vitamins that work best as natural energy boosters.
The supplements discussed in this article are all natural and in some cases have been scientifically proven to boost energy levels. Some vitamins, such as vitamin B12 can be taken every day for lasting benefits, while others may need to be consumed occasionally depending on the persons needs. Whether youre looking for a quick pick-me-up or an everyday supplement, these vitamins could help you get the energy you need. Remember to always talk to your doctor about any supplements before starting to take them.
Check For Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin D deficiency affects most of the population. If you havent topped up your levels during the summer because of work or fatigue making you stay inside, you may be lacking come winter, says Dr Rae.
This can lead to weakness of muscles, low mood and lethargy all typical symptoms of fatigue. Vitamin D levels are often low in forms of inflammatory arthritis, such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
I recommend using a vitamin D spray under the tongue each morning this gets straight into the blood stream.
B-group vitamins and folate are essential for good energy levels and optimal nerve function, which are both important in fighting fatigue. Folic acid also seems to reduce the chance of heart attacks and strokes. Vitamin K is vital for bone health, which can improve muscle function and fitness.
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What Is Chronic Fatigue
This condition is best known by medical professionals as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome . Its a disorder that can be characterized by the feeling of extreme tiredness with no feeling of refreshment after sleep.
Imagine going to bed at night only to wake up feeling as if you didnt go to bed at all. Doesnt sound like sweet dreams now, does it?
Plus, the symptoms and signs only worsen if you take part in strenuous physical or mental activities, and they dont improve after rest and relaxation either. Its a slippery, downhill slope!
Reduce Stress And Fatigue With Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola, also known as Rhodiola rosea, is a botanical supplement that has been used in traditional medicine in Eastern Europe and Asia for centuries. Not only will it help you feel more alert and decrease stress, it can also improve your mood, according to clinical research.
In a 2016 study from The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, rhodiola supplementation was shown to improve endurance while exercising, as well as assist in recovery afterwards. Rhodiola is a great choice if your exhaustion is related to intense activity.
As the scientific research on rhodiola continues to emerge, it could become an increasingly popular tool for improving quality of life.
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