Some Good Natural Energy Boosters

[Lightbeard]

I've been doing wrestling school for about 3 months and this problem just started happening last week.

Maybe being slammed 2-3 nights a week has worn me out but I've been finding myself fatigued before I barely get into any movement. Even basic stretching and workouts have been causing me to become extremely tired, sweaty, and I begin to see colors. I have no idea what is wrong I just seem to have a sudden drop in energy. For months I was able to do all the exercises and drills before I'd even begin sweating.

I'm not sick so I know that's not the problem. My teachers reccomended I try to find a good energy booster to see if that helps. I stoppped at my local health food start and they reccomended I try a natural energy booster called B-12 (which I'm buying tonight or tommorow).

If anyone knows about a good natural energy booster that could assist, your help would be greatly appreciated. (Note: I can't swallow pills).

I'm going to stock up on various fruits such as apples and lemons to eat before my class on Thursday and I'll try B-12 to see if it helps.

[rodos]

Make sure you're really well hydrated. Just water needed - nothing fancy. Drink until it's going through you pretty much 1 for 1. Not right before a training session, obviously, you don't want a stomach full of water.

Another thing to consider is allergy. I'm not sure what part of the world you're in - if it's the middle of winter and snowing it's unlikely to be pollen, for instance, but a new pet or some mold growing somewhere is possible. I sometimes have tired and lethargic days where I feel like I have half my normal lung capacity, which I attribute to allergy.

There's also the possibility that you are sick in a way that's not showing other symptoms. Vitamin deficiency is one possibility, which could be caused by a digestive problem (e.g. gluten or other intolerance). Maybe a glucose metabolism problem. Sweating and shortness of breath with light exercise could also be a heart problem of some kind (which could very well be brought on by something else like dehydration or vitamin deficiency).

Has anything changed in your routine lately? Staying up later, changed your training sessions to a different time relative to your meals, changed diet, moved house? I sometimes jog with my wife, and whereas she can get up and go before breakfast, I have no energy at that time, and find it hard to get my breath. Later in the morning, after breakfast is eaten and digested I'm fine. Time of day can certainly be a factor.

[Lightbeard]

Make sure you're really well hydrated. Just water needed - nothing fancy. Drink until it's going through you pretty much 1 for 1. Not right before a training session, obviously, you don't want a stomach full of water.

Another thing to consider is allergy. I'm not sure what part of the world you're in - if it's the middle of winter and snowing it's unlikely to be pollen, for instance, but a new pet or some mold growing somewhere is possible. I sometimes have tired and lethargic days where I feel like I have half my normal lung capacity, which I attribute to allergy.

There's also the possibility that you are sick in a way that's not showing other symptoms. Vitamin deficiency is one possibility, which could be caused by a digestive problem (e.g. gluten or other intolerance). Maybe a glucose metabolism problem. Sweating and shortness of breath with light exercise could also be a heart problem of some kind (which could very well be brought on by something else like dehydration or vitamin deficiency).

Has anything changed in your routine lately? Staying up later, changed your training sessions to a different time relative to your meals, changed diet, moved house? I sometimes jog with my wife, and whereas she can get up and go before breakfast, I have no energy at that time, and find it hard to get my breath. Later in the morning, after breakfast is eaten and digested I'm fine. Time of day can certainly be a factor.

Actually now that you mention it. My blood work I took like a month back did say I lacked Vitamin D. So I've been trying to eat more foods full of Vitamin D but I'll probably just try to see if the store has some sort of Vitamin D booster.

Nothing's really been wrong with my meals, I've been cutting down on the fast food. Vitamin deficiency could be the problem though (I don't have any allergies)

[Arnock]

Bananas

No, really.

They're great for a quick boost in energy, and are also high in potassium, which is necessary for muscle contraction.

But if I were you, I would talk to a doctor, might be something else wrong than a simple deficiency in your diet.

[Lightbeard]

Bananas

No, really.

They're great for a quick boost in energy, and are also high in potassium, which is necessary for muscle contraction.

But if I were you, I would talk to a doctor, might be something else wrong than a simple deficiency in your diet.

I have an appointment for next week if this problem persists. I have practice Thursday and I have to work two TV tapings in Philadelphia on Fri and Sat.

I'll buy some bananas though.

[Mcduffie]

Actually now that you mention it. My blood work I took like a month back did say I lacked Vitamin D. So I've been trying to eat more foods full of Vitamin D but I'll probably just try to see if the store has some sort of Vitamin D booster.

Nothing's really been wrong with my meals, I've been cutting down on the fast food. Vitamin deficiency could be the problem though (I don't have any allergies)

The sun gives you vitamin D, as well. So, you may want to get you some of that.

[Fivelives]

Whole milk is a good source of vitamin D, and yeah - go outside. The sun stimulates the body's natural production of vitamin D (which contrary to popular belief is not a vitamin - it's a hormone. But "hey drink our milk, WE ADD STEROIDS" didn't sound so good, so it started getting called a vitamin).

But a deficiency in vitamin D wouldn't cause general malaise. Consider getting checked for mononucleosis - you're right around the age when it's most common. Like chickenpox, it's one of those illnesses that most everyone gets, but unlike chickenpox the symptoms are usually so mild (and non-obvious) that in most cases it's attributed to puberty or stress. Low grade fevers (around 99.0-99.5) and general fatigue are the most common symptoms.

Potassium, sodium, and calcium are the "big 3" when it comes to nerve signals and muscle contractions. If you suddenly switched to a low-sodium diet that might cause muscle weakness which could be misattributed to general fatigue. Eat more leafy greens (more rich in iron and protein, but a good source of potassium too), canteloupes, bananas (best, but some people are sensitive to them) and honeydew melons (any melons, really). For calcium try replacing sour cream with nonfat plain yogurt, or using it to make smoothies. 2 cups of plain yogurt a day is around 2 grams of calcium.

"Energy drinks/shots/supplements" don't actually give you energy, they get you a caffeine and sugar rush that leaves you with a crash. Even the ones that are marketed with "all natural ingredients" and the likes are still mostly caffeine and various sugars. I wouldn't take those if I were you - look into changing around your diet to get a higher nutrient density instead of relying on pick-me-ups.

[rodos]

"Energy drinks/shots/supplements" don't actually give you energy, they get you a caffeine and sugar rush that leaves you with a crash. Even the ones that are marketed with "all natural ingredients" and the likes are still mostly caffeine and various sugars. I wouldn't take those if I were you - look into changing around your diet to get a higher nutrient density instead of relying on pick-me-ups.

That's true, but I've read a few training resources that say a moderate caffeine intake can be a good thing. It will give you a short-term lift to your perceived energy level, which is particularly helpful if you're trying to get over a "hump" of lethargy at the start of a session. Better, though, to pair up a small black coffee with a natural glucose source like a banana than some cooked-up "booster" shot or a sugar/fat-filled Starbucks concoction.

Hmmm. Did the fast food you've been cutting down on include a lot of coke? You might have caffeine withdrawal.

[Fivelives]

I'd like to see those references. Anything "performance enhancing" pre-workout has always been a no-no in anything I've read/seen/heard.

[Barathorn]

The best two natural energy boosters are,

1/ water - keep yourself hydrated
2/ sleep - get enough of it!

Sounds like you need to rest up for a while. Don't burn out.

[Snake-Aes]

Water, sleep, good mood... If you know it's not an actual problem, might as well just power through it and see how it goes.

[Fetzie]

There are no "healthy" energy drinks.

Get lots of fruit, water, sunlight, sleep. Oily fish are also supposed to be really good for you. Those isotonic drinks might be an idea for when you are actually training (you lose stuff like salts when you sweat). Just keep the hell away from gatorade/lucozade/red bull/those american energy drinks which are basically glucose syrup, taurin and caffein. They help for 30 minutes then you crash.

[Arnock]

Gatorade doesn't have caffeine as far as I'm aware. However, you should only really drink it when actually exercising, because it does have a LOT of sugar. But for vigorous exercise, replacing electrolytes can be important.



One thing I like when I'm on a long bike ride, are those GU packets, they're nice for a quick boost in calories/nutrients without making you exercise on a full stomach.

[rodos]

I'd like to see those references. Anything "performance enhancing" pre-workout has always been a no-no in anything I've read/seen/heard.

A little googling turns up a few. This one is a fairly good example.
http://ironman.com/training/nutrition/christopher-jensen-offers-some-insight-on-caffeine-and-its-use-for-training-and-racing

The upshot is: Caffeine will probably improve your performance and time-to-exhaustion through a combination of physical and psychological factors. However, it's very easy to build up a tolerance and lose the benefit if you do it all the time.

[Lightbeard]

I've been having trouble sleeping for the past week. I've been going to sleep between 2:30-3:30 AM and having to wake up 6:40 AM for school.

I've been trying to force myself into sleeping around 11-12. If I sleep too early like around 9 or 10 I just end up waking up in the middle of the night.