Extremely tired after workout - is this adrenal fatigue?

kirdyq

This is how my life goes...I eat pretty well. I work full time and have two small children. I feel stressed quite a bit about things. Typically, I feel like I'm getting a cold quite frequently - sometimes it turns into one, sometimes it goes away (we are talking like 2x a month). I most certainly do not exercise regularly.

Luckily, I've been taking some supplements and (knock on wood) the feeling like I'm getting sick part has kind of went away. Lately, I have been feeling better since I don't feel sick all the time, and I have not been getting raging headaches like I was having all summer and fall (which turned out to be a blood clot in my head requiring hospitalization).

I have been so excited that I've been feeling well and happy, I decided to do a Pilates DVD this Tuesday night. Some headache medicine I now take has given me extra around the middle. Last night and today I am so incredibly tired, it is hard to function. Like struggling to hold my pen exhausted, dreaming of going home and napping all afternoon. This is always how it works for me when I do exercise - I do it once or a few times, and then I get knocked on my but by exhaustion or sickness. What is up with me? I expect to be a little tired, and of course have sore muscles, but this is crazy! Why am I always like this? And after a beginning Pilates mat workout...it wasn't even that difficult or stressful! Could this possibly be adrenal fatigue...I googled about this, and that was one of the first things in the search. I am pretty frustrated and exhausted.

I would love any advice on how to overcome this. I really need to get exercise in my routine. But I can't exercise and feel like this at work and home

bonniejo

Hi, I'm a masters in nutrition student, maybe I can help?

If this is adrenal fatigue, and it could be, I need to know a few things:
How much sleep are you getting? What time are you going to bed/getting up?
Do you eat breakfast? What are you eating?
How many calories are you eating? Do you eat carbs?
How much caffeine are you consuming?
What is your daily average stress level from 1-10, with 10 being high stress and 1 being a relaxing vacation

garymorris2013

I'm not expert but after workouts sure I sometimes feel tired and do most times go bed earlier than usual....In my case it's because in spent so long inactive then all of a sudden exercising....so I'd say do a Little each day and slowly increase you workout times etc also I take protein shakes to feed my muscles also eat meats veg and carbs to feed muscles and most importantly drink upto 2 litres of water daily...hope this helps

ElliottTN

This doesn't sound normal at all. If I were you then I would take a trip back to a health care professional.

dopeysmelly

garymorris2013 wrote: »

I'm not expert but after workouts sure I sometimes feel tired and do most times go bed earlier than usual....In my case it's because in spent so long inactive then all of a sudden exercising....so I'd say do a Little each day and slowly increase you workout times etc also I take protein shakes to feed my muscles also eat meats veg and carbs to feed muscles and most importantly drink upto 2 litres of water daily...hope this helps

This sounds like very sensible advice to me. If you start slower, and still consistently have extreme fatigue, I would go to a doc.

kirdyq

It's just so weird that I notice problems more often than not after I exercise! I really want to exercise, but feeling like this for a few days after is a major turnoff to me. I was hoping that this Pilates would be a nice easy transition into exercise - it's only 25 min at a beginner level. My abs have been minimally sore since, but this tiredness...ugh!

To answer the first questions from bonniejo, on weeknights I go to sleep between 10 to 10:30 and get up at 6. I can happily sleep 10 hours a night on weekends, which I try to do, if the kids allow. I find if I do not get at least my 8 hours, I come down with a cold or something.

Sometimes I'm guilty of skipping breakfast. The mornings are a stressful rush to get two kids out the door and myself to work on time. My hubby leaves before us, so no help there. What I usually end up doing is grabbing a banana and eating it at my desk when I get to work. I have never been a big breakfast fan, sometimes the thought of eating right away in the morning makes my stomach turn.

I don't really track my calories - like I mentioned above, breakfast is light, usually a sandwich or something for lunch, and then dinner. Yes, I do eat carbs.

I don't drink coffee at all, and I usually have a can of soda a day.

Stress level fluctuates, but I would say a safe average is 7.

Thanks for the input everybody, I just feel like something in me is broken. I am not opposed to speaking to my doctor about this. Over the past year, I have been slowly but surely getting there with my health issues. My GI doc and I figured out I have to watch it around lactose. After requesting an MRI for horrible headaches that wouldn't go away, I found out I had a large clot in a vein in my head, so I currently do blood thinners for that. Getting these two issues figured out has made me feel like a different and much happier person. So I was hoping I could start exercising, and then first time out of the gates, I feel like I need to hibernate for the rest of the winter.

bonniejo

Hm... It doesn't sound like adrenal fatigue, although it might be. The hallmarks of adrenal fatigue (without taking a lab) would be little sleep/going to bed very late, no breakfast, high caffeine intake and constant high stress. Of these things, your sleep and caffeine seem good, and there is probably not much you can do about the stress, but maybe try to add some protein/fat into your breakfast. Maybe keep some peanut butter/nuts in your car or at work to eat with the banana? I personally love a greek yogurt in the morning, maybe there is a coconut/soy based version you could try? A liquid might be easier for your stomach in the morning too.

I would try light yoga instead of pilates, and make sure to have some fast digesting carbs afterwards (juice, milk, gummy bears ) I second the recommendation to talk to your doctor, or maybe a naturopath for a more natural remedy?

kirdyq

Thanks so much, bonniejo!

burtonvdp

When I first started working out again I felt pretty tired and dizzy at the end of the workouts and really tired the next day. A few weeks into working out I had an appointment with a trainer at the gym. He asked me about my eating habits. I didn't eat breakfast just a snack at work, then a medium lunch, and my dinner was my main staple.

First thing he had me do was track everything (really helps to find patterns and problem areas) and switch my portions. Now I eat a fast breakfast every day (Usually around 300 to 400 calories), a medium lunch (400 to 500), and a smaller dinner (500 to 600). With usually 2 snacks around (100 to 200 calories) at work for morning and afternoon breaks. All while trying to pack as much protein in with a low amount of fat (Not too worried about carbs). That put most of my food eaten before dinner and well before my workouts (at night after dinner).

I do a lot better at my workouts and I dont feel as tired all day. I tend to stick with packaged food and snacks during work hours (Not much time to make anything) and whatever we can get fixed for dinner.

bonniejo

^ That was great advice!

kirdyq

Interesting and a nice perspective! Maybe I should give that a shot. Dinner is definitely my main thing for the day. But I do snack in the evenings, I often wonder if it is just my body's way of telling me I didn't get enough during the day.

bonniejo

Here is some nice info http://blog.adrenalfatigue.org/nutrition/eating-right-for-your-adrenal-glands-part-2-timing-your-meals-and-snacks/