More energy with less food; why?

TurtleTop08

I've noticed that as soon as I eat (anything at all) my energy does down the drain for the rest of the day. Doesn't matter if it's nutrient dense food or highly processed food. Doesn't matter if it's a big meal or a small snack. I've noticed a pattern where my energy is through the roof...until the first digestion of the day starts (whether that be morning, noon, or evening). What's the reasoning for this? Why do I have more energy on an empty stomach (fasted state)?

SonyaCele

digestion takes a lot of energy

CattOfTheGarage

Yup. Blood is redirected to the digestive system after eating, and if you try to exert yourself while that's going on, you force it to direct blood to the muscles, depriving the digestion of energy it needs and probably giving yourself indigestion as a result. So you become lethargic, to deter you from exerting yourself.

I have this problem every day for an hour or two after lunch, very annoying. I think the only solution if you need to exercise is to eat a lighter meal and shift more of your intake to a different time of day when you don't need to be active. I don't get this problem after breakfast, I think because my breakfast tends to be quite small.