No energy during & after workout

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hotchilidamo
hotchilidamo Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
When I go to the gym, I find that my workout is a real struggle and I often end the workout wishing it would end. I feel I'm absolutely drained of energy and towards the end of the afternoon (3pm ish) I'm totally knackered.

So I've been going to the gym for a couple of months now. I go before work, so I get up at 6.30, I have a banana, a full glass of water and go to the gym. When there I do HIIT on the cross trainer. 5 mins warm up, 30 second high intensity, 1m30s recovery and so on. I do about 20 minutes. After the second burst of intensity I usually want to die and find everything hard work, even the recovery time.

After my workout I have a protein shake and some porridge or granola

So, I'm guessing that this is a nutritional thing. I don't want to change the time of day I go as this really works for me. After work is no good as I have a newborn and need to get back before bed time/bathtime.

I don't really want to eat too much more than a quick snack and I also don't really want to get up even earlier than 6.30.

I do tend to suffer from low energy anyway, even when I'm not exercising. Doctor has checked me out and all is ok.

So, what am I doing wrong here? Any ideas?

Replies

  • hiryze
    hiryze Posts: 48 Member
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    Maybe try a preworkout shake. Something with more calories and protein to sustain you longer.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    I find that when I hit "the zone" I'm driven to finish it. Yes, I'm feeling the exertion, but I have the energy and the want/drive to see it through -- which is what you are expressing is lacking. You have more sheer will than I do, because that would make me quit doing it.

    What about swapping the HIIT for an aerobics or spin class or just a steady-pace treadmill/elliptical?

  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Eat before workout. Food contains energy.
  • TJP_
    TJP_ Posts: 49 Member
    edited October 2014
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    20 minutes of virtually unfuelled (the banana probably wont have time to make much of a difference) HIIT is always going to be tough I'm afraid. On the plus side it should strip the fat off you ;)

    You could try a slow digesting protein and fat meal just before bed and see if that helps...
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    Caffeine and vitamin b complex supplement will perk you right up if your hitting your workout in a mostly fasted state.
  • TJP_
    TJP_ Posts: 49 Member
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    Eat before workout. Food contains energy.

    The body doesn't instantly absorb energy from food - it needs to be digested.

  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
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    I would agree with TJP on this issue. I regularly exercise on an empty stomach at 4:30 a.m. and do not run into this problem. Today was HIIT on the treadmill for 6.1 miles (increase by 1.6 mph at every 1/4 mile mark for 1 minute then back to regular easy/steady state pace). Tomorrow will be SL 5X5 for an hour or so and then 3 easy miles. Friday will be 5 - 6 miles outside with our dog. You may want to try switching up what you are doing from day to day. I also fuel (protein and fruit) within a couple of hours of my workouts. I track protein every day to ensure I am getting enough - if you aren't tracking this I would give it a try and see if this changes how you are feeling (my wife was having issues with fatigue and after starting to track protein to insure she was getting the proper amount each day has pretty much gotten past this issue). Good luck.
  • WRENxxx
    WRENxxx Posts: 11 Member
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    If your workouts are in the morning, you don't need much in your stomach. Most of your diet from the previous day will affect your energy levels in the morning. It's kind of why runners carb load the day or two before a race and then eat only a banana the morning before running a distance run. And if 6:30 is really feeling that early for you, maybe going to bed earlier will help. A good night's rest is key to recovery. If changing your diet/getting more sleep doesn't help, I would consider consulting doctor about it.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    TJP_ wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    Eat before workout. Food contains energy.

    The body doesn't instantly absorb energy from food - it needs to be digested.

    Seems like common sense went out of the window on this one.....
  • TJP_
    TJP_ Posts: 49 Member
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    OK, so enlighten me on how it works and why it's beneficial to eat right before doing HIIT?
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    - This might be as simple as a cold - it completely drains me when I have one and everything is super hard to do training wise.

    - What does your overall food diary look like? It might be a question of overall calories or nutritional mix: I had to up my calories by about 100 at one point to find the sweet spot between exercise and nutrition. Deffo eat back your exercise cals!

    - What is your overall exercise pattern look like? You might need a rest day or a recovery day thrown in (recovery could still include exercise, but something completely different and not too high impact - e.g. as a runner I would consider a steady bike ride or a weights session a recovery day.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    WRENxxx wrote: »
    If your workouts are in the morning, you don't need much in your stomach. Most of your diet from the previous day will affect your energy levels in the morning. It's kind of why runners carb load the day or two before a race and then eat only a banana the morning before running a distance run. And if 6:30 is really feeling that early for you, maybe going to bed earlier will help. A good night's rest is key to recovery. If changing your diet/getting more sleep doesn't help, I would consider consulting doctor about it.

    I heard recently someone called BS on the whole carb loading thing.... But you do need to eat enough to keep fueled....
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    TJP_ wrote: »
    OK, so enlighten me on how it works and why it's beneficial to eat right before doing HIIT?

    Ok I hear you. Food needs time to digest. That isnt rocket science. The OP suggests he simply eats a banana beforehand and nothing else. Use your noggin'.....
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    level up on your iron and put more fuel in your tank and don't skip rest days.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    TJP_ wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    Eat before workout. Food contains energy.

    The body doesn't instantly absorb energy from food - it needs to be digested.

    Seems like common sense went out of the window on this one.....

    looks at M&M's in my hand...

    dont you dare make me fat until I chew you!!!

  • WRENxxx
    WRENxxx Posts: 11 Member
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    mikeyrp wrote: »
    WRENxxx wrote: »
    If your workouts are in the morning, you don't need much in your stomach. Most of your diet from the previous day will affect your energy levels in the morning. It's kind of why runners carb load the day or two before a race and then eat only a banana the morning before running a distance run. And if 6:30 is really feeling that early for you, maybe going to bed earlier will help. A good night's rest is key to recovery. If changing your diet/getting more sleep doesn't help, I would consider consulting doctor about it.

    I heard recently someone called BS on the whole carb loading thing.... But you do need to eat enough to keep fueled....

    I've heard that anything over 90 minutes requires a degree of carb loading and not just cramming your face with pasta the night before but an increased amount the few days out from the race/run. I follow that mentality and so far, so good for me. However, I just used that as an example. I could have just said "if you eat poorly the day before, it's going to affect your energy levels the next day."
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    hotchilidamo wrote: »
    5 mins warm up, 30 second high intensity, 1m30s recovery and so on. I do about 20 minutes. After the second burst of intensity I usually want to die and find everything hard work, even the recovery time.


    sounds like your interval parameters suck. Too fast on the recovery portion? Too hard on the all out part? Try going easier on the recovery portion and recovering to a specific HR between every fast interval.

    30 second bursts is great but it should be at an intensity where you can do 5-10.

    I try an drop my HR down to 130 before doing my next fast interval. I walk at 3mph between all out sprints at ~11.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    edited October 2014
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    dbl post
  • TJP_
    TJP_ Posts: 49 Member
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    TJP_ wrote: »
    OK, so enlighten me on how it works and why it's beneficial to eat right before doing HIIT?

    Ok I hear you. Food needs time to digest. That isnt rocket science. The OP suggests he simply eats a banana beforehand and nothing else. Use your noggin'.....

    Eating right before he trains won't help with energy, furthermore HIIT on a cross trainer with a full stomach isn't going to be particularly enjoyable.

    I did 'use my noggin' when I suggested he'd be better off eating a slow digesting meal right before bed the night before.

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