Common Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms in Bodybuilders and Athletes

These are some of the most common adrenal fatigue symptoms that I see in bodybuilders and athletes who have trained and dieted too hard over the years.

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If you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue you’re not alone – according to adrenal fatigue expert James Wilson as many as 80 percent of people living in industrialised countries have adrenal fatigue to some degree!(1)

If these symptoms describe you then try this 'Adrenal Fatigue Diet For Bodybuilders'. This diet will go a long way to restoring proper hormone balance after the adrenal glands have become worn down.

The diet will also help with muscle gain and body composition improvement as levels of important hormones such as DHEA and thyroid, which are low in adrenal fatigue, will be restored.

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1) Hypoglycemia – see below for tips on dealing with this.
2) Insulin resistance.
3) Cravings for salty foods, sweets, caffeine or alcohol.
4) Having trouble getting up in the morning.
5) Feeling desperate to take a nap during the day or mid afternoon.
6) Fatigue that comes on quickly after physical or mental exertion.
7) Not having fun anymore!
8) Food allergies and sensitivities (lactose or gluten intolerance).
9) Asthma or a tendency towards wheezing.
10) Low mood or depression.
11) Poor sleep quality or insomnia.
12) Fluid retention.
13) Weak sex drive.
14) In men, growth of ‘bitch tits’.
15) Weight gain.
16) Aching joints.
17) Digestive disorders including candiadasis.


Notes on some of these adrenal fatigue symptoms:

Sleepiness: According to Dr. James B. Mass, author of ‘Power Sleep’, it’s natural to feel slightly sleepy around 2:30 in the afternoon(2) and this is a good time to take a twenty minute power nap or to meditate.A strong urge to go to sleep throughout the day, however, is one of the most common adrenal fatigue symptoms.

Hypoglycaemia has a lot to do with the sodium loss that occurs when the adrenals are worn down. If you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue use sea salt in your cooking and try to avoid foods that are high in fructose and to limit foods high in potassium.(3)(4)

As well as this, drinking one 8 ounze cup of water with 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of salt added in the morning, one at noon and one at bedtime will help to control hypoglycaemia and other adrenal fatigue symptoms such as low energy.

Salt and caffeine cravings are signs of adrenal fatigue but that doesn’t mean that these should be completely avoided.

Low salt diets, that are often recommended by nutritionists, do not preserve potassium but actually increase the loss of potassium and magnesium. This is because Salt restriction causes aldosterone to increase, and excess aldosterone causes potassium and magnesium losses.(5)

Similiarly, just because people tend to crave caffeine when they are suffering from adrenal fatigue it doesn’t mean that caffeine is bad for most people.

Dr. John Lowe, a renowned expert on adrenal issues, thyroid problems and fibromaglia recommends sensible caffeine use for his patients saying:

' Caffeine safely and effectively counteracts some of the metabolism-slowing effects of life in modern civilization. By counteracting these effects with caffeine, most people can fine tune their metabolism so that it better meets their individual needs. In this and many other respects, using caffeine is salutary, and for some people, failing to use it can be just the opposite—injurious to their health.'(6)

Low adrenal cortisol is another reason for experiencing symptoms of hypoglyceamia – I talk about how to improve cortisol levels in the article 'Adrenal Fatigue Diet For Bodybuilders'. Herbs and superfoods that work as cortisol precursors are maca, wild yam, black cohosh, yucca and ginseng (among others).

Insulin resistance commonly occurs when levels of testosterone are low(7). Too little sleep and/or poor sleep quality, which is common in people suffering from adrenal fatigue, is linked to insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is strongly linked to weight gain and this is likely due to the poor appetite control that unstable blood glucose levels bring about.

Vitamin d deficiency, magnesium deficiency and deficiencies in other minerals such as chromium have been shown to worsen insulin sensitivity. High sugar diets reduce insulin sensitivity, as do high polyunsaturated fat diets. Correcting adrenal fatigue will go a long way towards restoring proper insulin sensitivity.

Sex drive and energy levels can be improved by taking the Peruvian superfood maca. Maca raises DHEA and cortisol levels (when low)and improves thyroid function – it is a great supplement to take to recover from adrenal fatigue. Maca noticeably improves sex drive and increases semen volume in men.

'Bitch Tits': Maca and the supplement DIM (naturally found in cruciferous vegetables) effectively control estrogen, eliminating the ‘bitch tits’ that men suffering from adrenal fatigue often get. I talk about maca in detail in The Benefits Of Maca Root.

The combination of zinc and maca is a great one for improving DHEA levels whilst controlling estrogen in men. I discuss the importance of zinc for men in depth here.

Trouble getting up in morning: Cortisol levels should be high in the morning to give us the energy to get out of bed and start the day. People suffering from adrenal fatigue have low cortisol levels and therefore tend to feel groggy and have low energy levels in the morning.

A good sleep schedule is important in signalling cortisol to spike at the right times each day. Try the salt water on wakening for an extra energy boost. Once recovery from adrenal fatigue begins your morning energy levels will improve.

Weight gain and aching joints: These adrenal fatigue symptoms are good examples of how adrenal fatigue hurts your body composition and hinders your weights training efforts.

Once your overall hormonal balance is improved by following an 'Adrenal Fatigue Diet' and by modifying your lifestyle to eliminate sources of negative stress it will become easier to build muscle and burn fat. Exercise will also become less painful and more fun.

Digestive disorders mean that protein and important minerals such as zinc and magnesium are poorly absorbed. Protein absorption problems make it difficult to pack on muscle.

Charles Poliquin recommends Hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) supplementation for many of his athletes, particularly those under stress, and says that this helps with both fat loss and muscle gain.(8)

Poor sleep quality/ Insomnia: Poor absorption of the sedative minerals zinc and magnesium creates a viscous cycle of shallow sleep and worsened tolerance for stress.

James Wilson recommends people experiencing these adrenal fatigue symptoms take 200mg of magnesium citrate with breakfast and 200mg with lunch to improve stress tolerance and sleep quality.

Most people suffering from adrenal fatigue feel better on around 50mg of supplemental zinc a day as well. Once adrenal fatigue improves absorption of these minerals will increase.

Finally...

It’s important to recognise that these adrenal fatigue symptoms, along with many others, are not isolated problems but are part of the same problem.

This is fantastic as it means that reversing adrenal fatigue will improve many aspects of everyday life – body composition, energy levels, sleep quality, mood, digestion etc. all improve as adrenal fatigue resolves.

* Ed Clements, creator of muscle-health-fitness.com, is an independent health and fitness writer who specialises in dietary, supplementation and weights training advice for improving body composition and hormone balance.

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