• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

Adrenal Fatigue: What Is it and What Can You Do About It?

Keep hearing mention of adrenal fatigue? Are you concerned due to your workouts and other stresses that you might have it? Find out what it is, how to identify it, and how to treat it.

Joshua Wortman

Written by Joshua Wortman Last updated on April 5, 2012

Just what is adrenal fatigue? You may have heard of the term, and it is actually somewhat of a controversial subject. Some argue it does not exist, but there is proof it does. This article will explain what adrenal fatigue is, its symptoms and causes, how to find out for sure if you are experiencing this type of fatigue, and preventative measures to take if you happen to become a victim.

The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system and are located on top of the kidneys. The main purpose of the glands is to release hormones in response to stress. This is done by synthesizing corticosteroids such as cortisol, as well as catecholamines such as epinephrine (better known as adrenaline).

  • Cortisol – Cortisol is a glucocorticoid that is released in a response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. The main function of cortisol is to increase blood sugar through glucogenesis, suppress the immune system, and aid in fat, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism.
  • Epinephrine – When the body becomes stressed or threatened, adrenaline or epinephrine is released. This is indicated by an increase in heart rate, constriction of blood vessels, and dilation of air passages. This is often referred to as the “fight-or-flight response.”

So that’s a little scientific literature to explain what the adrenal glands do, but what in the world is adrenal fatigue? Adrenal fatigue has never been medically recognized, but it is a common term in the alternative medicine realm. Simply put, adrenal fatigue is a term used to describe the belief that the adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate amounts of hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.

Think you just may be experiencing adrenal fatigue? Here are common symptoms associated with this condition:

  • Fatigue
  • Trouble falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning
  • Salt and/or sugar craving

That being, said, what causes adrenal fatigue? The cause of adrenal fatigue is not necessarily narrowed down to one specific thing, but is often a combination of more than one of the following:

  • Stress
  • Not enough sleep
  • Environmental toxins
  • Too little cholesterol and/or saturated fat in your diet
  • Excessive carbohydrate intake
  • Excessive caffeine or stimulant use
  • Zinc deficiency
  • Sodium deficiency
  • Reliance on stimulates such as caffeine to perform everyday activities

As with many conditions, stress is often a major culprit in regards to adrenal fatigue. Big changes in your life or a heavy workload could result in stress. Also, if your diet is crummy, it just may be the reasoning behind the onset of adrenal fatigue.

Still think you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue? How can you find out for sure? Often blood or salivary testing is an option at specific alternative medical practitioners to diagnose adrenal fatigue. Keep in mind, however, these tests are not backed with science since adrenal fatigue is not recognized as a medical condition.

What can YOU do to prevent adrenal fatigue?

  1. Take a break! This could pertain to work, school, the gym, etc. If you are feeling that you are just being overwhelmed and stressed out, do not be afraid to take a break. A couple of days, or even a week, can do the body wonders.
  2. Get some shuteye. Sleep is extremely important in order for our body to perform properly. Make sure you are getting AT LEAST seven sound hours of sleep every night.
  3. Clean up that diet. Make sure you are eating a well-balanced assortment of foods that include a good balance of proteins, carbs, and fats. Do not overdo it on the carbs, and make sure you are getting in some good sources of fats such as avocado, fish oil, olive oil, nuts, etc.
  4. Lay off the stimulants. Often our hectic lives result in the reliance on stimulants such as caffeine. While stims definitely have their place, if you find you need them to make it through the day, then odds are its time to wean yourself off of them. To prevent extreme side effects, slowly wean yourself off of the stimulants you are using.
  5. Take a good multivitamin. While a balanced diet often provides us with enough nutrients, it never is a bad idea to take a good multivitamin. This will ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.

While it has not necessarily been scientifically proven that adrenal fatigue exists, there is enough evidence to warrant the awareness of its possible effects. Hopefully by reading this article you now have a better understanding of the concept, and what to do to prevent it.

Joshua Wortman

About Joshua Wortman

Joshua began lifting in high school, but really doesn’t consider his effective training to have begun until the last few years. Joshua was always very strong for his bodyweight, but he didn’t just want to be strong, he wanted to look strong. At 140 pounds, no matter how strong he was for his age and weight, the size wasn’t there.

During his last year of college, Joshua began research on bodybuilding, and since his graduation, he has taken his bodybuilding to a whole new level. Josh experienced a minor setback in 2009 when he experienced an L5-L6 disc herniation while doing deadlifts. Consequently, his lower body training was very limited for almost a year. Thankfully, he has self-rehabbed his back to pretty much full strength.

Since he graduated from NC State University with his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, Joshua has taken his bodybuilding to a whole new level. His knowledge has increased ten fold since when he began, and both his knowledge anpersonal progress have also bred success in the fact he started up Get Right Get Tight Fitness.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

shutterstock_20253910
Get Better, Naturally: 10 Articles To Help You Heal
Method Man Incline Dumbbell Presses December 2022
Check Out Rapper Method Man Cruising Through 120-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses for 10 Reps
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Leg Workout
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Crushes 5 “Monster Sets” of a Leg Workout
Michael B. Jordan poster for Creed III
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Look Like Shredded Boxing Stars in “Creed III”

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Ryan Terry Diagrams His Ambitious 1,874-Calorie Mass-Building Protein Shake

Andrew Jacked’s Trainer Thinks His “Best” Will Come at 2023 Arnold Classic

Bodybuilder Logan Franklin “Cried For 3 Days” After Withdrawing From 2022 Olympia, Outlines 2023 Return

How to Do the Reverse Biceps Curl for Complete Arm Development

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About