Modern Stress Leads to Adrenal Fatigue

The problem is that the adrenal glands are designed to work in short bursts of time, and they can burn out if they are utilized too much.  In our modern world, we are constantly bombarded by environmental factors that cause us to be stressed: work, relationships, family, traffic, television, and many other things.

When you are exposed to the stress stimuli, the body responds by going into “fight or flight” mode.  Your adrenal glands kick into gear, and they can secrete over 50 different hormones into your body in order to send the signal for certain functions to occur.  Because of the high levels of stress that many people face, these adrenal glands are constantly kicking into gear, and sending out hormones in order to protect you from the stress.

If your body is sensing stress, then different physical reactions occur to help you “fight” or run away.  These physical responses include slowed digestion, increased blood pressure, and muscles that are ready to move at any moment.  The responses are beneficial if you are in imminent physical danger, but when your body is always in fight or flight mode then the adrenals become fatigued.

What Do the Adrenal Glands Do?

Some of the hormones that are excreted by the adrenal glands impact important functions in your body.  For example, the adrenals can secrete glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, which manages the immune system’s inflammatory response, creates energy from food, and balances blood sugar levels.  Other hormones balance the levels of water, salt and minerals within your body.  The hormones can also impact your sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen.

It is interesting to observe the fact that the adrenal glands are in place in order to help you manage various types of stress, but at the same time it’s the high levels of stress that cause the adrenal functions to begin decreasing.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses in the United States, and it is estimated that more than 80% of adults will experience it at some point in their life.  Many people are walking around with adrenal fatigue, and not understanding why they are experiencing so many health problems.

Here are some symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

• Depression

• Low sex drive

• Hormone balance problems

• Food cravings, especially for foods with high levels of fat, sugar, and salt

• Weakness and fatigue, especially in the morning and/or afternoon

• Frequently getting sick, because the immune system is suppressed

• Autoimmune problems

• Having a hard time getting out of the bed in the morning, even if you had enough sleep

• Memory problems

• Skin breakouts

• Bone and muscle loss

• Worsening menopausal or PMS symptoms

• Feeling lightheaded when you stand up

Because of the decreased energy, many people reach for soda and coffee, or other types of caffeine to keep them functioning throughout the day.  Their energy levels are often on a roller coaster, with an energy dip in the late afternoon, followed by boost of energy around 6 pm.  The energy will decrease again around 9 or 10 pm, but the energy levels start to soar again between 11 pm and 1 am.  The problem is that the higher energy levels later in the evening make it hard to fall asleep at night, which causes an on-going cycle of staying up too late and having a hard time getting up in the morning.

Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue

For most people, it can take between 6 to 24 months in order to fully recover from adrenal fatigue.  There are several things that you can do to help your body heal, so that you can recover your adrenal functions:

• Allow yourself to sleep in, so that you are getting out of bed without an alarm clock.

• Listen to your energy levels during the day. If you feel tired, then take a short break to lay down and rest for a little while.

• Use stress-reducing techniques such as better managing your daily schedule, include exercise, and meditation.

• Stay away from refined sugar, because it causes fluctuations in your energy levels.

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Avoid caffeine, including soda, coffee, and tea.

• Manage your blood sugar levels by eating small, healthy snacks every few hours.  Also, try to eat before you are hungry, so that you can avoid putting the stress of hunger on your adrenal glands.

One common mistake people make when they get onto a regular exercise regimen to get back into shape or lose weight is over exercising.  Now you don’t have to train for hours a day to over exercise.  If you’re stress level is already high from situations at work or from personal issues your body is already “stressed”.  Keep in mind that your body can’t distinguish the difference between physical stress and mental stress.  In such a case you may not need to exercise very much before your body surpasses the stress threshold.  This is a perfect scenarios for adrenal fatigue.

And to make things worse, many people exercise to help relieve stress, which may be fine in normal situations, but in cases where you’re already stressed… doing more could be causing your body stress that your adrenals simply can’t handle.

So should you stop working out altogether?

No… you don’t need to stop working out unless your adrenals are completely depleted.  In most cases, you need to either shorten your workout duration OR lower your workout efforts.  Listen to your body and figure out what you need.  My first choice is always try doing short but challenging workouts.

Start with something as short as 5 - 10 minutes.  If you body can handle it, then may be bumped it up to 15 minutes as see how you body handles it.  BTW, if you’re doing high intensity workouts, you don’t need to do anything longer than 20 - 25 minutes.  Now if your body isn’t handling 5 - 10 minutes of short challenging workout, your adrenals may be more fatigued, in which case a much lower intensity activity like walking or hiking may be better suited for you.  Either way, it’s important to listen to your body and adjust as needed.