Low levels of energy can make exercise a chore and hinder your progress toward your fitness goals. Not only does fatigue make exercise more difficult to perform, it also prevents you from performing to the best of your capability. Though the most important factors in maintaining a high energy level are eating a healthy diet and getting the proper amount of sleep, several safe and effective nutritional supplements exist that may be able to give you the boost you need.
Types
A number of energy-boosting supplements exist, including caffeine, carnitine, coenzyme Q10, astralagus and creatine. Caffeine has a long history of use as a performance-enhancing aid and is particularly effective in fighting fatigue, due to its stimulatory nature. Coenzyme Q10 is a vital component of mitochondria, which are specialized portions of a cell that produce energy in the form of adenosine tri-phosphate, or ATP, and other compounds. As an adaptogenic herb, or a type of herb that it is thought to strengthen the body's response to physical and mental stresses, astragalus has traditionally been used to treat a variety of conditions, among them fatigue. Carnitine is an amino acid that is necessary for the breakdown of fat into energy in the human body, and athletes commonly take it for its purported performance-enhancing effects. Though it is perhaps one of the most popular of all nutritional supplements, creatine is actually produced naturally in the human body, where it functions as a short-term fuel source for muscular tissue.
Effects
According to Dr. Mark A. Jenkins of Rice University, consumption of caffeine before exercise can help preserve glycogen, the body's primary source of fuel for physical activity, and also reduce an athlete's perception of exertion. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, supplementing with Coenzyme Q10 may increase energy, strengthen the immune system and protect the body from free-radical damage. Astragalus has immune-stimulating, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being a powerful antioxidant. Creatine may be effective at increasing energy and athletic performance during periods of explosive or heavy muscular exertion. However, not all people respond well to creatine, and it is not effective at increasing energy during endurance events such as distance running. Lastly, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, while claims about its beneficial effects on performance are not scientifically substantiated, several studies have shown that carnitine supplementation increases muscle mass, reduces fat mass and reduces fatigue.
Identification
Caffeine is available in many forms, among them as a constituent of coffee, tea and many carbonated beverages such as colas or energy drinks. In addition to this, caffeine is also an active ingredient in some fat-burning supplements. Coenzyme Q10 and astragalus are both available in numerous nutritional supplements and may be identified easily by inspecting the supplement's packaging. While creatine is most commonly clearly labeled as such, it may also be labeled under the alternative name of phosphocreatine. Carnitine is available in a number of forms, including l-carnitine, d-carnitine, acetyl-l-carnitine, and propionyl--l-carnitne. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the only form of carnitine to avoid is d-carnitine.
Considerations
While nutritional supplements are available to help bolster your natural energy levels, they will not be effective if your lack of energy stems from a poor diet, lack of sleep or an underlying condition. While everyone feels a little fatigued from time to time, serious or debilitating fatigue could be a symptom that something is wrong. According to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Penn State University, factors such as a poor diet, sleep deprivation, depression, anemia, use of alcohol and other drugs, or even a more serious condition such as cancer or diabetes may be causing your fatigue. Nutritional supplements cannot make up for an underlying medical condition, and if your lack of energy persists for several weeks or new symptoms appear, you should contact your physician.
Warning
Although all of the aforementioned supplements are considered generally safe, their use may become unsafe in the presence of certain underlying medical conditions or prescription medications. If you are currently taking any prescription medications, you should contact your doctor before taking coenzyme Q10 or astragalus. If you suffer from hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, cirrhosis, diabetes or kidney disease you should consult with your doctor before taking carnitine. While creatine is considered to be safe when used as directed, if taken in extremely large doses it does have the potential to cause kidney damage. Take all nutritional supplements as directed unless you are otherwise instructed by a medical professional.
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