Why You Feel So Tired After Exercise — And What to Do About It

Your workouts used to rev you up. You’d leave the gym high as a kite, your face flushed, raring to go. Nowadays, not so much. In fact, after you work out, the next place you’d like to head is your bed. You feel like you need a nap rather than being recharged.

What’s going on? Why do you feel so tired after exercise? At Advanced Medical Care, our dedicated team wants you to enjoy a vigorous and active life, which includes just the right amount of exercise. If your workouts burn you out, you deserve to know why.

Though some fatigue after exercise might be normal, there are other reasons why your workout leaves you drained. Consider whether the following applies to you.

You overtrain 

If you don’t give your body sufficient rest between workouts, you may overtax the systems that you’re trying to strengthen. Just as your entire body must sleep every night to undergo repair and toxin removal, your muscles need the same TLC.

About two-thirds of professional athletes develop overtraining syndrome at some point during their career. But you don’t have to be a pro to overdo it.

That doesn’t mean you need to be a couch potato the day after your workouts. It does mean you need to intersperse your high-intensity workout days with low-intensity ones. If you’re not sure what to do, work with a trainer to find the right routine for you.

You’re undernourished or underhydrated

You may have started exercising as a means of losing weight. If you’re leery of extra calories, you may try to skimp on meals to maximize the effects of your workouts.

But if you do resistance training, cardio, or any other type of workout that makes demands on your body, you need to supply it with the nutrients it needs to repair the (good) damage the workout caused. More than the ordinary Jane or Joe, a gym rat needs to get sufficient protein, healthy fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates.

How much protein? If you work out, aim for about 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day of protein to maximize muscle protein synthesis — and that includes days you don’t work out, too. That’s about one gram of protein per pound of body weight throughout the day.

You also have to drink plenty of healthy liquids and be sure you’re getting enough minerals and electrolytes. If the thought of glugging another jug of water makes you feel queasy, you don’t necessarily have to drink your hydration: You can rehydrate with intravenous (IV) therapy.

In addition to supplying your body with essential building blocks, such as vitamins and minerals, an IV therapy session rehydrates your tissues. You also get the bonus of the relaxation your body needs after a heavy workout because all you have to do during the treatment is lie back and chill for about an hour.

You skimp on sleep

Rest days aren’t enough. You need restful nights, too. Improve your sleep hygiene and get the 7-9 hours per night that’s required for adequate detoxification and cell rebuilding. Adopt these habits:

• Go to bed and get up at the same time, even on weekends
• Keep your room dark
• Lower the temperature when you sleep to 65-70 degrees
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, late meals before sleeping, and put your devices away an hour before bedtime
• Get plenty of sunlight first thing in the morning

If you find it difficult to sleep through the night, contact Advanced Medical Care for a sleep study. You may have sleep apnea or another condition that causes insomnia and puts your health at risk. 

Do you want to recover faster and more easily from your workouts? Contact us today in Queens or Brooklyn, New York, to schedule intravenous (IV) treatments that help you recover, build muscle, and sleep better.