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Exercise and fatigue

I am tired all the time and have no idea why. I'm not currently working or studying so it's not stress. The only thing I can think is I'm exercising over an hour a day, but from what I've looked up exercise causes insomnia not fatigue?

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Reply 1
Original post by Noodlzzz
I am tired all the time and have no idea why. I'm not currently working or studying so it's not stress. The only thing I can think is I'm exercising over an hour a day, but from what I've looked up exercise causes insomnia not fatigue?


Exercise could definitely cause fatigue under the right circumstances. You could be over doing it with loads of intense activity, not getting enough fluid in you to replace what you sweat out, not getting enough food and nutrients in you to fuel your exercise and still have enough energy after to fuel everyday life.

It could also be that something else is getting to you like heat, a vitamin or hormone imbalance etc

I would make some effort to check you're setting yourself up for success with the exercise. You could pop by our fitness section to see what people have to say about how much you should be fueling yourself with for the exercise you're doing or ha e a google.
See how that goes and if you don't feel like that's fixed things pop in for a chat with your GP so they can check there's nothing more medical going on.

Hope that helps and you feel better soon. :smile:
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by Kindred
Exercise could definitely cause fatigue under the right circumstances. You could be over doing it with loads of intense activity, not getting enough fluid in you to replace what you sweat out, not getting enough food and nutrients in you to fuel your exercise and still have enough energy after to fuel everyday life.

It could also be that something else is getting to you like heat, a vitamin or hormone imbalance etc

I would make some effort to check you're setting yourself up for success with the exercise. You could pop by our fitness section to see what people have to say about how much you should be fueling yourself with for the exercise you're doing or ha e a google.
See how that goes and if you don't feel like that's fixed things pop in for a chat with your GP so they can check there's nothing more medical going on.

Hope that helps and you feel better soon. :smile:


Thanks Kindred! Will take your advice, much appreciated :smile:
Are you on any medication that might affect your energy levels?

Could you get things like your thyroid, blood sugar and iron levels checked?

It could be something as simple as a deficiency. There are other conditions that have fatigue as a symptom including MH issues so there really are lots of things that it could be.

The best thing is to get it checked out though, as you will then be able to address it.

You should definitely be able to exercise for an hour a day without feeling too fatigued though, assuming you have a healthy diet and get enough sleep.
Reply 4
Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox
Are you on any medication that might affect your energy levels?

Could you get things like your thyroid, blood sugar and iron levels checked?

It could be something as simple as a deficiency. There are other conditions that have fatigue as a symptom including MH issues so there really are lots of things that it could be.

The best thing is to get it checked out though, as you will then be able to address it.

You should definitely be able to exercise for an hour a day without feeling too fatigued though, assuming you have a healthy diet and get enough sleep.


I am on medication which in the past has affected my energy levels but it was changed about 2 months ago and it went away. So possibly it's creeping back because of that?

I have a telephone GP appointment in 2 weeks to follow up on my mental health so I think I'll mention it then and see if the GP recommends a blood test or something.

Thanks for your advice :smile:
Original post by Noodlzzz
I am on medication which in the past has affected my energy levels but it was changed about 2 months ago and it went away. So possibly it's creeping back because of that?

I have a telephone GP appointment in 2 weeks to follow up on my mental health so I think I'll mention it then and see if the GP recommends a blood test or something.

Thanks for your advice :smile:


Could be! In my experience, all avenues are worth exploring. I went through something similar and it turned out to be my iron levels. My GP said she didn't know how I was still standing with iron levels that low, haha.

I had tried a stint as vegetarian but wasn't replacing my iron sources with others. Very silly of me really!
Reply 6
Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox
Could be! In my experience, all avenues are worth exploring. I went through something similar and it turned out to be my iron levels. My GP said she didn't know how I was still standing with iron levels that low, haha.

I had tried a stint as vegetarian but wasn't replacing my iron sources with others. Very silly of me really!


Sorry to hear that! What did the GP suggest to improve your levels?
Original post by Noodlzzz
Sorry to hear that! What did the GP suggest to improve your levels?


She wanted me to go into hospital for IV iron but I said I would rather not as I didn't feel bad enough to go into hospital, so she just prescribed iron tablets and said once my levels were up I could take supplements off the shelf, as she was confident the vegetarianism was to blame rather than anything that would need consistent treatment or further investigation.

In hindsight I probably should have gone to the hospital when she suggested it - I didn't realise just how bad I felt until I felt better, if that makes sense. When the tablets started to kick in, I almost felt like I was bouncing off the walls! It levelled out and I got used to it in the end, though.
Go see a GP!

I was weirdly tired all the time, it didn’t correlate to sleep, and exercising felt insurmountably difficult (not good when you’re trying to be healthier) and found out I had autoimmune disorders relating to thyroid and cortisol levels. A few tablets a day and I’m much better! You never know, it might be a simple fix.
It's possible that not doing enough is making you lethargic.
Reply 10
Original post by doodle_333
It's possible that not doing enough is making you lethargic.


Mentally I have a lot to do - I'm preparing to go back to uni which involves a lot of reading and researching on my proposal topic, and physically I'm pretty active outside of hourly gym sessions a day.
Original post by Noodlzzz
Mentally I have a lot to do - I'm preparing to go back to uni which involves a lot of reading and researching on my proposal topic, and physically I'm pretty active outside of hourly gym sessions a day.


Ok probably not then! Just cos you said you're out of uni/work. But if you've got something to structure your day that's probably not it.

In my experience exercise can make you tired... If it's a bit step up to normal or over training. What you're doing shouldn't be over training so unless it's unusual I doubt it's the work out.
Original post by Noodlzzz
I am tired all the time and have no idea why. I'm not currently working or studying so it's not stress. The only thing I can think is I'm exercising over an hour a day, but from what I've looked up exercise causes insomnia not fatigue?

How come you’re not in work or studying?
Reply 13
Original post by Little Popcorns
How come you’re not in work or studying?


Signed off sick after my masters last September due to mental health reasons, but hoping to start PhD this September.
Reply 14
Original post by Noodlzzz
I am tired all the time and have no idea why. I'm not currently working or studying so it's not stress. The only thing I can think is I'm exercising over an hour a day, but from what I've looked up exercise causes insomnia, not fatigue?


There's not much to add since most other posters have covered it already. I just wanted to give you a heads-up about the treatment. I had something similar to what you're experiencing now and it turns out it was hypovitaminosis. Anyways, even when I was taking the medicine, I still felt knackered all the time and couldn't make it to uni in the mornings ( and even in the afternoon, I was falling asleep in lectures).

It was only until I finished the 7-week course that I stopped feeling tired all the time. So you might want to bear that in mind, especially if you have a lot of work to do before uni starts.
Reply 15
Original post by MR1999
There's not much to add since most other posters have covered it already. I just wanted to give you a heads-up about the treatment. I had something similar to what you're experiencing now and it turns out it was hypovitaminosis. Anyways, even when I was taking the medicine, I still felt knackered all the time and couldn't make it to uni in the mornings ( and even in the afternoon, I was falling asleep in lectures).

It was only until I finished the 7-week course that I stopped feeling tired all the time. So you might want to bear that in mind, especially if you have a lot of work to do before uni starts.


Thanks for your advice!

Along those lines, I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency in March but only started taking supplements about 3/4 weeks ago, so maybe it's that? Hmm something to ask the GP.
Original post by Noodlzzz
Signed off sick after my masters last September due to mental health reasons, but hoping to start PhD this September.

Original post by Noodlzzz
Signed off sick after my masters last September due to mental health reasons, but hoping to start PhD this September.

Sorry to hear. If you have mental health problems that can be pretty taxing and leave you really tired medication for the conditions can do that too. Are you taking any medication?

It’s great you got your Masters in the end though! What was it in and what is your PhD going to be in? No worries if you don’t want to go into it :smile:
Reply 17
Original post by Little Popcorns
Sorry to hear. If you have mental health problems that can be pretty taxing and leave you really tired medication for the conditions can do that too. Are you taking any medication?

It’s great you got your Masters in the end though! What was it in and what is your PhD going to be in? No worries if you don’t want to go into it :smile:


Until recently the condition and the meds have caused huge issues physically and mentally, but as I said meds were changed a couple of months ago and I had no symptoms (still don't yay!) or side effects that I was experiencing before. Yes am taking meds.

It's in psychology (if you hadn't guessed by my signature or avatar - which I actually have as a tattoo haha) but won't elaborate in case I don't get in and someone steals my idea :colone: haha
Original post by Noodlzzz
Until recently the condition and the meds have caused huge issues physically and mentally, but as I said meds were changed a couple of months ago and I had no symptoms (still don't yay!) or side effects that I was experiencing before. Yes am taking meds.

It's in psychology (if you hadn't guessed by my signature or avatar - which I actually have as a tattoo haha) but won't elaborate in case I don't get in and someone steals my idea :colone: haha

Could still be the stress of coping with these kinds of things no?

Yep I guessed I thought you might want to elaborate :smile:. That makes sense. I more meant is it clinical psychology, research, forensic etc? Dw I didn’t expect you to put the title of your PhD up :tongue: and was the masters just straight psychology? Did you do undergraduate psychology?

I’m interested as I didn’t at undergraduate and now I’m doing the psych conversion.
Reply 19
Original post by Little Popcorns
Could still be the stress of coping with these kinds of things no?

Yep I guessed I thought you might want to elaborate :smile:. That makes sense. I more meant is it clinical psychology, research, forensic etc? Dw I didn’t expect you to put the title of your PhD up :tongue: and was the masters just straight psychology? Did you do undergraduate psychology?

I’m interested as I didn’t at undergraduate and now I’m doing the psych conversion.


Hmm I don't think it's stress, but who knows!

I did psych at UCL then my maters was clinical psych at Kingston and the PhD will (hopefully!) be there too in mental health/brain imaging.

Good luck on your course!

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