The Connection Between Hashimoto’s and Exercise Recovery
Did you know that hashimoto’s and exercise recovery are related?
Do you experience prolonged soreness and exhaustion following exercise?
Do you have Hashimoto’s?
Did you know that many people with hashimoto’s that exercise have difficulty recovering?
This may be related to a loss of exercise tolerance, and can be disastrous for motivation. Exercise is supposed to give you more energy, however it can have the opposite effect if you suffer from Hashimoto’s.
Symptoms of Disrupted Exercise Recovery Associated With Hashimoto’s
- Cannot complete regular workouts
- Slow or difficult recovery from exercise
- Strong urge to sleep following workout
- Irritability or aggression
- Loss of motivation
- Unexplained depressive symptoms
- Weight flux
- Loss of menstrual cycle
- Symptoms of leaky gut
7 Things Associated With Hashimoto’s and Exercise Recovery
- You’re doing too much: Overtraining during your workout is a very common mistake. Reduce your workload for a few weeks and see if this reduces your symptoms of poor exercise recovery. This is a HUGE problem that I see in practice on a regular basis. Listen to me… more is not always better. If you overtrain, you will not recover and you will actually go into a catabolic state (breaks down muscle) which is counter productive to what you want… better health, more energy and for most of us, to look better. Overtraining will stress and fatigue your adrenal glands. If you don’t have more energy after working out, you are overtraining, or not healthy enough to tolerate exercise at the intensity you are performing it.
- Your workout plan isn’t suited to your body: There are various forms of exercise available – aerobics, high intensity interval training, weight lifting – try a different routine and observe your results. Just becasue HIIT (high intensity interval training) is all over the internet and your health and fitness magazines does not mean it is the right thing for you to do.
- Not enough protein: Protein is fundamental to a good exercise program. The U.S. RDA for protein is 0.8g per kg of body weight per day, however this varies based on age, health and diet. If you are training regularly, a higher intake is often better – many people feel better consuming between 1.4 – 1.8g/kg per day.
- Too many or too few carbohydrates: Getting the right balance of carbohydrate intake is very important for an active lifestyle. Too many carbs causes a spike in blood sugar followed by a sharp drop – this will leave you feeling run down and exhausted. Too few carbs and you won’t have enough fuel to burn in the first place. Issues such as adrenal fatigue, which is common among people with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, can further compound the problem. Experimentation with carb intake is key here to find what works for you.
- Not getting enough sleep: Sleep is fundamental to proper exercise recovery. Seven to nine hours per night is the recommended amount; however can be difficult to achieve. If you’re experiencing difficulty or sleep problems, contact my office for help.
- Lack of important micronutrients: Some micronutrient levels can be difficult to maintain, especially within a busy lifestyle. Vitamin D and B12, iron and other minerals are important for effective recovery from exercise. Contact my office for advice regarding this intake.
- Poor adrenal function: Adrenal glands are located just above the kidney, and are roughly the size of a walnut. These are responsible for dealing with stress related hormones in your body. Chronic stress symptoms are common among Americans and can compromise adrenal gland function.
- Chronic inflammation: Inflammation is a significant issue with sufferers of Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, and greatly impairs ones ability to recover from exercise. Symptoms resulting from chronic inflammation include joint pain, brain fog, inflamed skin and digestive difficulties. If you add exercise to your life while dealing with these issues, the results can be more negative.
If these factors sound familiar to you, it could be a case of Hashimoto’s or poor thyroid function disrupting your exercise recovery.
In this situation, it is important to be careful not to over-exercise.
Low thyroid results in low energy levels and poor recovery: effective management of the underlying cause is the first step to making real progress.
Don’t keep pushing yourself to the limit and ignore the signals your body is giving you.
Ask my office for support in identifying these issues, help managing your Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and overall wellbeing.
If you want some help to try and speed up your recovery and save you time, give my office a call at (828) 324-0800.
Have a great day!
