Introduction:
Ever heard of the term "dietary fatigue"? Colloquially, in medical research, this term represents the state of health where individuals get easily tired or they are not able to derive much energy from the dietary elements or the food sources they consume. So would it not be useful to know what would be making you feel stressed, tired or easily fatigued given that you need to sustain enough energy always for optimal health?
For many individuals who would be following fitness regimens, who are into sports or athletics or strength training or into bodybuilding competitions, or even those who are maintaining a sedentary lifestyle without much physical activity, such as a full-time desk job - would it not be indeed surprising to know that in all these work-life categories or activities, still, individuals would be easily prone to dietary fatigue? Further, those individuals who are following specific eating plans for weight loss or a calorie-restricted diet or who may be on a medically supervised or full liquid / clear liquid or even any particular fitness diet - would also be easily prone to fatigue.
Why would fatigue occur? Let us understand the reasons why your diet may not be giving you enough energy. Let us explore these reasons in detail.
What Happens When You Follow a Low-Calorie Diet or Stick to Limited Food Choices?
Dietary fatigue is a result commonly of negative energy balance in your state when the cellular energy or ATP from your food consumed is not sufficient for your bodily metabolism.
When you decrease your overall energy intake via food, your energy levels may be bound to plummet. Further when individuals attempt exercise regimens without staying food satiated or without enough energy to expend it for these workouts, then there can be a chronic state of tiredness or rather clinical fatigue. It is important to further consider individuals who are into very low-calorie diets ( VLCD) or medically supervised liquid diets because nutritional experts commonly deem that the dietary elements of these eating plans just do not suffice enough to provide the ailing individual with overall nutrition.
Further, these medically recommended diets can be only followed for a certain period or till the gastrointestinal and immune healing period, because the long-term repercussions of avoiding solid or even medium to high-calorie foods groups can lead to significant energy loss, along with consecutive loss of appetite, loss of food satisfaction while eating a meal. Whether it is medically induced weight loss fatigue or weight loss fatigue due to very low-calorie consumption, these repercussions can cause chronic health illnesses in affected individuals when followed improperly for prolonged periods.
What Are the Key Factors Behind Clinical Fatigue and How Can You Address Them?
Now let us know the other factors that can cause clinical fatigue because of the main enlisted research-based factors below:
1) Cortisol: Stress is generated in your body biologically with the production of the cortisol or stress hormone that is linked to several unhealthy or counterproductive changes in the immune system, impaired neurocognitive health and even rising systolic blood pressure in individuals. So how is cortisol production linked to poor diet or improper eating habits? When you do not derive adequate nutrition through essential heart-healthy fiber, unsaturated fats, protein, and essential carbs required for your body's functioning or there is a micronutrient or a vitamin deficiency in your body, clinical trials demonstrate that the stress hormone or cortisol gets elevated or produced more. Even in calorie-restrictive diets or where individuals are inflexible in eating certain food groups or by not including different types of whole food groups - definitely cortisol elevation can lead to dietary fatigue. Current research shows that long-term cortisol elevation would lead to increased anxiety or depression in individuals or even detrimental changes in neurocognitive health. Also when you are hard on yourself or inflexible in consuming different food groups when you follow non-approved or fad dietary trends - they can result in making you lose the " healthy weight " while just retaining water weight. Hence the key is to balance your nutrition and fitness properly.
2) Binge Eating or Disordered Eating: With the wide spectrum of eating disorders in the world, often occurring either because of unhealthy cravings for processed or refined junk foods, limited consumption of whole foods or plant-based protein sources, or even as a result of long-term food restriction creating a mental void in individuals causing them to binge eat - there are several factors responsible for disordered or binge eating behaviors to influence your dietary fatigue. These individuals are further easy prey to clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, anxiety, and even emotional instability. Hence if you see yourself or your loved ones suffering from any binge eating or disordered eating behaviors, you can take counsel from your registered physician, nutritionist, or healthcare professional like a psychiatrist to show you the right path and a healthy lifestyle.
3) Weight Loss Medications: Prescription weight loss medications are one of the most common reasons why individuals suffer from multiple side effects including anxiety and depression or get easily fatigued generally. Some of the medications like those that are prescribed for weight loss (Phentermine, Topiramate, Bupropion, Naltrexone) may interfere with nutrient absorption via foods and reported side effects in the medical literature. Common side effects that are reported are usually nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, clinical fatigue, dizziness, abdominal distention, hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes cases, flatulence, stress, etc .clinical or dietary fatigue definitely can be a result of long term use of such prescription medications. It is never too late to talk with your healthcare professional or nutritionist regarding your dependence or use of these medications and how best to eliminate them and depend instead on nutrient-dense food consumption, fitness, and creating a healthy calorie deficit for weight sustenance.
Conclusion
According to current research, stress hormones, disordered eating behaviors, and weight loss medication are common culprits for depriving one of nutritional requirements via diet. On the other hand, in medically supervised diets, it is important that the registered nutritionist or healthcare professional exactly monitors and adjusts the dietary plan as per the nutritional requirements of the affected or ailing patient.
