Struggling to stay upright? Discover the top nutrients and supplements for boosting your energy levels this spring.
If you’re constantly feeling tired, you’re not alone. In our modern, fast-paced society, scores of people are struggling with depleted energy levels, with contributing factors including stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diets, and long working hours indoors – alongside inadequate time to rest and recover.
With busy lifestyles, it’s not hard to fathom why many people see rest as a waste of time: when every millisecond of the day is tightly scheduled, and there are still leftover jobs to squeeze in, that 10-minute break is often the first thing to be sacrificed.
But we can’t run on empty: rest is crucial for energy support, immune regulation, and hormone balance – and allowing your internal battery to recharge to optimal levels. In fact, when you don’t take the time to rest and recover adequately, it can put immense stress on your immune system and leave you vulnerable to stubborn viruses, as well as causing damaging spikes in cortisol – aka, the stress hormone. Overall, your everyday energy – as well as your oomph for exercising – will suffer.
Low energy and nutritional deficiencies
While rest and recovery are crucial for recharging your battery, low energy levels can also be linked to nutritional deficiencies. This is because several nutrients play a key role in energy production within the body, including B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, and amino acids.
Eating a poor diet often goes hand-in-hand with busy schedules, where time feels too restricted to rest or cook healthy meals from scratch. If you’re regularly eating highly processed foods and lots of refined sugars – often found in quick sandwiches and fast food takeouts – you might be deficient in energy-boosting nutrients.
Thankfully, just a few quick swaps can work wonders to keep your everyday energy ticking over. For example, you could try making overnight oats in the evening, so they are ready to grab for breakfast in the morning. Or, shake up a quick protein drink with some antioxidant rich blueberries. A slow cooker is another great way to prep healthy meals if you’re time poor: simply throw ingredients in before work for a nutritious soup, stew, or casserole that evening.
Rest is crucial for energy support, immune regulation, and hormone balance – and allowing your internal battery to recharge to optimal levels.
How to boost your energy for exercise
It can be hard – or altogether impossible – to find motivation for a workout when you’re feeling zapped. When we think about nutrition for exercise, protein often springs to mind first. However, while lean protein is important for post-workout muscle repair, different nutrients are required to provide the energy required to exercise in the first place. This includes carbohydrates, which break down into glucose and provide fuel to your cells, alongside select vitamins and minerals.
Top nutrients for energy during workouts
- B vitamins: all 8 B vitamins play a role in energy metabolism, helping enzymes do a variety of jobs from transporting energy rich nutrients around the body to red blood cell development.
- Iron: this nutrient is involved in the transportation of oxygen in the blood, providing working muscles with the glucose they need. The steady flow of oxygen is also key to preventing post-exercise fatigue.
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): Important for all cells – especially those within the heart and lungs – this powerhouse nutrient helps to produce energy in the mitochondria. It can also enhance exercise performance by improving mitochondrial function and lowering oxidative stress in cells. Our levels of CoQ10 naturally decrease after age 35, making this an ideal time to start supplementing.
Nutrients for energy: top supplements to try
Alongside improving your sleep quality and diet, taking an energy-boosting supplement can also work wonders to give you more pep in your step – especially if you’re feeling short on time.
We love Zest Active (£29.95 for 30 day supply; choose from Orange or Berry Burst), which is powered by 25 active ingredients including beta glucans, l-lysine, l-theanine, and taurine, to support energy, immunity, and muscle function. Recommended for those aged 18-35, it’s ideal for supporting everyday energy and wellbeing.
If you are over the age of 35, we recommend Revive Active (£49.95 for a 30 day supply; choose from Orange & Mango or Tropical), which is a comprehensive super supplement powered by 26 active vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. The formulation also includes CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), to restore your levels as they naturally decline due to ageing.
Both formulations are vegan-friendly, easy to take, and free from unnecessary fillers and additives. Find out more at reviveactive.com.
