Low energy

2½ weeks ago I wrote a lengthy email to my coach about the period of low energy I was coming out of. These periods bedevil my training and the momentum that underlies any consistency I can maintain, so it’s crucial to understand them and, as best I can, mitigate them.

Situation

I go through periods of low energy. These can be several hours or several days long.

During these periods I feel fatigue but not sleepiness. I often feel like my head is full of cotton batting; a bit migraine-y. I might be unusually sensitive to sharp noises or bright light. I can have vertigo.

It’s hard for me to work out; I’m so fatigued I just can’t. Sometimes I’ll push through and start a workout and completely run out of energy if I exert myself. E.g. a stroll is fine; a run is not. It feels a bit like bonking, but comes on very suddenly and after little effort.

I’ve had all the expected tests. My doc said it was just “your normal”.

Hypotheses and discussion

I’m not happy with my doc’s dismissal (or so it sounds to me). Here are some hypotheses, and discussion for each. They’re in no particular order.

Not enough to eat during the day (and the evening before)

My nutritionist wondered about this. When she started working with me she noted that I tended not to eat much during the day. This is still a problem, but she says much less of one. Still, something for me to pay attention to.

Overtrained

Some of the symptoms I have are similar to usual descriptions of overtraining. All of my problems in the current macrocycle (I hope that’s the right word) came after 10 weeks or so of improved compliance with workouts and improved fitness. Maybe I’m “pushing myself too hard”, and this is just my body’s way of getting me to rest.

Coach Mary says: Nope both subjectively (based on her reviewing my training) and objectively (based on TrainingPeaks’ calculation of my “form” [TSB]). Even though I still don’t to pretend to know what TSB means, I’m inclined to agree.

Load

Not a different way to say overtraining. I’m very fatigued after physiotherapy or strength training. My physiotherapist says that’s normal as I ramp up both, and that I should expect myself to recover better and faster as I improve.

I can see and feel the effects of load. After keystone workouts in the current macrocycle I’ve been tired but “good tired”. It’s not mysterious, and I recover predictably in 24-36hrs, so I’m disinclined to think it’s this.

“Physiotherapeutic”

I don’t have a good word for this. Maybe a phrase: “Something amenable to physiotherapy”. What made me think of this was late last year on an early visit to my new physiotherapist I mentioned I had a mild migraine and he stretched the joints at the top of my neck (not my neck) and the migraine dissipated.

I’ll admit this is my favourite hypothesis right now. I can work on it (as I have been), and we can see.

Depression

I’ve suffered from depression all my life. I don’t want to say I’ve defeated it, but it’s very much under control. I consulted my old psychiatrist earlier this year and he said I didn’t need help. This last week (the week of April 7/25) I had a definite bout of it—what I call a slough. It’s not subtle and it has effects all over the place, not just working out. I haven’t rejected this hypothesis but I’m not inclined to it.

Migraines/post-concussion syndrome

I had two bad concussions in the mid-’90s, which I treated poorly. I’ve had pretty strong PCS symptoms since, but they’ve become less and less common.

Migraine is a great hypothesis because it remains so mysterious. I’ve had migraines off and on all my life. But many of these low-energy periods are not associated with migraine symptoms. And I can have e.g. vertigo and feel awesome at the same time.

Sleep

I keep a detailed sleep log and I do think poor sleep hygiene doesn’t help. Another of these hypotheses that I’m not inclined to but not rejecting.

Anything else?

I’m open to suggestions.

Discarded: not eating enough before the workout or activity

I had some workouts I had to step out of and I asked my nutritionist to review my eating before them. (I keep a detailed log for her.) She felt that my nutrition was fine, and I’m inclined to agree.

Way forward

I’ll continue improving my compliance to my physiotherapist’s exercise, including the stretching of my head/neck joints.

I’ll keep my sleep hygiene on track. It’s one of those where in the moment is annoying but I feel much better for it e.g. the next day.

I’ll pay attention to all of the above hypotheses, and look for confirming and disconfirming evidence as I review my logs.