Why do I feel so exhausted after the gym?

[PistachioTiramisuLimoncello]

I’ve been seeing a PT for a few months now and have built up to going 3 times a week.

Am 50, perimenopausal and trying to get stronger as I age.

I take collagen and a couple of other supplements for hormones/gut.

I eat lean protein and lots of veg / I sleep 7-8 hrs

Why oh why does the gym completely knacker me out? Do I need creatine? Am I missing something?

Good on you for getting to the gym. Is it just that you are working hard and not recovering between sessions? How much weight are you lifting?
Are you eating any complex carbs? You do need carbs for energy.

I am 57 and well into peri- menopause and do get more tired than I used to, which is really annoying! I’ve just had blood tests done to check things like Vit D, B12, iron and thyroid as these things can be a problem with menopause.

Thanks for replying!
I’m actually low carbing as trying to lose weight.
Wondering if I should tactically eat some pre or post workout..

I want to know too. Lifting heavy weights absolutely wipes me out for the rest of the day.

I’m wondering if you just get used to it. Like I said I’m only a few months in so started quite low and am building up.

Yes you need to eat carbs to fuel your body. It can’t perform without fuel. Also eating enough overall. Then getting plenty of rest.

Creatine is great, I take it. But it won’t fix fatigue.

Some fatigue is part of the process though. I expect to feel tired if I’ve trained hard.

Have you told your PT? It’s their job to help manage fatigue. And tell you to fuel and rest.

It is quite hard to get stronger and lose weight at the same time but not impossible. Could you look at your diet and increase carbs?
I think there is a bit of a myth around at the moment that you need tons of protein to build muscle. If you were training at a professional athlete level, then you would need more, but most of us are fine with a balanced diet.

I’m focusing on eating 3 x a day and including lots of protein. Not no carb just low carb.
This is on the advice of a nutritional therapist who has recommended I do this rather than count calories or reduce food. So not starving myself here, just low carbing.

I find this a bit difficult, in peri-menopausal I think and T2 diabetic, my diet is heavily controlled because carbs do bad bad things to my blood sugar even the really good complex ones so I do have to restrict and carefully monitor them.

What I have found has helped is to be less restrictive with calories from other food groups. Yes if you want to lose weight you need to be in a deficit, but only by a maximum of 500 a day, not by loads and loads. I eat plenty of lean protein and non-starchy veg for fibre as well as a moderate amount of good fats like olive or avacado oil and full fat dairy. I eat something before exercise and have a protein bar (Barebells are good) or boiled eggs after exercise to replenish and I make sure I get lots of water, at least 2lts a day.

@InfoSecInTheCity
If you are T2 diabetic then I would expect you to be following a more controlled diet, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to someone without T2 diabetes.

I’m no dietician or trained PT so anything I say is just my own opinion!

No wonder if you’re eating low carb and low fat (lean protein).

You need to fuel your workouts and body in general. Low carb is super healthy but you need to add some fat. A knob of butter with your eggs etc.

I’m 52 and post menopause. When I first started at the gym I really struggled with recovery. It was awful. I was absolutely wiped out, sometimes for more than a day! It took time but my body adapted and recovery became much easier. Just need to keep going and trust the process. Your body doesn’t recovery like it did when you were younger but it doesn’t adapt over time.

I was told by a PT to eat carbs before for energy and protein after for muscle repair

You don't need to eat carbs before working out if you're on a low carb diet that's properly configurated. However you need to be well established in the low carb way of life so your body is properly fat adapted. You also need to be eating lots of fat. Like lots. That's your fuel when you are eating less of the carbs.

You could look up the low carb bootcamp topic here if you're not already on it. There are a couple of posters who are very knowledgeable about the fitness/physical aspects, in particular a poster called @stuntnun.

you need carbs for recovery.
not refined ones and not a lot, but a bowl of yoghurt with oats after a training session will do you good.
or a wholemeal pasta/rice stir fry.

Nutritional Therapist here.

You don’t need carbs to recover. Especially more so if you’re low carb.

You need protein for recovery. And as another poster above said, you need fat for fuel.

You don’t need carbs - but you do need plenty of fat.

There’s a really good book called The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance which is definitely worth reading (ask your PT if they have read this)

In my personal experience, you can exercise if you are properly adapted to buring fat as fuel, but for that you really need to be in ketosis, at least initially. Or you can exercise and eat complex carbs for fuel. Exercise and low carbing works least well for me as I think there is neither the energy available from fat or from carbs. So if you are happy low carbing,maybe try dropping into ketosis for a few weeks.

Eat carbs if you’re strength training. Also have you considered creatine?

When I was working out hard I'd do this instinctively and it really did help combat fatigue. Small bowl of oats and banana at least an hour before workout then afterwards eggs or chicken or similar. If I skipped the crabs beforehand I'd often feel more tired throughout the day.

Yes but low carbing (IF done properly) means that the body has its own fuel source always available. In other words you do not hit the infamous exercise wall and you don't need to specifically fuel with carbs before a workout either.

How long have you been eating low carb? It can take 2-3 months to fully adapt. If you decide to pre-load with carbs, especially if you’re doing a lot of aerobic exercise during your workout, then the usual recommendation is a banana 30 minutes before you start exercising. In the context of eating low carb to lose weight, don’t worry about the carbs because you will use them up during your workout. The longer you have been low carb, the less likely you are to need to frontload carbs. I exercise completely fasted with no issues because my muscles have become effective at burning free fatty acids for energy. Another advantage of a low carb diet is that your body will convert lactic acid produced during exercise to glucose more rapidly which provides energy to your muscles.

What does creating do? I’ve heard it makes you retain water…?

I usually try to get a nap in if I’ve done a morning strength training workout as it knackers me. Or I train in the evening so I can sleep it off. Lifting weights tires me way more than going for a run does.

Depends how hard you work out OP - I can be absolutely wiped out after legs day and thats normal.

If you feel you're always exhausted, though, think about whether you might be deficient in any vitamin or minerals and how hydrated you are as a first step.

This is interesting thanks