With the hectic lives we live, our bodies need the right nutrients, activity and rest in order to maintain functioning at a high level. Our bodies can easily break down from the physical and mental stress we put it through due to certain biochemical levels dropping below what it needs to be. Many of the symptoms we feel are due to these hormone levels being too low to continue functioning optimally, from loss of concentration, to fatigue, to muscle weakness and lack of sex drive.
Below are some of the symptoms and key signs of these happening to you and what you can do to overcome them to continue gaining strength and increasing your muscle while functioning at a high level in your work and personal life.
Adrenal Fatigue
Your adrenal glands produce multiple hormones that are essential to you not just functioning optimally, but living. The term adrenal fatigue is a very blanket term for a number of symptoms but could be the result something more serious if not tested and treated.
Fatigue
Body aches
Unexplained weight loss
Low blood pressure
Lightheadedness
Loss of body hair
These symptoms are generally caused by chronic stress, but if left untreated can lead to many other issues. While adrenal fatigue can't be medically diagnosed, being tested by a naturopath can prove that it is stress induced and not something much worse.
Low Testosterone
Testosterone is the hormone produced in our bodies (men and women). It is created in our testes and in our adrenal gland and helps us with many different functions from hair to muscles. Having low testosterone levels can lead to many different short and long term problems that might not seem like are stemming from this;
Loss of concentration
Depression
Loss of sex drive
Low energy levels
infertility
Loss of bone density
Loss of muscle mass
Erectile dysfunction
Many of these issues can be short term conditions and can easily be resolved over time if treated properly with supplementation, nutrition, sleep and exercise.
Both of these conditions combined create a multitude of problems, inside the gym, at work and at home. Luckily, there are many over the counter, natural ways to help battle these symptoms to help increase muscle, increase strength and increase your sex drive.
Both of these minerals are found in the food sources we eat everyday. Unfortunately, the food we consume generally doesn't have enough of them to fuel our bodies the way we need them to. That could because we don't eat enough of the foods rich in these minerals, their processing for us depleted it or our bodies are using so much of them that we can't just eat our way to efficiency. Taking them in a supplementation form is generally the best way to go.
Zinc
Having a zinc deficiency can lead to low testosterone levels and has been linked to erectile dysfunction. Studies have shown that an increased level of zinc every day increases the levels of free testosterone (bio available type) in the human body. While it doesn't help enhance like a test booster you see at the store, when deficient, is linked to low testosterone and many male sexual dysfunctions.
Magnesium
There are many different functions for magnesium in the body and many types of magnesium available. All of which have different benefits and functions, so some research is needed as to which is best for your deficiency. Magnesium is involved in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), essentially assisting the body in contracting muscles. Generally, studies have shown that magnesium malate and glycinate work best for increasing muscle contractions, decreasing muscle soreness and calming your nervous system to assist in muscle repair.