Energy is the backbone of life. All of your body systems need energy to function properly. How energy is produced and distributed is complex; Thyroid hormone function has a huge impact on all of your energy systems. However, not all fatigue or tiredness is due to thyroid malfunction. How do you notice the difference?
Thyroid hormone governs the basal metabolic rate, which is like the idle speed of a car engine. Even when you are sitting in a chair or sleeping, 100 trillion cells are still generating energy. This type of energy production is the foundation for all other energy and hormonal systems. If it’s not up to par, no other system in your body works as well as it should.
When you hit the gas during the day, it’s not the thyroid hormone that kicks in. Increased activity of any kind is controlled by adrenaline, muscle activity, increased calorie burning, and an increased rate at which cells produce energy. If you have a sluggish thyroid, you may still be able to make yourself have the energy to do things based on adrenaline-driven necessity. You may also find that you are overly dependent on stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, or cigarettes.
A demanding day can deplete your muscles of fuel and induce enough wear and tear for natural exhaustion to follow. That tiredness is normal and that’s why we need to sleep. Even pushing yourself day in and day out and reducing sleep may not be a thyroid issue. However, such a poor lifestyle is putting a strain on your system and as a result, you may develop a thyroid problem. Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night is asking for trouble.
Thyroid-related fatigue starts to set in when you can’t sustain energy long enough, especially when compared to a previous level of fitness or ability. If the base of the thyroid is weak, it is difficult to maintain energy production. You’ll notice that you just don’t seem to have the energy to do the things you used to.
The menstrual cycle, pregnancy, exercise, stress, and physical demands are examples of increased energy demands that require increased energy production. Therefore, PMS is almost always a thyroid problem to some degree. The increased energy demands of the menstrual cycle are simply too much, in part due to underlying thyroid weakness. Pregnancy is always an important test for the thyroid, as one’s thyroid must perform the metabolic work of two bodies. This is the reason why thyroid problems often arise during or after pregnancy.
Thyroid hormone is synergistic with growth hormone in muscles. When these two work together properly, muscles feel fit. Exercise conditions thyroid hormone to function properly to help with overall energy production, while a lack of exercise contributes to poor thyroid function. The fitter your muscles feel, the less likely thyroid-related fatigue is a problem for you. If you have poor thyroid function, you often feel like you don’t have the energy to exercise, and you usually don’t exercise consistently. Muscle weakness is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism.
One of the key symptoms of thyroid fatigue is a heavy or tired head, especially in the afternoon. Thyroid hormone activity is regulated differently in the brain than in any other part of the body, as the brain cells themselves convert T4 to T3 (active thyroid hormone). Your head is a very sensitive indicator of thyroid hormone status. This is different from the symptoms of low blood sugar from not eating for a while. The head just feels slow or tired, without clarity or sharpness. When this head fatigue occurs too many hours in the day, you’ll feel like you want to sleep all the time and feel depressed, signs of more advanced thyroid-related fatigue.
Another key sign of thyroid fatigue is falling asleep as soon as you sit down and you don’t have to do anything (there’s no need for you to do anything). In this case, it feels like your body is a car running too slow at a stop sign that just stops and falls asleep. This is a clear sign of thyroid fatigue.
You may or may not have the symptoms of thyroid-related fatigue. If you wake up energized, maintain decent energy throughout the day, are able to maintain alertness/mental sharpness, have the energy to meet demands and your muscles feel fit, do not have thyroid-related fatigue . The less you feel this way, the bigger the problem. No laboratory test is needed. In many cases, thyroid lab tests can still be normal, even though you are clearly not. Symptoms tell the story and they never lie.