We’re all busy. But some of us are more stressed than others. Students, parents and busy executives know all about fatigue. But do you know how to combat it? Here are 7 supplements to help you fight back against life.
Being constantly stressed and tired does more than make you feel terrible. It actually has a huge impact on your body, making it harder to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain healthy body weight. If your lifestyle is hectic and you often feel overwhelmed, there’s plenty you can do to fight back the natural way.
Tryptophan
This is one of the 9 “essential” amino acids. They’re essential because our bodies can’t make them, so we need to get them from our diets or supplements. It’s a great supplement for boosting mood, recovery and sleep, but do you know why?
Tryptophan is actually a precursor of melatonin, niacin/vitamin B3, and serotonin (the “happy hormone”), all of which help us recover from any lifestyle stress. We can get serotonin from food sources but it’s difficult to get optimal amounts (and monitor dosage) without overdoing the calories. So supplementing with Tryptophan itself is a fantastic way to support mood and get better quality sleep.
As you probably know, there’s a connection between low serotonin levels and anxiety and mild depression. Snacking on comfort foods or eating late at night can also be a factor. So if you’re training hard, going through a stressful time, or suffering poor sleep, try Tryptophan. It’s totally natural and extremely cost-effective. You can find it in our slow-release casein protein – Complete Bedtime™, working in synergy with L-Theanine.
ZMA – zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B6
ZMA is a hugely popular supplement with people who want better quality sleep. It’s particularly popular with men, but women can and do benefit from it, too. Our ZMA capsules deliver a huge 500mg blend of highly bioavailable forms of Zinc and Magnesium and (importantly) includes the original l-OptiZinc supplement. That’s the only Zinc-Mag supplement validated by published research. Be sure your ZMA supplement contains it (many don’t).
Here’s why ZMA might help you sleep and recover better. Zinc is responsible for testosterone production. Magnesium is well-known for increasing sleep quality. And Vitamin B6 helps both Zinc and Magnesium to be better absorbed and used by the body. Regardless of your training or diet, ZMA will help increase natural hormone levels, support better sleep, and help with brain function and clarity. All of which will make you feel a lot better no matter how stressful life gets.
Magnesium (ideally Magnesium Bisglycinate)
We’ve just touched on Magnesium as a sleep, rest and recovery aid. If you go for a single Magnesium supplement to fight bad sleep, fatigue and tiredness, Magnesium Bisglycinate could be the best bet. Magnesium Bisglycinate is a form of the mineral which is naturally bonded to the amino acid Glycine. This means it’s absorbed more easily by the body. Our formula has 500mg per capsule, of which 100mg is active Magnesium.
A Quality B Vitamin Complex
The B-Vitamins are important for a healthy body which can withstand periods of stress and tiredness. We stock various B-Vit products but our B-Vitamin Complex is (as the name suggests) a complete combination of everything you need, all in one dose.
Here’s how the ingredients could help you fight off fatigue. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) supports mental wellbeing and mood, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) helps reduce oxidative stress (and therefore tiredness), Vitamin B3 (Niacin) can be effective in supporting brain functions and Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) helps support important neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). Then we have Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) which plays a part in reducing fatigue and strengthening immunity, even when you’re under stress and Vitamin B8 (Inositol, Myoinositol) which helps nerve signals “communicate”.
There’s plenty more in our B-Vitamin Complex, including Choline which isn’t a B-Vit, but we added it in any way because it works with all the B-Vitamins and helps maintain brain health.
An Iron Supplement
Iron supplementation is often mentioned as a solution for combating low energy (particularly in the case of women). Whilst it’s true that females can be commonly deficient in iron, men shouldn’t think they’re immune. In fact, lifestyle stress, dieting and training can lead to iron deficiency in anyone regardless of age or gender.
Our K-Pure iron capsules are a top-quality choice, containing Ferrous Bisglycine (“gentle iron”) – a highly bioavailable source of iron. A lot of iron supplements are just Ferrous Oxide. Ferrous Bisglycinate has a 24% iron content and our bodies absorb it more easily than Ferrous Oxide.
Why supplement with iron? It helps reduce tiredness, can stop you getting run-down and can make you feel less fatigued. Ideal for women, anyone suffering from anaemia, or anybody who doesn’t get a lot of iron in their diets (our vegetarian and vegan friends).
A Complete Multivitamin
If your life is hectic and stressful, it can be sensible to supplement with a complete multivitamin (one that contains vitamins for energy, in particular). Not only will this support your general health but is a good “safety net” if things get so busy that your food choices suffer.
Our Complete Multivitamin Complex™ isn’t just vitamins and minerals. In fact, it contains antioxidants, probiotics, fruit and plant extracts too – 30 separate ingredients in total. Their quality, bioavailability and effectiveness make them the ideal elements for this formula.
Why does a top-quality multivitamin make sense? It’s easy to have deficiencies of certain vitamins or minerals when stressed, and being deficient in just one thing can have a knock-on effect on your body’s metabolic pathways. Plus, stress can often cause gut issues, sensitivities and digestive problems (that’s why we put probiotics and digestive enzymes in this formula).
Cover all your bases with one complete formula like our Complete Multivitamin Complex™: vitamins, minerals, probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants and plant extracts.
A Natural Energy Booster
Some people say it’s counter-productive to take an energy-boosting supplement when you’re already stressed and tired, but we know you live in the real world. If you’re knackered from a day at work but need to go and train legs, what option do you have? There are a few all-natural supplements you could use to boost energy (see our caffeine tablets or taurine supplement) but let’s look at our Complete BCAA Energy™ powder.
Forget cans of fizzy energy drink. Complete BCAA Energy™ is one of the best energy supplements to sip on when you need a boost. It will hydrate you, give you those all-important BCAAs, and support your energy too without over-stimulating you.
This is a branched-chain amino acid formula with a boost! It actually contains BCAAs in a 3:1:1 ratio. We also added guarana and green coffee extract, two effective natural energy sources which give you 100mg natural caffeine. Enough for a good boost without jitters or a “crash”.
What are your favourite supplements for combating fatigue, tiredness and stress? Let us know on socials by tagging #TeamBulk.
About the Author:
Nicola Joyce has been writing for (and about) sport, fitness, nutrition and healthy living since 2004. She’s also a keen sportswoman: her background is in endurance sport but she now competes as a natural bodybuilder. Most recently, she won a world title with the INBF. When she’s not writing content, she can be found blogging. Follow her here www.nicolajoyce.co.uk and on Facebook & Twitter (@thefitwriter) too.
