weight training and fatigue

I have been weight training for years but recently started working out with a personal trainer. I have increased the amount of weight I am lifting significantly. I have added carbohydrates and protein to my diet but find I am fatigued after training; it's all I can do to stay awake through the afternoon. I generally have Kashi waffles and an egg before training and a Luna or Pria bar afterwards and then healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. My trainer feels I'm eating the right proprtions of carbs and protein. Any suggestions?

Fri. Mar 24, 7:33pm

how many calories are you eating a day?
How much cardio are you doing a week?

Are you getting enough rest?
how many hours of sleep are you getting a night?

These are things you need to answer. I started to weightlifing just about a year ago, and I have learned that I could not go a heavy as I could because I was hungry and tired all of the time. I droped it about two notches and all of it went away

Friday, March 24, 2006, 9:11 PM

I average about 2,000 calories a day with 30 min of cardio 4 days a week. I get about 7.5 to 8 hrs of sleep a night. I'm also 48 yrs old and have experienced some problems staying asleep. I fall asleep but wake up about 2-3 hrs later and find it difficult to fall back asleep. I think that is hormonal. But the fatigue occurs whether I'm sleeping well or not. On days I don't work, I can make up for any lost sleep by sleeping later.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 10:12 PM

9:11 poster

What I would sugest is try for two weeks droping you cardio to twice a week, but dont change your lifting. See if that helps.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 11:10 PM

vitamins/supplemetns

may want to talk to a nutritionalist. you may be getting enough calories/proteins, but not enough vitamins, nutrients and minerals. b complex vitamins are great for energy, but really check with a professional, NOT THE TRAINER, unless he/she has a DEGREE in nutrition.

this is coming from a chiropractic assistant, and my best friend is a nutritionalist.

Saturday, March 25, 2006, 10:59 AM

I found that the extreme need-a-nap-and-a-hug level of fatigue eased up after about a month of doing heavy weights 2x a week...I take it this has been going on for you longer than that? I usually resort to caffeine (tea and/or Excedrin, since headaches often accompanied this feeling). Also, my PT hammers me to eat a banana before our workouts to keep my minerals intact throughout.

Sunday, March 26, 2006, 11:24 AM

This really isn't adding much that hasn't already been said, though perhaps my perspective is a bit different.

I am male, 64 years old, have a body weight of nominally 150 pounds, and a body fat percentage under 10%. I lift heavy twice per week, using the three competetive powerlifts plus a few assistance movements. Occasionally I compete as a powerlifter, most recently, earlier this month.

I eat like a horse, by the way --- maybe even two horses. My average calories this calendar year are nominally 3200 calories per day, and my diet is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. I also average about 400 calories per day of physical activity. My public log, at the link below, gives additional details of my diet and physical activity.

In the heavier portions of my training cycle, I find it difficult to get in much cardio work (swim/bike/run) without chronic fatigue. I'm struggling with this right now. I have plans to compete in a triathlon in early May, but am finding it difficult to carry out the training program for my lifting and still get in a couple of times each of swim/bike/run per week. In fact, right now I am finding it impossible. I will probablyscale back and try to get in once per week of swim/bike/run.

If you are now lifting weights considerably heavier than you are accustoomed to, it is probably going to take some time for your body to adjust to the extra load, if my expereince is any guide. In fact, you may find that you will have to cut back dramatically on either your lifting or your cardio in a long-term program. It is very tough to do both at a high level of intensity.

Hope this helps provide a bit of insight into your situation.

Digby

Link

Sunday, March 26, 2006, 9:17 PM

" I'm also 48 yrs old and have experienced some problems staying asleep. I fall asleep but wake up about 2-3 hrs later and find it difficult to fall back asleep. I think that is hormonal. But the fatigue occurs whether I'm sleeping well or not."

I know it's the nature of PeerTrainer to consider inputs and outputs before all else, but you should probably ask your doctor about your sleeping problem. Especially considering that last sentence, my first thought is that you may have apnea and not know it.

Monday, March 27, 2006, 12:44 AM

Thanks for your comment. I use an acupuncturist and the sleep pattern is not uncommom for a woman my age at this stage of perimenopause. It seems to be exasperated by the overall fatigue and she has urged me to drop cardio and weight lifting and take up tai chi.

Monday, March 27, 2006, 8:00 AM

Just in the past several days I have noticed a shift where I am only fatigued on days I train heavily. On days of cardio or lighter weights, I am not as fatigued. I think you may be right, my body is beginning to adapt. Thanks to you and all the other posters.

Monday, March 27, 2006, 8:02 AM

I was experiencing the same thing - huge fatigue after lifting in the mornings. I found that staying hydrated both in my lifting session and really focusing on drinking more water than normal in the 3 or 4 hours after lifting made all the difference. I'm tired now, but in a good way, not in a holy-crap-I-just-fell-asleep-at-my-desk-at-work way.

Oh, and I also try to eat a banana or an other piece of fruit right when I get home from the gym because I can't eat breakfast for another hour and a half or two hours.

Monday, March 27, 2006, 6:07 PM

fatigue after lifting weights

I find that what I eat prior to working out has a tremendous difference in my post workout. The better I eat, the more high nutrient foods, combined with a good amount of minerals0 potassium, magnesium etc the better I feel overall. I usually eat a banana and a smoothie just prior. Also, beans of some sort after the workout help me sleep better because I digest those well.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 9:07 PM

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