Crushing fatigue after eating carbs! Please help me out.

peatpilled

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I've realized I have been chronically undereating carbs for the past few months.

I was eating 100 - 150g as somebody who is 180lbs / 6 ft 2. I had constant hypoglycemia bonks throughout the day and would wake up many nights with hypoglycemia too.

I've increased carbs slightly to 200g. Now, the chronic hypoglycemia / low level stress state has been replaced with crushing fatigue after eating carbs.

Is that normal? Is this uncovering the low energy state beneath the stress hormones?
 

Ben Gobeil

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Nov 26, 2020
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I've realized I have been chronically undereating carbs for the past few months.

I was eating 100 - 150g as somebody who is 180lbs / 6 ft 2. I had constant hypoglycemia bonks throughout the day and would wake up many nights with hypoglycemia too.

I've increased carbs slightly to 200g. Now, the chronic hypoglycemia / low level stress state has been replaced with crushing fatigue after eating carbs.

Is that normal? Is this uncovering the low energy state beneath the stress hormones?

Do you feel more relaxed?

I am going through this right now. Getting better by the day. I suspected I was in the stress state for awhile, added starches because sugar alone was not raising blood sugar enough for my needs.

I would pass out in a sleep-coma like state after eating carbs, but man did I feel more relaxed, slept better, and had less swelling around eyes/face.

I don't feel as tired anymore as the first few meals with starches. I would continue the carbs and take time to rest. Take it slow if you are coming from low-carb.
 

NanMitch

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Get on the Mediterranean Zone diet. Dr. Sears’ book is helpful. After Covid, I had the same problems with blood sugar regulation. Blood sugar perfect now. Easy: 1/3 plate protein, 2/3 carbs. Small amount of fat. Very little white carbs.
Good luck.
 

Summer

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Which carbs are you eating and what are you eating them with?
 

youngsinatra

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What type of carbohydrates are you consuming?

Refined carbs lack key minerals and vitamins that are needed for glucose oxidation. (magnesium, copper, B1, potassium for example)
 

redsun

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I've realized I have been chronically undereating carbs for the past few months.

I was eating 100 - 150g as somebody who is 180lbs / 6 ft 2. I had constant hypoglycemia bonks throughout the day and would wake up many nights with hypoglycemia too.

I've increased carbs slightly to 200g. Now, the chronic hypoglycemia / low level stress state has been replaced with crushing fatigue after eating carbs.

Is that normal? Is this uncovering the low energy state beneath the stress hormones?
200g its still not enough. It should reach 350-400g and possibly more since you are a larger individual. To be a carb burner you need to have the right amount otherwise you are stuck in the middle ground where you are not a carb burner or a fat burner primarily which is the worst place to be. 150-200 is barely half your needs. The more you have the more relaxed and often tired you feel because it does reduce stress hormones but it is normal at the start. I hope your not using sugars for your primary carbs. The body's ability to use fructose is limited to the liver. Once liver glycogen is full, fructose is not going to benefit much.

Fructose cannot be turned to muscle glycogen. Only glucose can be used for both muscle and liver glycogen. This is why starches should be the primary source of carbs while sugars secondary. You have about 100g of liver glycogen and 300-400g of muscle glycogen. If you want to optimize muscle glycogen and insulin, you need starch carbs which break down into pure glucose.
 

Phosphor

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What carbs? Fatigue is the first sign of food allergy. Try different carbs, don't eat them all by themselves causing a blood sugar spike followed by a hypoglycemic response, but with protein. I don't know if that is "Peaty" advice but obviously what you're doing isn't working, so try something different.
 

Giraffe

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Fructose cannot be turned to muscle glycogen. Only glucose can be used for both muscle and liver glycogen. This is why starches should be the primary source of carbs while sugars secondary.

I think that succrose is as good as glucose (or maybe even slightly better) at restoring muscle glycogen.

See the studies link here:

 

redsun

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I think that succrose is as good as glucose (or maybe even slightly better) at restoring muscle glycogen.

See the studies link here:


One study said it but the review suggests otherwise:

"Blom and colleagues (1987) evaluated muscle glycogen synthesis rates when glucose, sucrose, and fructose were ingested at zero, two, and four hours after an exhaustive cycling bout. Glucose and sucrose supplementation initiated a greater increase in glycogen synthesis when compared to fructose ingestion. Fructose must be catabolized in the liver before it can enter circulation through the blood and contribute to glycogen synthesis within skeletal muscle. It would appear that fructose reduces the availability of circulating glucose compared to other sugars even though contradicting evidence exists (Wallis et al., 2008), and in one case, sucrose replenished glycogen stores to a lesser extent when contrasted with a glucose polymer solution (Bowtell et al., 2000). Kiens and colleagues (1990) explored the effects of ingesting a high or low GI meal, containing 70% of calories from carbohydrates, following exercise on glycogen synthesis rates. Subjects who consumed the high GI meal experienced a 61% larger increase in muscle glycogen synthesis rates. These studies conclude that high GI foods/carbohydrates are more promising in replenishing glycogen stores in the early hours following exercise, and in addition, the mode of nutrient application (oral or IV) does not seem to matter (Blom, 1989)."

We know fructose does not cause an insulin response and the review shows higher GI foods (which would be quick digesting starches) had a 61% large increase in muscle glycogen synthesis. Thus, fruits or foods that contain fructose or are more slow digesting are not as good at increasing muscle glycogen as high GI, quickly digested starches.
 

Giraffe

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One study said it but the review suggests otherwise:

"Blom and colleagues (1987) evaluated muscle glycogen synthesis rates when glucose, sucrose, and fructose were ingested at zero, two, and four hours after an exhaustive cycling bout. Glucose and sucrose supplementation initiated a greater increase in glycogen synthesis when compared to fructose ingestion. Fructose must be catabolized in the liver before it can enter circulation through the blood and contribute to glycogen synthesis within skeletal muscle. It would appear that fructose reduces the availability of circulating glucose compared to other sugars even though contradicting evidence exists (Wallis et al., 2008), and in one case, sucrose replenished glycogen stores to a lesser extent when contrasted with a glucose polymer solution (Bowtell et al., 2000). Kiens and colleagues (1990) explored the effects of ingesting a high or low GI meal, containing 70% of calories from carbohydrates, following exercise on glycogen synthesis rates. Subjects who consumed the high GI meal experienced a 61% larger increase in muscle glycogen synthesis rates. These studies conclude that high GI foods/carbohydrates are more promising in replenishing glycogen stores in the early hours following exercise, and in addition, the mode of nutrient application (oral or IV) does not seem to matter (Blom, 1989)."

We know fructose does not cause an insulin response and the review shows higher GI foods (which would be quick digesting starches) had a 61% large increase in muscle glycogen synthesis. Thus, fruits or foods that contain fructose or are more slow digesting are not as good at increasing muscle glycogen as high GI, quickly digested starches.
I think you do not need much insulin for muscle glycogen synthesis. You need some, but more is not better.

Please, let's not derail this thread any further.
 
J

James IV

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If you have been chronically meeting systemic energy needs via sympathetic dominant pathways, then yes, its very normal to feel fatigue when you provide the system with enough dietary energy to allow parasympathetic pathways to activate.
Fighting the urge to rest when rest is needed, will only limit the depth of shift into parasympathetic state, and subsequently, the potential healing that occurs in that state.

There are very few living creatures that do not shift toward a resting state when well fed. If you observe healthy children and babies, you see the universal pattern of abundant light energy, which wanes toward a more stressed/sad/aggressive/dark state as feeding and/or rest is required. Once the feeding and rest needs have been met, the abundant light energy returns, and the cycle restarts. If you have a constant state of energy, you are probably doing something you will regret in the long term. And I think it’s extremely important to be constantly self aware of the type of energy that is “fueling” you.

As far as reactive hypoglycemia, I doubt that’s an effect you are experiencing. In my experience it’s pretty rare, and many times folks claiming they are having a hypoglycemic response actually end up having normal or elevated blood glucose levels when testing. Simply being tired, alone, is generally not a sign of hypoglycemia. These days it’s very easy to get a blood glucose tester and even CGM’s are available to the general public, if you want to self experiment.

The longer and deeper you have been in a sympathetic dominant state, the longer and deeper you will need to spend in a parasympathetic state, in order to heal and get back to a baseline level of health. I used to call it the “rubber band” effect. In a sympathetic state, the body is in a conservative state with many of its processes, the damage repair processes being included. Even in healthy individuals it can take weeks to heal a superficial wound, and months for larger trauma. If you have been accumulating damage/infection and limiting repair/immunity for very long periods, you have to be cognizant that it may take a long time to heal, and that healing will not be linear. Inflammation is a major director of the immune system, so sometimes you will have bouts of sickness and/or pain that occur when your system is finally provided with enough energy to begin the repair/healing/immune process.

As difficult as it is with modern lifestyle, particularly if you live in the US, I would suggest you do your best to not avoid food for fear of fatigue, and not avoid rest for fear of non-productivity.

I sincerely wish you well. Healing is not an easy path as a contributing adult.
 

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