Feeling fatigued? It could be your hormones.

Did you know that hormone imbalances of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can contribute to fatigue for both men and women? 

When I reached the ripe age of 50, my hormones started changing and bouncing around in strange ways. With it came a heavy, physical fatigue that I had not experienced before – it felt like I was dragging a wet blanket around with me.

Hormone imbalance is a common occurrence for women during perimenopause and, because this fatigue changed with my cycle, I felt it may be due to hormones. With investigation, I learned that my hormones were indeed out of balance and, after incorporating some nutritional changes, I bounced back and now I feel like myself again.

For both men and women, hormones can impact energy production, metabolism, and stamina in multiple ways. In this blog we’ll discuss how hormone imbalances – specifically estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – can lead to chronic fatigue and how you can regain your vitality.

Estrogen Imbalance & Fatigue

While estrogen is usually attributed to reproduction in women, both females and males make and use estrogen to regulate:

• Cholesterol levels
• Blood sugar/glucose levels
• Bone and muscle mass
• Circulation and blood flow
• Collagen production and moisture in your skin
• Brain function, including your ability to focus.

When estrogen is in balance, it helps us feel energetic, motivated, and ready to take on the world’s challenges. But when estrogen is imbalanced, it can contribute to chronic fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep quality, and sluggish metabolism.

How Low Estrogen Impacts Energy

Estrogen joins to specific receptors on our body cells. If those receptors aren’t working properly or are blocked, estrogen can’t enter the cell to be used. This can cause:

• Poor sleep quality – Estrogen helps regulate melatonin and serotonin which are crucial for sleep. Low levels can cause night sweats, hot flashes, and insomnia, leading to sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue.
• Sluggish metabolism – Estrogen supports mitochondrial function, which produces ATP (cellular energy). When estrogen is low, energy production declines, leading to persistent fatigue.
• Brain fog – Low estrogen reduces the ability of glucose to be used by brain cells, leading to brain fog and fatigue.
• Imbalanced blood sugar levels – Low estrogen can lead to midday fatigue, cravings, and energy slumps because of its impact on blood sugar.

Who is Most at Risk for Low Estrogen Fatigue?

Perimenopausal and menopausal women may be most at risk because of their natural estrogen decline, however, low estrogen may also occur in younger women under extreme stress. Even excessive exercise has been shown to lower estrogen levels in women due to constant stress on the body.

It’s not just the ladies, however, men can also experience fatigue due to low estrogen levels because of chronic stress and an inflammatory diet.

How Estrogen Dominance & Low Progesterone Cause Fatigue in Women

In females, estrogen dominance is an imbalance of the progesterone-to-estrogen ratio. If this ratio is out of balance from either high estrogen or normal estrogen with inadequate progesterone, women can feel many symptoms such as:  

• Anxiety and sleep disturbances.
• Uncomfortable symptoms around periods include cramping, heavy bleeding, breast tenderness, headaches, and fatigue.
• Thyroid imbalances as high estrogen may impact thyroid hormone function, leading to slow metabolism, fatigue, and feeling cold all the time.
• Fatigue due to sluggish liver detox from environmental toxin exposure and alcohol. If the liver can’t properly clear excess hormones, you will feel dragged down.

Testosterone is an important player to create stable energy for both men and women.

How Low Testosterone Impacts Energy for Men

“Low T” in males can happen at any age. Testosterone naturally decreases as we age, but when it decreases in younger men or drops too quickly, it can cause fatigue, low motivation, and reduction in muscle mass.

What many men may not realize is that too much adipose tissue increases an enzyme called aromatase which converts testosterone into estrogen, leading to lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of estrogen. Diet is a big contributor to this process. 

Eating high glycemic foods including bread, pasta, sugar, and drinking alcohol can increase the action of the aromatase enzyme and cause more testosterone to convert into estrogen. Beer, especially, has an affinity for contributing to higher estrogen because hops are phytoestrogens, meaning they can mimic estrogen in the body.

Plus, regular alcohol consumption burdens your liver. The liver helps to excrete excess hormones, so drinking alcohol can slow down metabolism and contribute to general fatigue.

How Low Testosterone in Females Contributes to Fatigue

Testosterone may not be thought of as often for females, but it is very important for energy, muscle and bone mass, libido, and mood.  I equate testosterone to the “get up and go” motivated feeling.  Testosterone naturally starts to decrease during our 30s and there are other factors that can cause your levels to dip too quickly, such as lack of exercise, poor sleep, lack of nutrients that support testosterone production including iron, niacin and zinc, and blood sugar imbalances and insulin resistance from a diet high in sugar.

Experiencing menopause before the age of 40 can also contribute to low testosterone production. Women who have had their ovaries removed may see their testosterone levels drop because the ovaries are responsible for about half of all testosterone production.

The adrenal glands make androgen hormones including DHEA and testosterone so stress and inflammation can also impact testosterone production.

Low testosterone levels can lead to fatigue, low motivation, decreased strength, weight gain, bone and muscle loss, depression, poor concentration or brain fog, thinning hair, and dry skin.

Fortunately, there are ways to rebalance testosterone nutritionally as explained below. Additionally, weight bearing exercise and resistance training are excellent ways to increase testosterone, as well as prioritizing good sleep. Getting your zzz’s nightly does wonders for testosterone balance.

Nutrition Strategies to Regain Energy and Vitality for Both Men and Women

When it comes to nutrition, low glycemic and anti-inflammatory foods work wonderfully to balance all the hormones for both men and women.

Low Glycemic Eating: Balance your blood sugar by eating low glycemic foods. This will reduce the action of the aromatase enzyme which causes the estrogen/ testosterone imbalance in men and helps to correct hormone balance in women. Make your meals from these low-glycemic options:

• Fiber – complex carbohydrates such as a variety of vegetables, whole grains, roots (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.), beans, and whole fruit
• Protein – eggs, fish, poultry, beef, legumes, and beans
• Healthy Fat – avocado, olives, nuts, and seeds
• Limit glycemic foods – bread, pasta, chips, crackers, baked goods, sugar, soda, alcohol, and processed foods

Anti-inflammatory Eating: Inflammation is a big contributor to hormone imbalance.  Choosing anti-inflammatory foods is an effective strategy to hormone harmony. 

• Add colorful vegetables to all your meals – even breakfast!
• Choose dark, colorful berries and fruit
• Select cruciferous vegetables (such as kale, arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.) to help liver detoxification
• Cook with anti-inflammatory spices and herbs:
  • Turmeric
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Rosemary
  • Garlic
  • Cloves
  • Thyme
• Limit stimulating beverages that include sugar and caffeine
  • Read more about how sugar and caffeine affect our bodies [add blog links]
• Limit sweets and sugar
• Avoid or limit alcohol

Download our free Balance Blood Sugar and Anti-inflammatory Nutrition Guides for more details and numerous recipes.

Eat nutrient rich foods to support testosterone production:  

• Zinc – pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, spinach, shellfish especially oysters and shrimp, beef, lamb, venison
• Niacin – cremini mushrooms, chicken, salmon, turkey, asparagus, shrimp, sardines
• Iron – beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, legumes especially lentils, spinach, Swiss chard

For women, eat supportive foods to help regulate hormone levels naturally:

• If pre- or peri-menopausal, cruciferous vegetables help detox excess estrogen
• If post-menopausal, ground flax and pumpkin seeds, and organic, minimally processed soy (tempeh, edamame, natto, tofu) can help boost estrogen levels
• For women of all ages, choose progesterone-boosting foods like complex carbohydrates, yams, ground sunflower seeds, and ground sesame seeds

Lifestyle Strategies for Hormone Balance

These lifestyle strategies can help both men and women improve energy through hormone balance:

• Prioritize good sleep
  • Set a consistent bedtime routine and regular sleep times
  • Avoid screens 1 – 2 hours before bedtime
  • Limit alcohol as it interrupts sleep
  • Keep your bedroom cool since your body temperature needs to drop to be able to fall asleep
• Balance stress
  • Explore breathwork and meditation
  • Do something fun as often as you can
  • Get outside for movement and fresh air
• Exercise appropriately
  • Strength training with weights can boost testosterone
  • Excessive cardio can deplete testosterone
  • Seek out a personal trainer to help you find what your body needs
• Be aware of your exposure to environmental toxins
  • Known as xenoestrogens, these endocrine disruptors, such as pesticides, plastics, and other toxins found in conventional body products and household supplies can promote estrogen production, decrease testosterone, and decrease muscle mass.

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Hormone Testing

If you suspect your hormones may be imbalanced, you have options for testing. For men and women, we offer the DUTCH test – a dried urine test for hormone metabolites. This non-invasive test provides a complete picture of hormone levels, including estrogen and estrogen metabolites, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, DHEA, melatonin, and nutrient markers.

Other options are blood and saliva hormone tests.

If you’d like to learn more about hormone testing, please contact our office.

Our hormones are connected to many bodily functions. Finding balance can help you regain energy and vitality.