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I am really struggling with energy. Even though I get more than 7 hours sleep a night I struggle to get up for early morning sessions. Can anyone suggest supplements or other solutions that hhave worked for you?
Dan,
I’m going to defer to the group here. Matt and I are not anti-supplement, but we are supplement-skeptical. I’d first recommend diet and sleep hygiene practice before recommending a supplement. Don’t eat after X PM, go to bed at the same time each night, don’t bring screens into the bedroom with you, keep the room temperature low, no caffeine after X PM…
Also, not a doctor, but what if you have an underlying condition? Consider a sleep test to see what’s happening to you in the middle of the night. Maybe you’re just not hitting REM early enough, or sleep apnea, etc. Man, that got serious quickly. Sorry to jump right into the worst-case-scenario, but I’d still pursue that option before supplements!
David
It’s an individual thing. From my personal experience I will say the 80/20 does not equal easy, you should be tired. I can’t number the times I’ve woke up in the morning saying to myself “I can’t do this” only to get started and find out that I can. That’s the beauty of following a structured plan.
Things have I learned:
1. Watch the diet. I follow the MyPlate plan which assures I am getting essential nutrients every day from wholesome foods. When my diet for more than a couple of days is off – I’m off.
2. I found that supplementing water soluble vitamins and electrolytes are a noticeable aid for recovery, I use those supplements year round. Check your body composition, if you are drinking plenty of water and your water balance is low you are probably not getting enough electrolytes from your diet; that’s how I discovered my need for supplements.
3. I have preferred time for exercise, that is late morning. Afternoons and evenings are ok, but early mornings are a killer. When I go hard early, the day is wasted.
4. I’ve tried and discarded supplements with any stimulants, they can get me through a tough workout, but the cost in terms of recovery is too high and frankly some are dangerous. Better solution from my experience is to practice mindfulness and execute the workouts according to plan.
5. Finally, remember that 80/20 is designed around your ability to recover. Make sure you are on the right plan. This past year I dropped from a Level III to a Level II 10K plan and I was able to complete the plan without missing workouts or workout performance objectives, and I never felt like I stepped into the well as I did after some of the doubles in the Level III plan. (I’ll go back to the Level III plan, but only if I can convince myself that I have met all of the prerequisites).
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