Could Imbalanced Hormones Be Causing Your Fatigue?

Like thyroid hormones, cortisol (the “stress hormone”), insulin, and various sex hormones affect our energy production and metabolism.

Some of these — such as estrogen, DHEA-S, insulin, and testosterone — are anabolic, or what functional-medicine physician Gregory Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP. calls “build-up hormones.” They contribute to tissue growth and repair and support increases in energy-creating mitochondria.

Others — such as cortisol and adrenaline — are catabolic, or “break-down hormones” that disassemble molecules and release stored energy.

“Imagine a teeter-totter, with the build-up hormones on one side and the break-down hormones on the other,” says Gregory Plotnikoff. “You want to have a good balance between them. If the break-down side is heavier than the build-up, then people experience fatigue.”

Other symptoms that might point to imbalanced hormones are shifts in weight, loss of muscle and bone, changes to mood and cognition, disrupted sleep, delayed injury recovery, and low libido.

Haas notes that hormonal transitions, such as puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause, often come with fatigue. “These are times when there’s a lot of brain pruning going on — a clearing out of stuff we don’t need anymore before we start rebuilding.”

How to address:

To some extent, fatigue is a natural byproduct of this physiological remodel­ing, so Haas suggests we offer ourselves and others plenty of patience and rest during these transitions.

Minimizing stress — whether environmental, physical, emotional, or dietary — is also key to hormone balancing, says Plotnikoff. So is stabilizing blood sugar with regular, nutrient-dense meals, which can reduce a reliance on cortisol spikes for energy.

Targeted supplements or hormone replacement therapy can provide addi­tional support.