After age 30, there could be a very natural reason for your lagging energy levels. Your body’s ability to make ATP, its energy currency, declines at a rate of about 5% per decade. Poor diet and lifestyle choices may also contribute to ATP decline, which may account for your looking and feeling older than your chronological years as well as your energy slump. Thankfully, there are simple ways to help restore some of your energy reserves.
How your body makes energy
Inside your cells are little engines called mitochondria which make the ATP, your energy. Your body balances its ATP production based on demand. When cells need more energy, they make more mitochondria. When they need less energy, there are fewer mitochondria.
AMPK is what’s called a precursor to this process. If AMPK is not functioning properly, your cells won’t know they’re under stress and need more energy. Your body won’t make more mitochondria, your ATP levels may drop, and so will your energy.
“The average American diet and a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to cellular stress which leads to energy decline. This is on top of the body’s natural decline in ATP production. Especially if you look or feel older than others your age, you should try to preserve your mitochondrial function as much as possible.
“Likewise, if you’re feeling energetic and vital at 50, preserving your mitochondrial function may help you stay on that track,” comments naturopathic physician Michael Crabtree, ND, who serves as Director of Scientific Affairs and Technology for Bioenergy Life Science, a company at the forefront of human cellular energy research and ingredient development.
Use these 3 steps to help rebalance and maintain your body’s energy production
Crabtree says the body is very good at trying to stay in balance. Small changes may be all you need to feel a difference in your energy levels. Here’s how to get started:
- Activate your AMPK. Whether it’s job-related anxiety or a weekend junk food binge, AMPK helps your cells respond by making more mitochondria. When the stress is removed, AMPK activity returns to baseline. Older mitochondria are then absorbed, leaving you with the younger, more efficient ones. “I haven’t found another natural ingredient that consistently activates AMPK better than relatively small doses of Bioenergy Ribose or a newer ingredient, RiboActiv,” says Crabtree. “Especially when you know you’ll be in a stressful situation, taking one of these AMPK activators will help ensure your body has what it needs to successfully adapt.”
How will you know it’s working? “You may not immediately notice the benefits because at first, you may be pulling out the stress byproducts that have been building up over a long time. But consider a situation that commonly gives you trouble. Compare your response over two weeks or a month of daily AMPK activation. Is it stressing you out to the same degree? No? Then AMPK is giving you more capacity to handle stress.”
Likewise, Crabtree says you may notice that you’re recovering from workouts better, or have more energy to climb stairs. “It’s a question of self awareness. Your body’s response will be as individual as you are.”
- Detox your system. “Heavy metals and alcohol consumption are two of the most common toxifiers. They can undermine your brain’s ability to communicate with your cells, especially if your ATP levels are low. You may not always be aware of heavy metal exposure, but it is more common than you might realize. It can be through everything from your city’s mosquito spraying to its water purification system. Some people have found detoxification to be very beneficial to their emotional and physical function because they didn’t realize how seriously they were being affected.”
- Eliminate stressful distractions. “Put down your electronics. Pray and/or meditate. Spend time in a sauna. When you step away from stress-inducing situations, you can start to identify the things in your life that bring meaningful peace and happiness.”
Crabtree explains that reducing your exposure to stressors, whether they are environmental, dietary or situational, may help support your body’s ability to produce more ATP. “When your body is more in balance, and you have greater access to cellular energy, you may find your entire quality of life improves.”
AMPK-activating Bioenergy Ribose is an ingredient found in a large variety of dietary supplements. RiboActiv is emerging as another go-to AMPK activator.
