How do hormones affect energy levels?

What’s covered?

Hormonal imbalance also influences your energy levels.

How do hormone imbalances affect energy levels?

Let me start with three questions,

Do you feel tired all the time and reluctant to move? Do you feel less energetic and gain weight? Or, do you feel hand shivering, heated body and losing body weight?

If your answer to any of the above questions is a yes, then you should read this article to the end.

The first step is to rule out some possible causes of low energy, e.g., malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, bad habits, less sleep, physical or emotional stress, infections and diseases etc... If you are young, non-alcoholic, non-smoker, eat good food, take enough sleep and are free from infections, you should monitor your hormones, especially the ones related to body metabolism e.g. stress hormones and hormones produced by adrenal glands.

Relationship of energy with metabolism

Energy in the body depends upon the metabolism at the cellular level. Metabolism is defined as the chemical reactions occurring in the body. These reactions are responsible for the breakdown of the food to produce energy. So, if something controls the metabolism in the body, it can regulate energy production.

In the body, two systems dictate the cells to perform different activities: The nervous and endocrine systems. The endocrine system consists of endocrine glands which produce hormones. These hormones travel via the blood to the target cells and regulate their functions. Let me explain

How do Hormones control the energy level?

Hormones regulate the energy level by controlling metabolism in the cells. The most important hormones in this regard are thyroxin (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3). The other essential hormones are cortisol and oestrogen. These hormones work in different ways to regulate the amount of energy produced. These hormones are controlled by other releasing factors from the brain's hypothalamus.

How thyroid hormones work to control the energy level

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland on the neck anterior to the windpipe. It is the largest endocrine gland and produces Thyroxin and T3. Thyroid hormones are responsible for a baby's normal development, growth and nervous development. Thyroxin (T4) is inactive in the blood and is converted into T3 (the active form) in the liver, muscles, thyroid gland and other body parts.

Every cell in the body has thyroid hormone receptors. These receptors vary in shape and function, which explains the different actions of thyroid hormones in different cells. Usually, thyroid hormones go into the cellular nucleus and increase the production of different enzymatic proteins involved in metabolic reactions. These enzymes catalyse the biochemical reactions and thus produce energy.

Effects of thyroid hormones on the body

Thyroxin and tri-iodothyronine have the following functions in the body.

• Regulate body temperature by controlling basal metabolic rate (BMR) in the body cells

• Regulate the replacement of dead and dying cells in the skin and other parts of the body

• Regulate carbohydrate and cholesterol metabolism and thus affect body weight gain and loss.

• Affect normal growth and nervous development.

• High or low levels of thyroid hormones can raise or lower the heart rate.

The normal concentration of thyroid hormones

The physicians perform a blood test to determine the thyroid hormone concentration in the blood. This test is known as the thyroid profile. Normal levels of thyroid hormones in the human body are as follow

Name of hormone

Concentration in males

Concentration in females

T4 (Thyroxin)

5-11 ug/dl

5-12 ug/dl

Free T4

0.9-2.3 ng/dl

0.9-2.3 ng/dl

T3 (Tri-iodothyronine)

100-200 ng/dl

100-200 ng/dl

Free T3

2.3-4.1 pg/dl

2.0-7.0 pg/dl

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)

0.40-4.5 mIU/dl (milli international unit per litre)

0.5-5 mIU/litre

Remember, normally, the release of T4 and T3 is controlled by Thyroid stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland. The T4 level in the blood controls the release of TSH from the pituitary. So, if Thyroxin (T) level decreases in the blood, it stimulates the pituitary gland via the hypothalamus to produce TSH and vice versa. This is called feedback control.

Under and overproduction of thyroid hormones and their effect on energy level

Any functional abnormality of the Thyroid leads to under and overproduction of thyroid hormones.

Hypothyroidism

When the thyroid gland is unable to produce enough T3 and T4, the condition is known as hypothyroidism and is characterised by

• Tiredness

• Lower body temperature (hypothermia)

• Sudden weight gain

• Constipation

• Confusion and low nervous activity

• Muscle aches and weakness

• Cramping in muscles

• Dry skin

• Weak hair and nails

• Numbness and pain in the fingers

Hyperthyroidism

Overproduction of thyroid hormones leads to

• Nervousness and anxiety

• Mood swings

• Muscle weakness

• Diarrhoea

• Weight loss

• Shivering muscles and fingers

All these symptoms are related to the alteration in metabolic rate and energy levels in different organs due to thyroid hormones.

Effect of other hormones on energy level

Besides the thyroid hormones, some other hormones also influence energy levels.

Cortisol

Cortisol is a lipid-based hormone released from the adrenal gland present in the kidney. This is the hormone of stress and helps the body to adapt to physical, emotional and physiological stress. Cortisol boosts the energy level in the body by triggering the release of glucose from the liver to provide instant energy during stress conditions. Cortisol raises blood sugar levels by counterbalancing the effect of insulin.

Normal cortisol levels vary with time, age and stress level. Adrenal gland deficiency causes a decrease in cortisol production, leading to lower energy levels in stress, weakness, tiredness, fatigue and unintentional weight loss.

Testosterone

Testosterone is considered a male hormone but is also present in females. A decrease in testosterone levels can indirectly decrease the energy level. Lower testosterone causes stress symptoms like decreased libido, sleep disturbances and stresses that can add to chronic lower energy levels.

Oestrogen and progesterone

Disturbed oestrogen and progesterone levels directly influence the brain in females, directly causing low food intake and disturbed menstrual cycle. This causes a decrease in body energy and fatigue. Also, higher oestrogen levels and disturbed oestrogen to progesterone ratio cause mood swings, vaginal distress and other stress that leads to lower intake and high energy expenditure, depriving the body of much-needed calories.

The endnote

Many hormones such as thyroid hormones, cortisol, oestrogen and progesterone directly affect sleep and energy levels. The overall effect of all the hormones on the body's energy is a complex phenomenon. Over or underproduction of one hormone affects the function of another hormone, thus indirectly affecting the body's energy.

You should keep monitoring your hormone levels and hormonal imbalances, especially the thyroid hormones if you were feeling tiredness, fatigue, weakness and decreased sexual desire. The treatment options e.g., hormone replacement therapy etc... are too expensive.

Welzo offers an at-home Energy and Fatigue Blood Test, click here to learn more.

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