Just by observing how men and women are built physically, you can tell that a lot of what goes on underneath the hood is different too! For example, you, a male, might be doing intense cardio with a female partner at the gym. Both of you perform the exact same routine with eyes set on the same outcome, but a couple of weeks down the road, you end up cutting more weight than her. That’s because both men and women are hardwired differently. The same can be said about energy.

Because of body composition and genetics, men have a higher metabolic rate than women (1, 2). In addition, men are generally less efficient at storing fat for energy use. If a man and woman were to observe the exact same diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits, evidence suggests the man would generally lose more weight and use up more energy than his female counterpart (2).

One reason for this is men have higher basal metabolic rates (BMR) is because of the hormone, testosterone. Men produce much more of this hormone. More testosterone can lead to an increase of muscle mass. As muscle mass increases, so does the ability to burn calories or energy at a much higher rate.

How to increase energy for men

Here are some tips men can use to increase their energy levels:

Good eating habits

Eating is essential to having energy, but the kinds of food we eat also affect our bodies. For instance, processed foods contain high levels of saturated fat and sugar, which may cause health concerns down the line (11). It would be best to aim for a good balance of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.

Overeating, as well as not eating at proper times may also have negative effects (12). Overeating can cause you to put on extra weight, and may lead to sluggishness, which might dissuade you from exercise. On the other hand, skipping meals can result in lower energy. Since men typically  burn more energy, they can often feel the effects of skipped meals more than women.

Consult with a nutritionist or a doctor to find out how much of each food group you should consume per meal daily.

Proper exercise

Men lose testosterone as they age. However, testosterone is an important factor to keeping up energy levels (13). One way to keep testosterone levels up is exercise, which not only increases energy, but boosts testosterone (14).

Sleeping well

There are some sleep conditions that men are more prone to than women (3). These can result in poor quality of sleep and less time in a restful restorative state, which can result in fatigue and drowsiness during the daytime (15).

Proper supplementation

Men may not be able to get all of their nutrition needs to boost and maintain energy levels from diet alone. In these situations, supplements might be a great idea to ensure you receive sufficient amounts of each nutrient on a daily basis.

How to get energy with supplements

Here are some nutrients and minerals that can be part of your everyday energy supplements plan:

Iron

Iron is important for men who exercise and workout as muscles use up iron to burn energy (4).

*Iron should only be taken if prescribed by your doctor.

Ashwagandha

This wonder herb is great for improving the quality of sleep (5). This herb's chemical components, or alkaloids, are thought to have sedative qualities which can maintain physical endurance and stamina (16).

Magnesium

Magnesium maintains and supports energy levels. Besides increasing energy, one study showed that magnesium also helped male individuals with impaired magnesium status to produce more testosterone in physical activity (6).

B complex

B vitamins support energy production through enabling the body to unlock the energy it needs to function from nutrients including carbohydrates, fat and protein.

Acetyl L-carnitine

Acetyl L-carnitine plays a critical role in energy production (8), specifically in burning fat for energy.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C supports energy production9. It is necessary for the biosynthesis of carnitine, which is essential for the mitochondria in cells to produce energy.

Vitamin B-12

This vitamin supports energy production by helping metabolise the fats and proteins that you eat (10).

Part of how to get energy is by making sure that you get all the nutrients that you need. You can achieve this by maintaining a healthy diet, or opt for supplementation if you believe you’re not receiving sufficient nutrients from diet alone.

As men, keeping our energy up is an essential part to living healthy. With Vitable’s vitamin subscription service in Australia, you can have healthier, and more high-energy days. Our service of vitamin delivery and daily vitamins of custom vitamin packs can give that extra push that you need for all kinds of physical activity.

Find out more about other areas that the above supplements can help you with:

Iron | Ashwagandha | Magnesium | B complex | Acetyl L-carnitine | Vitamin C | Vitamin B12

*Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and/or mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet.

References:

1. Sex Differences in Energy Metablosim Need to be Considered with Lifestyle Modifications in Humans (2011), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136178/
2. Men and Women Respond Differently to Rapid Weight Loss: Metabolic Outcomes of a Multi-centre Intervention Study After a Low Energy Diet in 2500 Overweight, Individuals with Pre-Diabetes (2018), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.13466
3. Sleep Apnea (2020), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631
4. Iron (n.a.), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://medlineplus.gov/iron.html
5. Protective Effect of Withania Somnifera Dunal on the Behavioral and Biochemical Alterations in Sleep-Distrubed Mice (2007), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17585686/
6. The Interplay Between Magnesium and Testosterone in Modulating Physical Function in Men (2014), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3958794/
7. Increased Target Tissue Uptake of, and Sensitivity to, Testosterone in the Vitamin B6 Deficient Rat (1984), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6727359/
8. Nutritional Supplements and Metabolic Syndrome (2008), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123742407500127?via%3Dihub
9. Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence (2020), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019700/
10. Vitamin B12 (n.a.), Accessed September 15, 2021 from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-B12
11. Food processing and nutrition (n.d.), Accessed September 29, 2021 from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-processing-and-nutrition#effects-of-processing-and-storage-of-food
12. What happens when you overeat? (February 2018), Accessed September 29, 2021 from https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/What-happens-when-you-overeat.h23Z1592202.html
13. Sex, Energy, Well-Being and Low Testosterone: An Exploratory Survey of U.S. Men’s Experiences on Prescription Testosterone (2019), Accessed September 29, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6765788/
14. Increased physical activity has a greater effect than reduced energy intake on lifestyle modification-induced increases in testosterone (2016), Accessed September 29, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4706091/
15. Sleep Deprivation (2021), Accessed September 29, 2021 from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation
16. Ashwagandha Plus (n.d.), Accessed September 29, 2021 from https://research.vitable.com.au/ashwagandha-plus