Your adrenal glands have two primary functions: they help kickstart your body in the morning after sleep, and they manage all the stress that your daily activities cause. Cortisol is the main hormone released from the adrenal cortex. The adrenal medulla, on the other hand, primarily releases adrenaline. Adrenaline is responsible for emotions such as aggression, the fight-or-flight response, fear, and anxiety. When people talk about fatigued adrenals, they’re really referring to the adrenal cortex and cortisol production. This article will focus on cortisol.
Cortisol Secretion
Cortisol is naturally released in a 24-hour cycle, with the highest levels around 6 a.m. From that point onwards, cortisol is gradually released in smaller amounts, with the lowest levels being released around midnight. While you sleep, your immune system works to clean up your body, and lower cortisol levels at night are a good thing because high cortisol levels interfere with sleep-related immune function. Simply put, rising cortisol levels in the morning partly make you more energetic, but also reduce the activity of the sleep-related immune system.
Difficulty Waking Up
If you have difficulty waking up in the morning, it could be due to a combination of poor sleep, the presence of toxins causing your sleep-related immune system to work overtime, and low adrenal function. As mentioned, the adrenals are responsible for making sure you wake up properly in the morning and have the energy to get through the day. Many people turn to coffee to help wake up, but large amounts of coffee can burden the adrenals, and over time, the need for coffee, as well as quick carbohydrates, can develop in order to stay awake throughout the day. This can then lead to poor sleep, and a vicious cycle begins. Adrenals require protein to function well, and if you're struggling with your morning energy, the worst choice is a breakfast full of carbohydrates or no breakfast at all. The adrenals communicate with the liver to ensure a constant supply of energy, and the liver also requires protein to function optimally. Carbohydrate-heavy breakfasts often cause blood sugar levels to drop because of consuming sweets or drinking coffee to survive the day, which worsens the vicious cycle.
Stress
When you are in a situation that feels stressful (emotional stress, injury, cold, exercise, or illness), your adrenals send a signal to your liver to release more energy, calories, for immediate use. Stress also leads to inflammation in the body; the adrenals release cortisol, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. This release of cortisol into the bloodstream differs from the normal 24-hour cycle. Under stress, extra cortisol is released to protect the body. After about an hour, cortisol levels return to normal values if the adrenals are healthy. However, if stress is more or less constant, the adrenals will work extra hard to continuously produce cortisol, which eventually wears them out. Over time, all the stress takes over, and the inflammatory by-products that are produced will not be handled by the cortisol being released. The first signs of too much stress are often felt: extreme sleepiness, irritability, very low energy in the morning and throughout the day, significant mood swings, muscle and joint pain, and generally a weakened immune system. Even allergies can worsen due to excessive stress.
Adrenals and Thyroid
The adrenals and thyroid work together, and issues with both can present similar symptoms, though there are some differences. Problems with morning energy, low stress tolerance, and reduced aerobic capacity are often related to the adrenals, while afternoon fatigue, feeling cold in the body, and mental burnout may be due to thyroid issues. The thyroid regulates metabolism in the body, which determines energy levels. If these levels become too low, the body experiences it as a stress situation, which automatically impacts the adrenals, triggering the release of more cortisol. Conversely, fatigued adrenals increase inflammation in the body, even from normal activities, which causes the thyroid to slow down to reduce the number of inflammations. Over time, this can lead to thyroid dysfunction. Constant stress, therefore, affects both the adrenals and the thyroid. Read the article about the thyroid here.
Sex Drive
Both the adrenals and thyroid influence sex hormones. Proper function of both systems means that women experience virtually pain-free and regular menstruation, and sex drive is normal for both men and women. A lower or absent sex drive can be a sign that the adrenals are fatigued.
Adrenals and Other Endocrine Glands
The adrenals are also closely linked to other endocrine glands, such as the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. There is also communication between the adrenals, thymus, and the serotonin system. When you feel like you're not in control of life, this can be linked to the HPA axis, where the adrenals play an important role. When you experience grief and apathy, it may be connected to the adrenals and thymus. Your adrenals are fundamental to handling most life changes, and if they are not functioning properly, it’s difficult to feel in control of those changes. So, you might experience sadness and low mood when adrenal function is impaired.
What Should You Do?
A good way to maintain healthy adrenal function is by providing them with proper nutrition instead of relying on external hormones, which could result in unpredictable negative behaviour as the hormone receptors may not be in good condition. Additionally, adrenal hormones from animals can cause autoimmune reactions in individuals who already have an inflammation process in their body due to impaired adrenal function, which is not ideal.
As mentioned, proteins are essential for adrenal function and are best sourced from meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or shellfish. The adrenals also require salt to function properly, and total salt restriction is not beneficial. If you have several symptoms related to both adrenal and thyroid issues, they should be addressed simultaneously. It is advisable to take supplements that support both the adrenals and the thyroid. Additionally, exercising at a level you feel comfortable with and gradually increasing the intensity over time is beneficial. The key is to train regularly, multiple times a week, without overloading the body at the beginning. Exercise reduces stress and strengthens the body in general, especially the adrenals. There are several excellent supplements for both the adrenals and the thyroid. Adrenal Response is excellent for adrenal function, but also beneficial for thyroid function. CoQ10 is especially good for the thymus, as the entire surface has receptors for CoQ10. A good multivitamin and mineral supplement is an affordable guarantee that you get all the nutrients you need on a daily basis, not just for adrenal function, but for the overall well-being of the entire body.
