Vitamins & Supplements To Give You More Energy

If you’re feeling tired, it’s easy to reach for a quick caffeine fix, and although this may support you short-term, if you’re constantly battling fatigue, it might be a sign to look at your nutrition to see if you’re getting everything your body needs to function properly.

When your energy is low, life is more difficult. You might be socializing less, spending less time with your loved ones and your productivity at work might be suffering. In time, it could affect your relationships, not to mention your mood and sex drive, so what vitamins and supplements can make a difference and give you the boost you need to live life on your terms again?

Why Is Nutrition Important

When it comes to energy, food is fuel. Sounds simple enough, but with busy lifestyles, it’s not always easy to achieve. That’s where taking vitamins and supplements can boost your nutrition to provide everything you’re missing when your diet takes a hit.

Nutrition and lifestyle can play a huge part in energy, so for starters, getting enough sleep, drinking 2-3 liters of water each day, exercising regularly, and focusing on the importance of well-balanced nutrition is key to maintaining your energy levels.

So why does having the right nutrients support you? Different vitamins and minerals play different roles in the body to support you from head to toe, and particular supplements can help you to feel more energized, so let's explore them...

Melatonin

Getting more restorative sleep will give you more energy, but for some, it’s easier said than done. Melatonin is the sleep hormone that tells your body it's time to get some rest. Melatonin isn’t always released during the evening when it should be thanks to the bright lights of digital screens that trick our bodies into thinking it’s still light (signaling that it's daytime and we need to be awake). Support melatonin production with a wind-down routine and sleep supplements.

Caffeine With L-Arginine

Caffeine is often a queue jump to feeling more energized instantly in coffees and energy drinks, but it can increase lead to feelings of irritability, restlessness, and anxiety with a crash after the initial high. Combining caffeine with l-arginine, however, an amino acid found in green tea and some mushrooms, can counteract the feeling of nervousness and improve memory, decrease tiredness, and combat mental fatigue. With Motion Nutrition’s Instant Flow, you can get all the benefits of caffeine without the unwanted side effects.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has been used in Ayurveda to provide an all-over boost physiologically and psychologically. As an adaptogen, it helps to support your body against stress. Research has shown that it can alleviate fatigue associated with exercise.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a type of mushroom known for boosting energy levels, particularly as a pre-workout or toampup sex drive. It stimulates blood flow to push oxygen around the body more effectively to help you fire up in all the right places. Plus, once there, it can keep you going for longer and enhance muscle recovery afterward – win, win!

Magnesium

Magnesium helps to convert food into energy, supports the nervous system and muscle function so it could boost exercise performance. Plus, those who have more magnesium in their diet, often report better quality of sleep (crucial for adequate energy levels!)

Vitamin B

Vitamin B helps your body to transform the food you eat into cells your body can use. It also keeps your blood cells and nerves healthy to prevent a type of anemia that can make you weak and tired. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products, and deficiency amongst vegans is common, so is often supplemented. Those over 50 have more difficulty absorbing vitamin Bs in their body because as they age, they produce less stomach acid and proteins.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is common with half of the population suffering from it. It’s especially prevalent during the winter months because of less sunshine. Low vitamin D levels are associated with fatigue. It’s thought to be because vitamin D supports mitochondria (the part of a cell that generates energy) to use oxygen and power to various parts of the body, including muscles.

Iron

Your body needs enough iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from your lungs to tissues and organs throughout your body. Without adequate amounts, your body struggles to cope without enough oxygen which could lead to fatigue and weakness. Iron supplements are particularly beneficial for those who have recently suffered from blood loss and for vegetarians and vegans (because the richest source of iron is in meat and seafood).

Beet Powder

Research suggests that beet juice and powder may help you to exercise longer. Beets are rich in natural chemicals called nitrates. Your body changes nitrates in nitric oxide which helps with blood flow and blood pressure. It increases the flow of oxygen throughout your body to make you feel more energetic and active.

Creatine

To help power up for your best workout yet, turn to creatine. Thanks to its ability to boost power and strength, creatine is often used to enhance athletic performance. The scienceproof? Creatine increases your muscles' natural phosphocreatine stores, and phosphocreatine aids the formation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a key molecule your cells use for energy and basic functions.

BCAA

Lots of people take BCAA to power up their workouts. When glucose, your muscles' main source of energy, becomes low, BCAAs can serve as a source of energy to help keep you going. It also stimulates the synthesis of proteins in your muscles and inhibits their breakdown.

MCT Oil

MCT Oil is converted directly to energy without the additional breakdown by the body to support energy. Take a shot in the morning in your coffee or tea for instant and sustained energy levels throughout the day.

Power Up

Whether you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, more focus at work, or fire to supercharge your workout, an energy-boosting supplement can help you to find the power within to get more done, and live life to its fullest.

The model featured in this story is not associated with COSME Magazine and does not endorse it or the products shown.

Photography Tim Tadder | Model Ryan Tremaine Klarenback