In today’s fast-paced world it is relatively frequent to feel tired and to feel that you lose your energy day after day. Although feeling tired after a long day of work is normal, there are cases when fatigue can become chronic. Also, many people need a boost of extra energy in the mornings to be able to perform their daily tasks.
Many people get that extra-energy by drinking a cup of strong coffee in the mornings. Others get their energy from exercising before going to work. But, in later times we are witnessing how kratom, a natural plant from South East Asia, is becoming popular amongst many individuals as a source of energy. Especially among those who suffer from other ailments, such as chronic pain or those who are dealing with opiate withdrawal.
But, how does kratom affect energy? Is kratom effective to combat fatigue? We’ll explore this in this article.
What is Fatigue?
Fatigue is a constant feeling of weakness and tiredness that can be physical, mental or a combination of both. However, fatigue is not a condition, it is just a symptom. Although all of us feel tired sometimes, fatigue is not the same as just feeling tired. Also, fatigue is different from the feeling of drowsiness that we get when we are sleepy. When we feel tired after a long day of work or performing an exhausting task, we can recover after a few hours of sleep.
However, some people don’t recover after a night of sleep and they feel constantly tired. When this happens, there is usually an underlying cause. So, it is important to find the reason why we feel tired and look for a solution.
Causes of Fatigue
There are many different causes why we can experience fatigue, including:
- Lifestyle causes: keeping a poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep (or sleeping too much) drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs can cause fatigue.
- Workplace causes: job stress or burnout syndrome are frequent causes of fatigue. Also, shift work can cause fatigue.
- Psychological causes: emotional problems, stress, anxiety or depression may cause fatigue.
- Medical causes: there are many illnesses and conditions that can cause fatigue, such as diabetes, anemia, thyroid disease, heart disease, obesity or cancer, to name a few.
Symptoms of Fatigue
Fatigue can cause a wide variety of symptoms, that can be physical, psychical and emotional, including:
- Chronic tiredness
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Muscle pain and weakness
- Slow reflexes
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite
- Blurry vision
- Short term memory problems
- Lack of concentration
- Low motivation
Kratom for Fatigue
Kratom, or Mitragyna speciosa, has been traditionally used as a stimulant and energizer for centuries. The native cultures of South East Asia have used kratom since ancient times to help them go through exhausting working days. In fact, kratom was very popular amongst the working class and laborers of these areas.
Being a plant of the coffee family, kratom has stimulant and energizing properties. Users report that kratom helps them get an extra boost of energy and get more work done. So, kratom is a good alternative when you go through a period of low energy. Nevertheless, kratom is not recommended when dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome or fatigue, as you can end up developing tolerance.
How to Take Kratom for Fatigue
When using kratom for fatigue and to get more energy, it is best to keep your dosage low. The reason behind this is that, at larger doses, kratom tends to be more relaxing and even sedative. Also, keeping your dosages low, will help you prevent developing kratom tolerance.
If you are new to kratom, it is advisable to start with a very low dose, 1-2 grams to see how you react to it. And start building up from there until you experience the energy that you are looking for. Although there is no general dose for everyone, most users report that they feel kratom’s stimulant effects with 2-4 grams. Taking more than 5 grams would result in sedative effects.
Best Kratom Strains to Fight Fatigue
Another question that you must consider before using kratom for fatigue is the strain. Not all strains of kratom are the same. For instance, red vein strains tend to be more calming and sedative. So, even though some people can feel some stimulant effects after taking low doses of red kratom, this strain should be avoided when seeking energy.
Generally speaking, white vein kratom varieties are the best to achieve energy. Also, some users mix white vein varieties with green vein types to increase the stimulant effects. Moreover, Maeng Da, Thai and Green Malay are considered some of the most stimulating kratom strains.
Other Ways to Combat Fatigue
When there are no underlying medical conditions that cause fatigue, there are some lifestyle changes that you can do to improve your energy:
- Keep a healthy diet, including all kinds of nutrients. Avoid junk food and alcohol.
- Keep properly hydrated: drink enough water and juices.
- Consider taking supplements, such as vitamins and royal jelly.
- Sleep enough hours, but don’t oversleep! 7-8 hours of sleep per night would be ideal.
- Exercise regularly: Sometimes tiredness is related to a sedentary lifestyle.
- If you feel tired due to stress, consider practicing relaxing techniques such as yoga or meditation.
