Exercise intolerance is a very common side effect of autoimmune diseases. It makes any form of movement virtually impossible. And this is such a problem because exercise can be super beneficial for these conditions. Below we discuss the causes of exercise intolerance, what it looks like, and how to recover from it.
What Causes Exercise Intolerance?
Exercise intolerance is caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. If you remember high school biology, the mitochondria is a cell organelle that generates energy. Most of our body’s energy is generated through cellular respiration within the mitochondria. Cellular respiration takes the nutrients we eat and converts it to adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.
Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs when the mitochondria cannot produce enough energy for the body to function. This can happen for a number of reasons, many of which overlap with common root causes of autoimmune diseases. For one, chronic stress has been shown to decrease energy production within the mitochondria. Exposure to environmental toxins and drugs are also linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, researchers have found a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and autoimmune diseases. It appears that defective mitochondria can activate the immune system and overproduce inflammatory proteins.
Therefore, the body won’t have enough energy to function normally if the mitochondria are not efficient. And this can lead to generalized fatigue, which is very common in autoimmune diseases, but it can also impair one’s ability to exercise.
Signs and Symptoms
There is a wide range of symptoms from exercise intolerance. The basic underlying theme is that exercise triggers a reaction in the body that goes above and beyond what normal exercise and movement should cause. Normal exercise should not cause fatigue and soreness that last more than 1-2 days. For someone who has normal functioning mitochondria, they could exercise back to back for days without any issue.
Exercise intolerance is different. For some people, this could look like extreme fatigue and soreness for more than 1 day following exercise. This could include the inability to do back to back days of exercise. For others, they could have a visceral reaction to exercise, including vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, flu-like symptoms, and autoimmune flares.
The range of intolerance also varies. You may be fine with long walks but anything that raises your heart rate could set you back for days. Others cannot tolerate even basic movements like walking or yoga.
How to Recover from Exercise Intolerance
Unfortunately there is no easy fix for exercise intolerance. It takes a combination of general healing for autoimmune diseases, targeted dietary therapy, and rest. Here are my top tips for overcoming exercise intolerance.
For any healing process, uncovering the root cause is really important. Since many of the triggers for mitochondrial dysfunction overlap with root causes of autoimmune diseases, it’s best to start addressing those first. Whether it’s chronic stress, exposures to toxins, low grade inflammation, or overexercise to begin with, these triggers need to be considered and worked on.
Next, it takes a slow, uphill climb to restore exercise function. First, you need to understand where your limits are. How much movement can you actually tolerate without getting overly exhausted? Once you find your limit, slowly build on that amount. The key here is to not push it. We want to avoid as many setbacks as possible.
Lastly, throughout this entire process, you have to listen to your body. Throw any sort of exercise plan out the window. Overcoming exercise intolerance is a day by day assessment. If you wake up feeling tired, the last thing you want to do is push it. This is a very hard mental adjustment for a lot of people, especially if you are a regular exerciser. Believe that you will get back to where you were, but it is going to take time, patience, and self-love.
How can Diet Help?
Food always plays a role in any healing journey. Your mitochondria require specific nutrients to function properly. In addition, following an anti-inflammatory diet is also super important for your autoimmune disease and mitochondrial health. Here are some specific nutrients to focus on:
Antioxidants
Given that the mitochondria is impacted by inflammation, it is important to have plenty of antioxidants in your diet to help capture free radicals floating around in your body. Some of the best sources of antioxidants are found in colorful fruits and vegetables.
B Vitamins
B vitamins play a major role in energy production and mitochondrial health. In fact, there is a connection between the mitochondria and methylation, and methylation requires a number of B vitamins including folate, B12, B6 and thiamine. The best sources of B vitamins are from green leafy vegetables, animal protein, nuts, seeds and organ meat.
Selenium
This mineral is another important player in reducing oxidative stress. Selenium can be found in brazil nuts, chicken, eggs and pork.
Protein
Protein is made up of amino acids, and amino acids are needed to produce antioxidant enzymes. Diets low in protein can impact mitochondrial function. Protein can be found from both animal and plant-based sources like beans, grains, nuts and seeds.
Exercise intolerance is incredibly frustrating. The good news is, it is not a forever thing. Taking small steps and focusing on recovery will help you get back to your exercise routine in the long run. If you need support during this journey, please contact me for help. Please also check out my socials (Instagram, Facebook and YouTube) for more tips on living gracefully with your autoimmune disease.
