Why don´t I have the same energy as before?

I have sometimes joked that when we are young, we know nothing but can do everything.

When we are old, we know everything but can’t do anything.

Like most jokes, it contains enough truth to make us laugh and enough exaggeration to make us slightly uncomfortable.

Somewhere after fifty, many men begin asking themselves a question that rarely occurred to them at twenty:

Why am I so tired?

The car still starts and the engine does not sound too bad. But sometimes it takes a little longer for all the warning lights on the dashboard to go out.

Two men of the same age can have very different levels of energy. One sixty-year-old may run marathons, while another may feel exhausted after an ordinary working day. A healthy fifty-two-year-old may not recognise himself in descriptions of fatigue, declining strength or slower recovery.

Age alone therefore explains only part of these differences.

Sleep, physical activity, stress, alcohol, illness, medication, nutrition and the way we have treated the machinery during the previous decades may matter just as much—or sometimes more.

The body does not receive an automatic software update at midnight on our fiftieth birthday announcing:

“Maximum performance has now been reduced by 30 per cent.”

Changes are usually more gradual, less predictable and far more individual than that.

What Do We Actually Mean by Energy?

Energy is not one simple, measurable substance.

When a man says that he has no energy, he may mean that he is sleepy. Another may mean that his muscles tire more quickly. A third may have reasonable physical capacity but no motivation, enthusiasm or mental concentration.

The word energy can refer to:

• sleepiness;

• reduced endurance;

• reduced strength;

• slower recovery;

• lack of interest or motivation;

• mental overload;

• poor sleep;

• shortness of breath;

• or a general sense that something is physically wrong.

Sleepiness and poor sleep are closely connected but are not quite the same thing. Sleepiness is an experience or symptom, while poor sleep may be one of its causes. A person can also sleep poorly without feeling particularly sleepy and instead notice irritability, poor concentration or reduced physical capacity.

These are not necessarily the same problem, even though we often put all of them into the same bag and label it age.

Some change in capacity is likely as the years pass. But marked, unexplained or newly developed fatigue should not automatically be dismissed as the unavoidable price of growing older.

Age is sometimes the cause, sometimes an accomplice and occasionally an entirely innocent bystander.

What Changes Normally?

Several physical changes may develop gradually with age.

Maximum oxygen uptake tends to decline. Muscle mass and muscle strength may decrease. Recovery after demanding exercise or work can take longer. Sleep often becomes lighter and more fragmented. Hormonal activity changes, and the body may become less forgiving of sleep deprivation, alcohol and prolonged stress.

But none of these changes occurs overnight.

They also do not progress at the same rate in every man.

A physically active man in his sixties may have far greater working capacity than an inactive man in his forties. A man who has trained regularly, slept reasonably well and maintained his muscle mass is starting from a very different position from someone who has gradually stopped moving.

The body responds not only to how old we are but also to what we repeatedly ask it to do.

First Decide What Kind of Tiredness This Is

Before searching for the solution, it helps to define the problem.

A man might ask himself:

• Am I sleepy, or am I physically weak?

• Do I fall asleep in front of the television but then lie awake in bed?

• Am I becoming unusually short of breath, or am I simply poorly conditioned?

• Am I still interested in doing things but lack the endurance?

• Do I have the physical capacity but no interest or motivation?

• Do I wake up tired even after spending a long time in bed?

• Did this change occur suddenly, or has it developed slowly over many years?

• Does rest restore me, or do I remain exhausted?

• Does sensible exercise improve my energy, or does it leave me abnormally depleted?

These questions do not provide a diagnosis, but they help separate sleep problems, physical deconditioning, mental exhaustion and possible underlying illness.

The statement I am getting old may be true, but it is not a very precise medical history.

Sleep Quality Matters

Sleep and ageing deserve an article of their own, and I have already written one. The essential point here is that time spent in bed is not necessarily the same as restorative sleep.

Sleep may become lighter and more fragmented with age. Pain, medication, alcohol, stress and repeated visits to the bathroom can all interfere with it.

Sleep apnoea deserves particular attention. Loud snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping for air, morning headaches, daytime sleepiness and high blood pressure can all be warning signs.

Loud snoring is not always evidence of deep and healthy sleep. Sometimes it is the body sending out a distress signal while the person beside it is wondering whether moving to another bedroom—or reorganising the entire house—might be the simpler treatment.

A man can spend eight hours unconscious and still wake up unrefreshed.

Caffeine may improve alertness temporarily, but masking a symptom is not the same as correcting its cause.

The Strange Relationship Between Movement and Energy

When people feel tired, they often reduce their activity.

That is understandable. Rest is necessary during illness, after inadequate sleep and following unusually heavy exertion.

But prolonged inactivity can create its own tiredness.

The less we do, the more difficult activity becomes. This can develop into a simple but effective downward spiral:

Less movement leads to reduced capacity. Reduced capacity makes movement more uncomfortable. Movement is then avoided, and capacity falls further.

Muscle loss makes everyday activity more demanding. Reduced aerobic capacity means that the same physical task consumes a larger proportion of what is available. A working day that once used half the tank may now use most of it.

This does not mean that all men over fifty should train for a marathon or attempt to recover the body they had at twenty-five.

A sensible programme can include strength training, aerobic exercise and good stretching exercises.

Stretching does more than help preserve flexibility and range of movement. Slow, controlled stretching can also reduce the feeling of physical tension and provide a mental transition away from work, stress and constant stimulation.

The goal does not have to be competition, a six-pack or a younger appearance.

It may simply be more usable energy for work, travel, hobbies, grandchildren and sex.

Exercise requires energy, but regular and properly adjusted exercise can also increase the capacity from which daily life draws. That is one reason complete retirement from all physical activity is rarely an effective treatment for tiredness.

Rest can be useful.

Permanent surrender is something else.

Recovery Matters More Than It Used To

Exercise is beneficial, but more is not always better.

A man who trains hard, sleeps poorly and never allows time for recovery may feel tired despite being physically active. The answer is not necessarily another hard training session or a more aggressive motivational video.

Training provides the stimulus. The body needs recovery if it is to adapt to that stimulus.

As we grow older, we may need to pay more attention to the balance between the two. That does not mean becoming fragile or fearful of exertion. It means using experience rather than stubbornness.

The same principle applies outside the gym. Work, family responsibilities, travel, emotional strain and poor sleep all contribute to the total load.

The body does not maintain separate accounting departments for exercise, business problems and arguments at home.

It receives the full bill.

Mental Exhaustion Is Still Physical

Not all exhaustion comes from physical work.

A man may spend the day in meetings, solving problems, making decisions or worrying about money, family and the future. He may barely leave his chair and still feel completely depleted by evening.

The brain is part of the body. Prolonged mental effort, uncertainty and emotional tension have physical effects.

Chronic stress can interfere with sleep, increase muscle tension, alter appetite and reduce the desire to exercise or meet other people. When it has continued for years, a man may no longer recognise it as stress. It has simply become the background against which he lives.

There is also a difference between being busy and having purpose.

A man can have very little to do and still feel exhausted. Loneliness, depression, anxiety, burnout and the feeling that nobody needs us can drain energy in ways that no vitamin tablet will correct.

Sometimes the problem is not a lack of physical capacity.

It is that the mind no longer sees a convincing reason to use it.

Food, Water and Alcohol

Energy does not necessarily improve simply because we consume more calories.

What matters is whether the total diet provides enough protein, fibre, energy and useful nutrients for the life we expect the body to support.

Meal timing is more individual than many dietary discussions suggest. Some people do well with three meals a day. Others prefer a shorter eating window, such as a 16:8 pattern, or eat one substantial meal later in the day.

Eating one large evening meal is not automatically a mistake. It may suit a person who has followed that pattern for years and feels well on it. The relevant questions are whether the overall diet is adequate, whether it supports physical activity and recovery, and whether the eating pattern causes problems for that particular person.

Adequate protein becomes increasingly important when we are trying to maintain muscle. A varied diet also reduces the likelihood of deficiencies.

Supplements may sometimes be useful, but they are not an automatic answer to unexplained fatigue.

We should also drink enough water, particularly during exercise, illness or hot weather.

That does not mean that we need to turn the water bottle into a religion.

Alcohol can feel relaxing and may make it easier to fall asleep. It can nevertheless fragment sleep and impair recovery. Regular heavy drinking can also affect the liver, nervous system, muscles, hormones, mood and nutritional status.

Alcohol may borrow energy from tomorrow while making the loan feel like a gift tonight.

The interest rate is not always attractive.

Medication and Medical Causes

Medication can improve health and save lives, but some medicines may also contribute to tiredness, sleepiness, weakness or reduced exercise tolerance.

Some blood-pressure medication, sleeping tablets, psychiatric medication, painkillers and other drugs may play a part. The effect may become more noticeable when several medicines are used at the same time.

Different medicines are sometimes prescribed by different doctors, and each doctor may not have a complete picture of everything the patient is taking. Non-prescription remedies and supplements can add another layer.

This is one reason it is useful for both the patient and at least one healthcare professional to maintain a complete and current medication list.

It does not mean that anyone should stop prescribed medication without advice. It means that all medicines should be considered when unexplained fatigue is assessed.

Other possible causes include:

• anaemia or blood loss;

• thyroid disease;

• diabetes;

• heart or lung disease;

• chronic infection or inflammation;

• nutritional deficiencies when there is reason to suspect them;

• depression, anxiety or burnout;

• and low testosterone in men with compatible symptoms.

Not every man over fifty needs a huge package of blood tests.

The assessment should be guided by symptoms, medical history, examination and individual risk. Testing everything simply because it can be tested often produces more numbers without necessarily producing more understanding.

Could It Be Testosterone?

Testosterone usually enters the conversation sooner or later when an older man complains of reduced energy.

Testosterone levels often decline gradually with age. Yet many men may not realise that genuine testosterone deficiency is something worth considering, particularly when reduced energy occurs together with more characteristic symptoms.

Men commonly know that women may receive hormone treatment during or after menopause. They may be much less likely to consider whether changes in their own hormone levels deserve assessment.

Possible symptoms of testosterone deficiency include reduced sexual desire, fewer morning erections, reduced muscle strength, changes in body composition and lower energy.

Low testosterone can also contribute to otherwise unexplained anaemia. Anaemia has many possible causes and should not simply be blamed on hormones, but in the right clinical context it may provide another reason to assess testosterone levels.

The same symptoms can, however, also result from poor sleep, excess body fat, prolonged stress, depression, medication, alcohol or other illnesses.

Clinical symptoms therefore matter. A laboratory value should not be interpreted in isolation.

Clinical guidelines generally recommend that a diagnosis be based on compatible symptoms together with consistently low testosterone levels, commonly confirmed with repeat morning measurements. Practice may vary, but one isolated or borderline result should not be expected to explain a man’s entire life.

Testosterone is important, but it is not the master switch controlling every aspect of male energy.

A testosterone measurement is not a personality test. It does not determine whether a man is sufficiently masculine, and it does not automatically explain why he could not be bothered to vacuum the house over the weekend.

Not every tired man has testosterone deficiency. But neither should a man with relevant symptoms assume that fatigue, loss of strength or reduced sexual interest is simply an unavoidable part of ageing without ever discussing it with a doctor.

The Energy Accounts

It may be useful to think of energy as a budget.

There are deposits:

• sleep;

• nutritious food;

• regular movement;

• daylight;

• adequate rest and recovery;

• good social connections;

• and activities that have meaning.

Then there are withdrawals:

• chronic sleep debt;

• alcohol;

• prolonged stress;

• illness;

• too little movement;

• excessive training without recovery;

• constant stimulation and screen time;

• and responsibilities we repeatedly accept even though we do not actually want them.

One poor night does not bankrupt us. One good night or one training session does not build a lasting reserve.

It is the repeated pattern that matters.

Some men attempt to repair an energy deficit with a third cup of coffee, a fourth supplement and an online video featuring a shouting man who insists that age is only a state of mind.

Unfortunately, the body may not have watched the same video.

A Practical Starting Point

A man who feels that his energy has declined can begin with a simple review.

1. Examine Sleep Honestly

How long are you actually asleep? Is sleep fragmented? Do you snore, gasp for air, wake repeatedly or feel unrefreshed in the morning?

2. Move Regularly

Include strength training, aerobic activity and stretching. Begin at a realistic level, allow time for recovery and increase the load gradually.

3. Examine the Whole Diet

Make sure there is adequate protein, sufficient energy and reasonable variety. The number and timing of meals can vary between individuals.

4. Drink Enough Water

Pay particular attention to water intake during exercise, illness and hot weather without assuming that carrying a large bottle replaces every other health decision.

5. Assess Alcohol Use

Ask what alcohol is doing to sleep, recovery, mood and the following day—not only what it does during the first hour.

6. Review All Medication

Consider prescription drugs, non-prescription remedies and supplements. Make sure that the doctors involved have access to a complete medication list.

7. Seek Medical Advice When the Change Is Marked, New or Unexplained

Do not assume that significant fatigue is simply proof that the calendar is working.

When Should a Man See a Doctor?

There are many possible reasons to seek medical advice, and no short list can cover all of them.

Assessment is particularly important when fatigue is new, severe, rapidly worsening or accompanied by warning signs such as:

• chest pain;

• unusual shortness of breath;

• fainting or marked dizziness;

• unexplained weight loss;

• bleeding;

• fever or night sweats;

• new neurological symptoms;

• or a substantial change from previous capacity.

A man who has always climbed the same hill without difficulty and suddenly has to stop halfway should not simply blame his age.

The body may be trying to communicate something more specific.

Do not write every warning sign on the birth certificate.

The Benjamin Button Solution

I sometimes joke that life might have been better if it worked the way it does in the story of Benjamin Button.

He was born old and became younger as time passed.

Beginning life as an elderly baby would admittedly have certain disadvantages. But imagine reaching financial stability, experience and a reasonable understanding of oneself—and then receiving a younger body and greater mental and physical energy with which to enjoy it.

By the time we had learned not to waste our energy, we would finally have plenty of it.

Unfortunately, biology appears unwilling to negotiate on this point.

The goal after fifty is not necessarily to wake up every morning with exactly the same energy we had at twenty-five.

At twenty-five, we often had plenty of energy but not always the judgement to use it well.

The goal is to have reliable energy for the life we want to live—and to remain curious enough to look for an explanation when that energy disappears.

When we were young, we knew very little but thought we could do everything.

Now we know considerably more.

It would be a pity not to preserve enough energy to make use of it.