Have you ever wondered why most of the time we feel tired and sleepy after having a large meal? Considering that most of us have our heaviest meal of the day during lunchtime, it could be the reason why your productivity drops in the afternoon. The loss of drive, energy, and productivity after having a heavy meal is common, but what if it’s a sign of something much more serious?
Generally, it’s normal to feel tired and sleepy after eating. Researchers call this phenomenon “postprandial sleepiness”, or more commonly known as a food coma, and this happens with many other species, such as rodents, worms, and insects.
Some theorize that the cause of postprandial sleepiness is an evolutionary trait that keeps us alert when hungry, and sleepy when full. The body’s main purpose to survive is to look for food, and when the body is satisfied, it takes the opportunity to rest and conserve energy.
But as we live in modern times and humans no longer need to hunt for food, postprandial sleepiness is becoming more and more of a health liability that leads to weight gain. People who live a sedentary lifestyle often fall victim to this natural reaction, which only adds to further weight gain.
What can you do about postprandial sleepiness?
There are plenty of other ways that you can cope with the sleepiness you feel when you’re full, and you may be doing some of these already. Most of us cope with sleepiness by loading up on stimulants, like caffeine and soda. Caffeine increases your energy and mutes the feeling of fatigue and sleepiness, and this is probably the reason why most of us take our coffee breaks in the afternoon.
Aside from taking stimulants, training your body to ignore postprandial sleepiness by eating smaller portions of food. When you eat protein-rich foods, an amino acid called tryptophan causes a spike in serotonin levels. Eating a lot of carbs can also trigger sleepiness as it helps the body absorb tryptophan. Lowering your food intake can help you manage postprandial sleepiness better, and it can also help with your metabolism as you consume fewer calories altogether.
One of the major factors that will help you combat postprandial sleepiness is by doing regular workouts during the day. Exercise can boost your energy and testosterone levels, which will help you combat sleepiness after eating.
Should you be worried about postprandial sleepiness?
Normally, you shouldn’t be worried about postprandial sleepiness since it’s a natural reaction by your body to your eating habits. However, some conditions aggravate postprandial sleepiness. Having low testosterone and diabetes could seriously magnify the sleepiness you experience after eating.
Diabetes
Whether pre-diabetes, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the condition is likely to aggravate postprandial sleepiness. Patients with diabetes experience spikes and drops in their blood sugar levels, depending on the level of insulin that the body has at a certain time, and this could coincide with postprandial sleepiness. Blood glucose normally spikes after having a meal, but having diabetes means that the insulin levels may be too low to transport sugars to the cells for energy. This causes the immense feeling of fatigue that coincides with postprandial sleepiness. In some cases, blood glucose levels spike and drop, and once it drops, it can cause fatigue, sleepiness, dizziness, and confusion on the patient’s part.
If you have diabetes and you experience postprandial sleepiness, it’s best to seek the advice of your doctor, and have your blood glucose levels checked to ensure that you have the right management plan for your diabetes.
Low testosterone
Low testosterone can greatly affect your metabolism and energy levels. Even under normal circumstances, having low testosterone can make you feel tired, sluggish, and weak. Factoring in the natural reaction by your body after having a meal, men with low testosterone would struggle with postprandial sleepiness, and this leads to even more health complications.
Testosterone levels tend to decline as men get older, and if you’re 40 and older, it may be time to have your testosterone levels checked. Low testosterone can lead to fatigue, low energy, weakness, poor muscle retention, and low libido, in addition to aggravating postprandial sleepiness.
Taking premium testosterone supplements can help you naturally increase your testosterone levels. Male UltraCore is a superior testosterone-boosting supplement that can help your body produce more testosterone to help combat the signs of aging. By simply increasing your testosterone levels back to their peak levels would help you improve your energy levels, mood, and drive, which could help negate postprandial sleepiness. Male UltraCore can also help you lower your glucose levels by having ingredients that can improve insulin response and help your body utilize sugars better.
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