Fatigue may not be a good sign: A study of nearly 1,000 adults aged 75 in Norway and Finland found that those who reported feeling fatigued from everyday activities were more than twice as likely to become disabled in the next five years than those who did not. Fatigue-stricken people are also more likely to feel lonely and have a higher mortality rate.
Discussing your symptoms of low energy with your doctor can help him or her unravel the nuances of your symptoms and lead to a specific diagnosis. For example, do you feel weak, lethargic, or sleepy? To what criteria do you compare your current symptoms? Questions like these are an important part of your initial evaluation with a doctor who knows your full medical history.
How to Increase Energy in Older Adults
Our energy levels are determined by many factors and there are different ways to boost them.
Include more protein in your diet and cut down on highly processed foods and snacks. Nutritional issues can be a big cause of fatigue, some of which is directly related to the foods we eat. A balanced diet for older adults should contain around 0.6g of protein per pound of body weight (a person weighing 150 pounds should aim for 90g of protein per day). Foods that bring us down include refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, which may give us momentary energy but leave us feeling sluggish and unfulfilled. But it could also be appetite or swallowing issues, which are usually related to reduced saliva production (affecting a third of older adults) or dental problems.
your Oral Health. Would you be surprised to hear that having fewer teeth predicts fatigue in older age? Tooth loss is often caused by oral infections linked to poor oral hygiene. Research has shown that unhealthy dietary habits, such as eating fewer fruits and vegetables that are difficult to chew, are closely related to tooth loss and aging.
Start strength training. Loss of muscle mass is a major cause of fatigue in older adults. Loss of muscle mass can occur as early as your 40s, leading to a condition called sarcopenia and reduced stamina. I advise my patients to check their grip strength as an indicator of overall muscle quality and to take up weightlifting.
You don’t need to bulk up like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you can still build muscle in your 80s and 90s. It’s never too early or too late to start incorporating weight training into your exercise routine. Research shows that resistance training can increase older adults’ independence in daily activities and boost their energy. An old but well-done randomized controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1994 found that high-intensity resistance training was “feasible and effective” in reducing physical frailty in nursing home residents with an average age of 87.
If you’re not sure where to start, try these six basic moves for 15 minutes once a week.
Check for underlying conditions such as anemiaA randomized controlled trial published last year on the effects of low-dose aspirin and anemia in older adults produced unexpected results. I didn’t Seniors who took aspirin and those who only took a placebo developed anemia within 5 years of study enrollment. This means that many seniors are at risk of experiencing a drop in red blood cell count over time, which can cause significant fatigue if not addressed. In addition to anemia, hypothyroidism can make you feel tired all the time. As we age, hypothyroidism is steadily becoming more common, especially among women. It affects less than 2% of people in their 20s, but more than 10% of people in their 70s and 80s.
Other conditions related to fatigue and aging include Parkinson’s disease, heart failure, kidney disease, cancer, etc. Discuss your symptoms in detail with your doctor to determine whether you need to undergo further testing.
Change your sleep patterns and bedroom temperature. Nearly half of older adults in the U.S. experience insomnia or other sleep disorders. Our circadian rhythms tend to change as we age, prompting us to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier at certain times of the day. While older adults should still aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation, tell yourself it’s okay to take a nap. A 2022 systematic review found that taking a short nap during the day doesn’t shorten older adults’ nighttime sleep time and improves daytime fatigue. The American Geriatrics Society discourages many sleep aids, especially in older adults who are sensitive to drugs like Ambien and Lunesta, because they can increase drowsiness and increase the risk of car accidents and falls.
What settings are your thermostat and indoor fans? There’s evidence that older Americans sleep best between 70 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which is especially important in the summer. There are also a number of conditions, such as sleep apnea, that may contribute to fatigue symptoms that are worth discussing with your doctor.
Rethinking Your MedicationAt your next primary care appointment, talk about the medications you’re taking and whether you’re taking all of them in the amounts you need. Many common prescription drugs, from blood pressure medications to antidepressants, can rob us of our energy levels. In addition, Too many Drug-drug interactions in general also correlate with fatigue.
What patients need to know
There are many voices telling us that aging means becoming less active. When we internalize these messages, we can normalize the false idea that feeling tired all the time is part of the aging process. One important disguised factor that’s often discussed – and rightly so – as a cause of fatigue is depression. Depression can lead to feelings of boredom, trouble sleeping, and fatigue. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, talk to someone you trust, like a healthcare professional or family member, to learn how to get the help you need.
