how to increase energy levels naturally

Why Nutrition and Hydration Matter When Learning How to Increase Energy Levels Naturally

We’ve all experienced the mid-afternoon slump. With your focus fading and energy dipping, reaching for another cup of coffee or energy drink is often the go-to to get through the afternoon meeting or your scheduled workout.

In our fast-paced and demanding modern lifestyle, which requires sustained effort, focus, and alertness, we’ve developed a fundamental misunderstanding, often mistaking stimulation for energy. 

Stimulants are often used to mask issues such as burnout, stress, anxiety, or poor work-life balance rather than addressing the root causes. 

While stimulants like caffeine provide a temporary boost for our nervous system, sustainable energy is built on a foundation of nutrition, hydration, and recovery.

If you want to feel vibrant from your first alarm until your head hits the pillow again, it’s time to stop chasing the surge and start fuelling for sustained energy.

The simple truth

While your body’s primary fuel source is glucose, derived from the carbohydrates we eat, the secret to all-day energy lies in understanding the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates, and timing them to match your energy needs and output.

We get simple carbs from certain fruits and vegetables, processed foods that contain loads of sugar, and natural sweeteners. 

Due to their simple structure, they are broken down and metabolised quickly. They spike your insulin, which is often followed by a rapid drop in blood sugar. This is the crash that leaves you feeling lethargic and flat, craving more sugar and stimulants.

The complex solution

Complex carbs provide a slow, steady release of fuel. By making these your foundation, you avoid the blood sugar roller coaster and maintain focus for hours.

Complex carb sources include: 

  • Rye or low GI bread 
  • Sweet potato 
  • Butternut 
  • Basmati rice
  • Rolled oats
Why fuel availability matters

Whether you are a casual gym-goer or a serious athlete, your training quality is directly proportional to your fuel availability.

Many people attempt to train in a state of low energy availability, thinking it will help with weight loss. In reality, this approach usually backfires for multiple reasons. 

When you lack sufficient fuel, you cannot hit the intensities required to see real progress, whether that’s better body composition, heavier lifts or faster times. 

You also compromise your recovery because, without sufficient energy and nutrients, your body cannot repair the damaged muscle tissue, leading to persistent soreness.

Chronic fatigue, poor concentration, and “brain fog” are often the first signs that your body is in an energy deficit or that you’re suffering from a nutritional imbalance.

The hydration factor

If you are eating the right macronutrients but still feel sluggish, the culprit might be your fluid intake. 

Hydration is the medium in which our body converts food into energy. Even mild dehydration – as little as a 2% drop in body water – can lead to significant declines in cognitive function, increased perceived exertion during exercise, and physical fatigue.

Practical takeaways for sustainable energy

Transitioning from the fleeting lift provided by stimulants to the sustained energy that powers you through your day with vigour and vitality, focus on these practical strategies:

According to the USDA, 45-65% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. The key is timing. 

Eat simple carbs shortly before or during exercise for immediate use. Specially formulated supplements, such as Biogen High Energy Gels, energy drinks like Biogen Cytogen and Biogen Elite Pure Carb Drink, or Biogen Pure Carbs, offer convenient and effectively dosed options.  

Use complex carbs throughout the rest of the day for sustained energy for your body and brain. Biogen Gluten-Free Creamy Rice Energy Meal is an easy-to-make cereal ideal to start your day with a source of complex carbohydrates to sustain your energy levels throughout the morning. 

While macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) provide the fuel, we need micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to support cellular energy production (inside the mitochondria). 

A diet rich in natural, whole foods ensures your cells can actually convert that food into usable energy efficiently. In this regard, B-complex vitamins are vitally important. 

B-vitamins are essential for metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into glucose and subsequently into ATP. They are often considered the most crucial for energy.

Vitamin B12 in particular acts as a vital cofactor that helps your body convert fats and proteins into useable energy while supporting the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include red meat, organ meats (liver and kidneys), dairy, eggs, shellfish, and fatty fish like salmon, trout, sardines, and tuna.

Boosting your B-vitamin intake with a supplement like Biogen Supreme B Complex, Biogen B Complex Boost or Biogen Vitamin B12 can contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue to support all-day energy production, especially for those who limit or avoid animal products in their diets.

Water alone isn’t always enough to sustain all-day energy. For water to actually enter your cells and support energy production, you need electrolytes – minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium that carry an electrical charge.

Electrolytes regulate the osmotic pressure in your cells, ensuring that water is distributed where it’s needed most, like your brain and muscles, rather than just passing through you.

Your heart, muscles, and brain also communicate via electrical impulses. An electrolyte imbalance can disrupt these signals, leading to muscle cramps, brain fog, and that heavy-limbed feeling of exhaustion.

Magnesium, specifically, is a co-factor in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the main energy source of cells. Without it, your body struggles to unlock the energy from the food you eat.

So don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink. To maintain stable energy throughput the day, sip water consistently throughout the day and consider adding an electrolyte supplement, like Biogen Revitalyte Powder, Biogen Electrolyte+ or Biogen Active Hydrate effervescent tabs, to your water during or after intense training sessions, or on hot and humid days to replace what you lose through sweat.

Fuelled for life

The goal of eating for energy is consistency. When you supply your body with slow-release carb sources, you create the stable, sustained energy that gives you the bandwidth to handle both your training demands and your daily responsibilities, like work and family, without feeling depleted by the time the sun sets.

So stop asking your morning espresso or pre-workout to do the job of a well-balanced meal. By choosing natural, whole foods and timing your nutrients correctly, you can beat the mid-afternoon slump and fuel your body and mind for sustained, high-quality performance in every area of your life.

Fuel your all-day energy