The term 'adrenal fatigue' gets tossed around a lot, but it can be confusing. What’s really happening isn’t about 'tired adrenals' — it’s about how chronic stress is affecting your body’s ability to handle everyday life. Whether you’re pushing yourself at the gym, juggling responsibilities, or just constantly on the go, your body’s stress response system, called the HPA axis, is always working behind the scenes
When the brain detects a disruption to homeostasis (a stressor) there's a cascade of neuroendocrine responses from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis.
The HPA axis intertwines your nervous system and endocrine system and in those moments of stress, the "fight or flight" response kicks off, moving resources away from long term metabolic processes to focus on immediate survival.
Short term, great! The body is adapting to put resources towards surviving, or allowing you to do fun things like kicking butt in the gym and pursuing ambitious goals.
Chronic long term and repeated stressors is where we run into issues related to HPA axis dysfunction because the stress response never has a chance to fully rest.
Constant activation of the HPA axis can create an imbalance in cortisol levels. This might look like:
Cortisol spikes when you should be winding down, leading to trouble sleeping or staying asleep.
Low morning cortisol when you need energy the most to start the day, leaving you tired and unmotivated.
Mood swings, brain fog, or irritability due to the effects of dysregulated stress hormones on your brain and nervous system.
Altered cortisol secretion (and the side effects that come with that) affect end-organ function., eventually leading to a lot of the issues we see as coaches.
Thyroid, sex hormones, gut health, immunity, mood, blood sugar, blood pressure, sleep cycles, muscle growth and recovery... all impacted here.
While your adrenals are not “fatigued” or “burnt out” the body's ability to produce cortisol effectively has been impacted, which can lead to fatigue, immune dysfunction, metabolic problems, mood disorders, and cardiovascular risks.
But I “don’t feel stressed.”
We also have to consider you just may be used to the feeling how you do or running on stress hormones. When we have poor biofeedback or review labs and see the body is indeed “stressed,” we have to take inventory and consider what the body perceives as stress. Some of your stressors may have been completely out of your control, perhaps things you have forgotten about.
What are some of the things your body considers to be a stressor?
With this understanding, you can start making changes to lower your allostatic load, the cumulative wear and tear on the body's systems due to chronic stress.
What are some signs your adrenals need support?
If you’ve felt “off” but can’t pinpoint why, check for these signs:
Trouble sleeping
Feeling very jumpy or reactive
Not feeling like you can handle the stress you used to be able to
Fatigue
Headaches
Weight Changes
Insomnia
Poor training recovery
GI distress
Hair loss/thinning
Trouble building, or even losing, muscle
Blood sugar swings
Always getting sick
High or low blood pressure
Food cravings
Mood swings
Menstrual Cycle disruptions
If these signs feel familiar, it’s time to consider how stress is showing up in your life and what changes can support your body's recovery.
Key Strategies for Supporting Your Adrenals
Recovering from HPA axis dysfunction involves more than just “resting.” It’s about addressing both the root causes of stress and fostering habits that allow your body to handle future stress more effectively. We want to be able to go after those big goals, and push the edges a bit to do so. Here are a few key strategies:
Eat enough and focus on a whole foods diet. This is a time to emphasize nourishment and making your body feel safe. A deficit or consuming low quality foods will hinder your body’s ability to heal and start feeling energized. Food is fuel down to the cellular level, and we want to ensure your body has the resources it needs in the right amounts.
Balanced Meals: Prioritize meals with protein, fiber, and fats (no naked carbs). Eating consistently helps stabilize blood sugar. Avoid long periods of fasting or skipping meals, as this can create additional stress on your body.
Avoid Over-Caffeination: Easy to reach for one more cup when you're tired, but caffeine can further strain your adrenals, so watch your intake. Adaptogens and coffee alternatives can be helpful because they help the body adapt to stress. Luminous Mind is a cognitive support supplement that serves this role (code FORTIFY for 15% off).
Improve Mineral Status: Focus on replenishing electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, sodium) to support cellular energy. Minerals are depleted during long periods of stress and athletes tend to have more demand for these micronutrients.
Breath Work: Engage in regular deep breathing exercises, which directly calm the nervous system.
Support Your Circadian Rhythm: Prioritize light exposure in the morning and reduce blue light at night to support your sleep-wake cycle. Keeping an evening and morning routine also helps keep your body on a nice schedule to promote rest and wakefulness.
Restorative Sleep. Sleep is crucial for adrenal health. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night and keep good sleep hygiene habits. You can use our sleep hygiene guide to start getting more deep sleep.
Work on your stress perception. The magnitude of your body's response and ability to recover from any stress is based on the your perception of that stress. Not the stressor itself. While it may not seem like it, things like prepping meals, having a routine , and mental rehearsal can help you feel prepared and grounded to handle whatever life throws at you. Adopt an attitude that the stressors life throws you as something you are beyond capable of overcoming, and have full control over.
See your energy and your stress as a bank account. Start being choosy about what/who you're writing energy checks out to. This might entail a social media unfollowing spree, hitting air fluff one more time on the dryer..
Seek Professional Support: Therapy, acupuncture, or even yoga can work wonders for mental and physical balance.
Exercise Moderate, not excessive, exercise is beneficial in an adrenal support phase. We need to remember that while a good stressor, exercise still is sympathetic in nature and activated . You must also ensure you are taking enough rest days to allow for proper recovery time between intense workouts to avoid adding more physical stress to your system.
Stress Snacks. Try this: Make a list of 3-5 things that you can do when you feel that “fight or flight” response kick on that help you stay grounded and present. Maybe setting a timer to do deep/slow breathing through your nose for 2 minutes. Vacuuming, a dance party, gratitude list, calling a friend… so many options here!
Proper testing. We like to use the DUTCH adrenal test, a comprehensive urine test, to look at adrenal hormones, daily cortisol patterns, your body's production and utilization of cortisol. Comprehensive blood work to assess all health systems is also warranted to ensure they’re aren’t underlying infections or nutrient deficiencies adding to your allostatic load.
Micronutrient and Supplements to Nourish the Adrenals
To effectively support adrenal health, incorporating specific vitamins, minerals, and supplements can play a crucial role.
Magnesium: Supports relaxation and a healthy nervous system. We generally recommend magnesium glycinate .
B Vitamins: Help in energy production and managing stress. B6 in particular supports the nervous system, has mood boosting properties and may help with sleep.
Vitamin C: An antioxidant crucial for adrenal gland function, and depleted during long term stress.
Sodium and Potassium - minerals that fuel and hydrate cellular health , and become depleted with chronic stress
Jigsaw's Adrenal Cocktail is one of our favorites at Fortify Health that combines whole food vitamin C, sodium and potassium to give your adrenals some love.
L-theanine- can support adrenal health by promoting relaxation and reducing stress. It has a calming effect on the brain, which may help lower cortisol levels, and can help improve focus .
Ashwagandha has been around for ages and may help foster stress resilience. It also has anti-inflammatory effects and can support thyroid health.
Adrenal support and healing from chronic stress isn’t about avoiding life’s challenges but learning how to navigate them while maintaining balance. Your body thrives when it's both nourished and rested, and by addressing the root causes of stress, you can restore its ability to recover and perform. Small, intentional changes — from sleep habits to stress perception — can make a big difference in how you feel.
Listen to your body, give it the support it needs, and take control of your well-being. If you need individualized guidance, reach out to us to learn more about how we can help you through our coaching and consultation services.
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