It’s not easy to recognize, but exercise intolerance exists. And it has nothing to do with laziness.
Eugenio Spagnuolo
February 25
– Milano
It’s easy to mistake it for laziness or lack of motivation. But is not so: exercise intolerance it also affects those who love sport and would like to practice it. Codified by various studies in recent years, it is in fact a malaise that goes beyond the strength of character and is based on physical causes, often unknown. But the good news is that getting through it is possible …
Exercise intolerance: what is it?
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Exercise intolerance is, in short, a reduced ability to do physical activity based on our age and general conditions, for no apparent reason. Sufferers may, for example, be unable to train as they used to, get tired, or run out of breath quickly just after starting exercise. This has little to do with willpower, as the doctors who have been studying it for years know well. “Exercise intolerance – reads a 2019 scientific report – is the result of a disturbance of the biochemical pathways that support muscle contraction. The common symptom is fatigue. Other symptoms are myalgia, cramps and muscle pain that develops during exercise when the mechanisms for supplying energy are compromised ”. How exercise intolerance affects individuals varies: some are unable to complete a training program they have set for themselves, others may not even begin it. For them, every effort is titanic.
Does exercise intolerance have anything to do with fitness?
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Another misjudgment, believing that exercise intolerance has to do with our physical fitness. But suffering from exercise intolerance is not the same as having a low level of fitness. On the contrary. In most cases, people who have not exercised for some time can benefit from physical activity and slowly develop their strength, which exercise intolerance makes impossible.
Symptoms of exercise intolerance
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The main sign of exercise intolerance is the constant inability to engage in physical activity, which manifests itself through:
- Fatigue (even chronic)
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Widespread pains
- Nausea
exercise intolerance: the causes
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As mentioned, it’s not a matter of habits or willpower: according to doctors, exercise intolerance originates from various conditions that interfere with blood circulation, breathing, metabolism or energy. Among these were reported:
- Respiratory pathologies. Respiratory diseases (such as asthma, but not only) make it more difficult to obtain the oxygen necessary for physical activity. Those afflicted with breathing problems may feel breathless, lightheaded, or dizzy while exercising.
- Post-viral syndrome and long COVID. Some individuals experience persistent fatigue and weakness for weeks or months after a viral illness. Experts call it post-viral fatigue or post-viral syndrome. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are those who have developed something similar as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as long COVID. Both post-viral syndrome and long COVID can cause exercise intolerance. Scientists aren’t sure why these disorders emerge, but they believe they may result from overactivity of the immune system, even after the infection has passed.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome. Myalgic encephalitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME / CFS) causes a persistent lack of energy that does not improve with rest or sleep. It is a condition that can prevent people from not only exercising but also taking part in simple daily activities. Again, doctors and scientists are unsure why ME / CFS develops. Some individuals experience symptoms after a viral illness, others after experiencing severe stress. In this it is similar to the post-viral syndrome, although a specific triggering event cannot always be identified.
- Diabetes. Diabetes affects how our bodies use glucose, which provides cells with the energy they need. A 2015 study states that exercise intolerance is widespread in people with type 2 diabetes, due to blood vessels not functioning as they should.
- Finally, exercise intolerance can be the effect of diseases such as heart failure, metabolic myopathies and motor neuron diseases.
What helps with exercise intolerance?
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How this condition can be managed depends a lot on the cause from which it arises. For some, any physical activity can be harmful or even dangerous. For others, exercising within certain limits may be beneficial. The first step in managing persistent fatigue or an inability to exercise is, in any case, to talk to a doctor. It is important to find the cause of exercise intolerance and rule out serious conditions. Then it might help …
- Recognize your limitations. It is helpful to identify the amount of exercise you can tolerate without making your symptoms worse. A diary, which keeps track of the type and intensity of the activity you participate in and any symptoms, is certainly a good idea.
- Reduce energy consumption. Those with exercise intolerance can benefit from some effort reduction strategies, such as avoiding standing for activities that can be done while sitting.
- Planning. Planning activities in advance can keep them from becoming too strenuous. This means, for example, space out activities that require a lot of energy and allow for ancillary time, before and after, for rest and recovery.
- Listen to the body. Last, but not least, learn to listen to your body, rather than trying at all costs to stick to a training goal or to-do list. Physical activity, in case of exercise intolerance, should only be done if you feel safe and without trying to defy fatigue or pain. Doing so could be counterproductive.