5 Energy Hacks For High Performers
How to increase your productivity, gain the competitive edge you want, and avoid energy crashes.
1 - Decrease Your Coffee Dependency
There’s nothing like that first cup of coffee.
Not of the day, I mean ever. The one that started your journey into coffee addiction. Just one cup was plenty to get you going. A few weeks, months, and years have gone by and now one cup just doesn’t cut it.
This is because of your body’s reaction to caffeine. That first cup of coffee gave you that alert feeling by suppressing adenosine (the chemical that makes you feel sleepy). Your body moves quickly to combat this reaction by creating more adenosine receptors, making it more difficult for caffeine to give you that energy jolt.
In turn, you add more and more cups of coffee to get the same feeling. This is the vicious cycle you’re in with coffee dependency.
When do you know it’s time to reset your tolerance?
If you are consuming 400mg of caffeine a day and don't feel any raise in your energy level, it is time to do a reset. Take 14-21 days off of caffeine and then reintroduce it in small increments (75-100 mg) until you get the 400 mg threshold again.
2 - Using Ketones for Fuel and Mental Sharpness
Fasting and keto diets have gained popularity in the fitness and biohacking community. Though it does help control overall calorie intake, biohackers are more interested in the mental performance people feel when their brain is being fueled by ketones.
By fasting, you find yourself in a mild state of ketosis allowing your body to use ketones (fractionated fats) as an alternative fuel source to glucose or sugar.
If you have ever woken up, skipped breakfast, had a cup of coffee with heavy cream and felt your focus was enhanced - this is why.
It also helps to explain why you feel that mental and physical slow down after lunch (especially those carb-heavy ones). It is tempting to grab another cup of coffee here, but instead try experimenting with timing your last meal of the day.
Give yourself a window of 8-10 hours of eating and fast for the 16 hours between.
3 - Avoid Blood Sugar Ups and Downs
Grabbing a bag of candy or a sugary coffee drink for a midday pick me up gives you a quick boost of energy, then an hour or so later you hit a wall.
This is thanks to your blood sugar levels.
Initially, a rush of sugar into your bloodstream will elevate your energy level followed by a lowered state of blood glucose which is responsible for the crash.
How to avoid these ups and downs.
Refrain from grabbing simple sugars and instead reach for complex carbohydrates or mix carbohydrates with protein and fat during meals.
This will result in a slower release of glucose into your bloodstream, giving you fuel to use as energy for a longer period of time and avoid the blood sugar crash seen with larger simple sugar choices.
