Are you eating healthily and working out but still struggling to lose weight? The culprit could be an undiagnosed thyroid condition. Symptoms of low thyroid functioning can include:
- Cold intolerance
- Fatigue
- Inability to lose weight
- Constipation
- Poor memory
- Dry skin
- Swollen tongue
It’s All About the Hormones
A thyroid condition has everything to do with your hormones. With that said, if you are working out with intense cardiovascular exercises like indoor cycling, HIIT, and long-distance running, these are large stressors on the body that can rob the body of necessary nutrients to make hormones (including thyroid hormones). Adjusting your exercise routine seems counterproductive, right?
But the number one cause of an underactive thyroid is stress—including stress from too much exercise.
High-impact exercises can affect free T4 and free T3 hormones, which are necessary for proper thyroid functioning. Both are made by thyrocytes, a cell in the thyroid gland. T4 and T3 hormones should be checked if you think you have a problem with your thyroid. The liver converts some T4 hormones to T3—the body’s usable form of the thyroid hormone—while other tissues convert the rest. The problem is that many people have poor T4-to-T3 conversion and can’t use thyroid hormones properly.
The Road to Recovery
Start paying attention to how your body feels when you’re exercising. If you are struggling and forcing yourself to complete workouts, and if it takes days to recover, the exercise is likely too much for your body. Intense workouts could be worsening proper thyroid functioning and blocking your body’s ability to lose weight. Ask our office how we can help you stay active without putting too much stress on your body.
