What to do if you have no strength and energy, and vitamins don’t help

Are vitamins overrated?

For many years, fatigue and loss of strength, especially in the spring, were commonly associated with “vitaminosis.” Pharmaceutical companies and even some doctors strongly advised starting to take vitamins in the fall - in order to meet spring full of energy.

In recent years, many studies have been published that debunk the myth of vitamin deficiency as a cause of loss of strength and motivation. Last year, another experiment by Swiss scientists confirmed that vitamin complexes do not help increase energy. In some cases, taking dietary supplements even increased symptoms of fatigue.

The results of the popular “energy and immunity” remedy, vitamin D, are no better. In 2024, scientists from Italy summarized the results of the latest research on taking vitamin D in the fight against fatigue. The authors noted a positive effect in patients with multiple sclerosis, but for others there was no result. “Based on the current level of evidence, it is not possible to support the use of vitamin D supplements to reduce fatigue in patients,” the scientists concluded .

Thus, taking multivitamins or vitamin D “for prevention” and without a confirmed deficiency will not add strength and energy.

“A person may, in principle, lack vitamins, but the WHO and other authoritative organizations are quite skeptical about this idea, suggesting that with proper nutrition this is unlikely,” says scientific journalist and popularizer of science Asya Kazantseva.

“If you don’t skimp on food, then WHO believes that you most likely get enough vitamins from food. Only vegans, babies, or people planning pregnancy should think about them separately.”

Fatigue and loss of strength are often associated with iron deficiency. And this makes sense.

“People, and especially women, often face iron deficiency, and its level in the blood is something that is really wise to check when you suffer from constant loss of strength,” Kazantseva clarifies.

WHO suggests that a ferritin level below 15 µg/l should be considered a deficiency. If the level is higher, then there is no point in taking dietary supplements. In a recent systematic review of clinical trials, the authors saw no benefit from ferritin supplementation in people without deficiency.

If the tests are normal, but fatigue remains, it is worth looking for the cause in other mechanisms.

Dopamine and the basic principles of handling the body

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for motivation. It is sometimes mistakenly called the pleasure hormone, but in reality it rather gives the anticipation of something pleasant. “This is an expectation of possible usefulness, something like a note: “Attention, this may be important.” Thanks to this, we remember what actions led to success, and next time we are more willing to repeat them,” explains psychophysiologist Anton Tishchenko. Thanks to dopamine, the brain's signaling system works, which helps us move to action and learn from the result.

“Imagine that dopamine is the “gas” in a car, and vitamins are fuel and oil. You won’t drive without gas, but if the tank is filled with a bad mixture or there is no oil, the engine will quickly break down.”

In order for the brain’s signaling system to receive the necessary details for its work, it is important to observe “basic principles of handling the body,” reminds Asya Kazantseva. She advises checking yourself on the following points:

• whether there are vegetables and animal products in the diet;
• Isn’t the share of harmful things too high - sugar and ultra-processed foods, from chips to sausages;
• do you get the required amount of sleep - that is, you wake up voluntarily before the alarm clock, or at least by the alarm clock, but without much suffering;
• Do you move at least 150 minutes a week - as recommended by WHO.

If this is all right, Kazantseva advises checking the endocrine system. A state of loss of strength is characteristic of deviations from the normal level of thyroid hormones.

“And after the most obvious reasons have been excluded, and still nothing has improved, you can begin to think about your subtle mental organization,” she adds. “It’s clear that in 2026, approximately everyone has a subtle mental organization (oh, what happened), but still, it will be accompanied by a loss of strength to a greater extent, if at the same time you don’t sleep, don’t move, and eat the devil.”

How motivation starts

The feeling of “no energy” is not always an indicator that the cells have run out of fuel, explains Anton Tishchenko. The brain constantly makes calculations: “Is it worth spending energy on this matter?”, “What are the chances of success?”, “Will it get worse?”

“When a person has low mood, chronic stress, or a sluggish dopamine system, the brain begins to overestimate costs. Even simple tasks begin to seem too difficult, and the brain thinks it’s safer to stay put.”

At the same time, the body is physically able to cope with the tasks, but the brain decides not to get involved in an activity that seems unprofitable or risky to it. In this case, fatigue is not only muscle biochemistry, but also largely the concentration of dopamine.

The more dopamine is released to complete a task, the more attractive and easier it becomes for us. The actions that need to be performed seem quite feasible, even if they require energy. “The organization of neural activity is built on a constant choice: do A or B, continue or stop,” explains Tishchenko.

“The concentration of dopamine helps to strengthen options that lead to goal achievement and inhibit those that distract. Without this attunement, we either get stuck in indecision or rush between things, never finishing any of them.”

But it happens that the body does not release enough dopamine. Then even simple tasks seem difficult, and the brain begins to avoid them. This happens, for example, with chronic stress. Subjectively, this is felt as “there is no strength for anything” or “you don’t want anything,” although physically everything is fine.

How to increase dopamine

One of the easiest and most underrated ways to increase dopamine is movement. The production of dopamine is closely related to physical activity, since the body primarily needs it to control movement. This is evident in the case of Parkinson's disease, which is also characterized by movement disorders: it begins when dopamine neurons die.

The more often we move, the more dopamine the brain will release for this. And the higher the background level of dopamine, the easier it is to start doing something. This is shown by extensive animal experiments and clinical experience with the use of atypical antidepressants that affect dopamine levels, notes Kazantseva.

In addition, movement improves blood circulation and thereby helps provide the brain with necessary substances. “We evolved as creatures that walk the savannah in search of edible roots or jog in the heat after an antelope ten kilometers a day,” the science journalist reminds. “When we spend eight hours a day in the office, another three in transport and the same amount on the couch, the blood supply to the brain deteriorates. He is stuffy, hungry, and there are no good biochemical conditions for the synthesis of all sorts of useful growth factors.”

At the same time, it is not necessary to run like our ancestors on the savannah. Any activity gives the effect: cycling, swimming, dancing, walking. Even spontaneous movements - 10 squats while the kettle is boiling, climbing the stairs or walking to the delivery point instead of ordering home delivery.

“Sex also counts, although how many people do it enough to ensure the minimum acceptable, according to WHO, 150 minutes of physical activity per week?” notes Kazantseva. “If you are such a person, then maybe that’s why you don’t have enough strength for anything else.”

There is another life hack that will help you feel better. According to Asya Kazantseva, extensive scientific evidence confirms that people with social support live longer. There are simple explanations for this - for example, caring loved ones are more likely to convince you to see a doctor if you feel unwell or call an ambulance. However, it is also an important mechanism for increasing motivation and combating fatigue.

“Warm contact (especially physical contact - all kinds of stroking and hugging) is perceived as a powerful signal of security, and its long absence, on the contrary, is perceived as an unconscious signal of threat,” adds Kazantseva. “There are, say, special nerve fibers that respond specifically to stroking, and the signal from them goes not to the somatosensory cortex, which is responsible for touch, but directly to the insular cortex, which turns bodily sensations into emotions.”

There are many direct laboratory experiments showing that people who have been hugged or held by someone they like are less susceptible to pain and stress. This is confirmed not only by subjective assessments, but also by various physiological indicators - from heart rate to the level of cortisol in saliva.

If you don't have the strength to work

There are situations when we have enough energy for everyday activities and entertainment, but as soon as we sit down at the monitor to start working, the energy disappears. Instead of professional tasks, we scroll through social networks and get stuck in Reels.

Procrastination researchers often emphasize that it is not so much a problem of time management as it is an issue of emotional management. “People do not put off everything, but precisely what is scary, incomprehensible, difficult and boring to them. If the job consists of little more than all of this, then maybe it would be more effective to change the job altogether,” Kazantseva argues. “But if the work consists of only partly scary things, then humanity has accumulated a lot of ways to overcome this subjective rejection.”

The easiest way is to break a huge, scary task into small, non-scary pieces of fifteen minutes on a timer. Or make a very detailed step-by-step plan with each item crossed out.

Psychophysiologist Anton Tishchenko agrees with this: “When we are faced with a huge task, the brain subjectively perceives it as a mountain of work. If you take the first step very small, for example, “just stand up” or “just open a document,” then the brain receives a signal “everything is going according to plan,” and it becomes easier to move on.” He adds that this technique is used by psychologists in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Anton Tishchenko recommends avoiding information chaos and overload. While you are working on a specific task, it is better to turn off notifications and avoid distractions.

“Constant notifications, task switching, and unpredictable stimuli tire the brain. When we specifically set aside time without distractions, the system responsible for long-term goals works more smoothly.”

There is another clever way to increase motivation at work. “These are the so-called methods of Ulysses - a reference to the story about how he tied himself to the mast. This is the forced creation of conditions in which it is easier to do than not to do,” explains Kazantseva. “Cutting down the Internet (as a motivation to complete work as quickly as possible) or collective activity, in which such an ancient powerful thing as the horror of social rejection comes into play.”

None of these methods “switches on” motivation instantly, warns Anton Tishchenko. But they all help restore the brain’s ability to evaluate tasks adequately, rather than avoid them.

However, it is important not to miss a situation when the body requires medical attention. For example, clinical depression or other mental disorders with a proven treatment protocol. “You can at least take the Beck Questionnaire. If there is depression, then coping with it with the help of psychotherapy and pills is faster and more effective than trying to do it using the “get yourself together, wimp” method,” sums up Asya Kazantseva.