Energy Management on Ultrahuman Blog

What is your sleep chronotype and how it affects productivity

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:06:40 +0000

Chronotypes aren’t lifestyle labels — they’re rooted in your circadian biology and linked to mental health, metabolism, and cardiovascular risk.

Understanding yours can help you align your schedule with your biology, make the most of your focus, protect your long-term health, and unlock better daily performance.

Read on to learn how to understand your chronotype, what it means for your focus and productivity – and check out our guide to the circadian rhythm and what it means for your body.

Caffeine and blood glucose – can a coffee blunt a sugar spike?

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 20:58:02 +0000

Caffeine’s effect on blood sugar is often misunderstood. While many rely on coffee for a daily energy boost, it’s often served after dinner. But few consider how it influences glucose regulation.

Research shows that caffeine can temporarily impair insulin sensitivity, potentially leading to higher blood sugar levels. Yet paradoxically, long-term coffee consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

We explore how caffeine interacts with blood glucose in both the short and long term, based on studies – and what that means for metabolic health.

The link between glucose variability and oxidative stress explained

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:11:02 +0000

Rapid blood glucose swings between meals could quietly be stressing your body at the cellular level, and trigger a state called oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a state of metabolic imbalance that drives inflammation, impairs recovery, and accelerates aging.

Studies show that glucose spikes over 140 mg/dL are common even in those with “normal” labs. If you’ve ever worn a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), you’ve likely seen sharp rises after meals and reactive dips a few hours later.

24 Proven Ways To Reduce Bloating

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 15:24:00 +0000

Modern life, lifestyle changes, certain foods and various conditions can lead to bloating, especially in women, which can cause discomfort. Bloating can occur in both children and adults and may interfere with one’s daily life and ability to participate in social and recreational activities.

Some symptoms that can accompany bloating are flatulence, pain, frequent burping, belching, abdominal rumbling, or gurgles. Read on to understand what exactly is bloating, what causes it, and what steps you can take to mitigate it.

Hunger Games: The Truth About The Ghrelin Hormone

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:26:24 +0000

We have all felt that tingling sensation in our stomach launching us into a search mission. A primal switch in our body is turned on, leading us to the cookie jar. It is hard to ignore that call of intense yearning. The six-letter word that you enjoy and dread in equal measure is hunger. It goads you into responding swiftly. It makes you eat.

Have you ever wondered about the mechanism at work in our bodies that prompts this hunger?

5 Ways To Recover Efficiently From A Marathon

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:20:00 +0000

Introduction

Not only is training for and finishing a marathon a huge achievement, it’s also a great way to stay in shape and fulfil one’s fitness goals. Completing a marathon is no small feat, because it is one of the most challenging endurance events one can train for, with a distance of 26.2 miles (42.19 kilometres). The risk of injury is high and many weeks or months of training are required.

Fibromyalgia And Blood Sugar

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:17:00 +0000

Living with unexplained, excruciating pain is physically and emotionally draining. Yet,one in 20 people globally, and four million people in the United States alone, face just such a battle every day, in the form of a disease known as fibromyalgia. Despite the prevalence of fibromyalgia, researchers are still in the dark about what causes it.

Fortunately, there is hope on the horizon as studies continue to discover new information about the disease. Let’s take a closer look at one such study that found a connection between insulin resistance and fibromyalgia pain. Managing blood sugar levels may play a role in treating the disease.

Energy Metabolism and Fertility

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 11:23:00 +0000

According to Nature.com , energy metabolism is the process by which cells acquire and use the energy needed to stay alive, to grow, and to reproduce. Over time disruptions in energy metabolism cause metabolic disorders.

Obesity, a disease involving an accumulation of excessive body fat, is one of the many metabolic diseases that can be caused by a person’s lifestyle, usually involving a lack of physical activity, combined with environmental factors, like unhealthy food intake, and possibly genetic factors. In recent decades, it has become a significant health issue, seeing an increase across the world at an alarming rate. One major physical aspect that is adversely affected by obesity is reproductive health.

Understanding Metabolism & Anabolic Steroid Abuse

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:25:00 +0000

One usually hears of testosterone in the context of men doing things that are conventionally deemed “manly”. What many do not know is that testosterone is a naturally occurring sex hormone in both men and women and has a wide range of functions.

What are anabolic steroids?

Testosterone is required to develop and maintain characteristics primarily present in male individuals. In women, testosterone is present in smaller amounts but helps with the growth, maintenance, and repair of their reproductive tissues, bone mass, and behaviours in conjunction with estrogen, the female sex hormone.

Recovery: The Secret To Better Gains

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 11:27:00 +0000

You may feel less sore with each workout, but it doesn’t mean you’re not hitting your workouts hard enough or that you’re missing out on workout gains from those exercises.

We’re always told to get regular exercise. But if you’re training for a competition or just feeling extra motivated to work out every day, more isn’t always better.

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is muscle pain that begins after you’ve exercised, normally starting a day or two after a workout. You won’t feel DOMS when you are exercising.

Workout Spikes: Exercise Induced Gluconeogenesis

Sat, 21 May 2022 11:15:00 +0000

You may not know a lot about glucose levels in the blood, but some things feel obvious. For example, glucose levels rise in the blood after a meal. But what may seem surprising is that glucose levels actually rise after exercising as well. There can be a number of reasons that lead to blood glucose spikes during and post-workouts.

Glucose levels in our blood are controlled by a substance called glycogen, which is a glucose polysaccharide (carbohydrate) stored primarily in the liver as a glucose reserve for other tissues. It is both a crucial source of energy as well as an energy store.

How to Amp up the Growth Hormone

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 16:58:00 +0000

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a naturally produced peptide hormone that stimulates growth and cell regeneration. The body regulates the production of this hormone in response to exercise, stress, sleep and more. When you’re recovering from an injury, participating in athletic training or losing weight, HGH is especially important. While there are some things you can do to stimulate the production of this important hormone, it is important to remember that either too much or too little of this hormone can lead to health problems.

8 Signs You’re Pushing Way Past Your Workout Limits

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:56:00 +0000

At one point or another, we’ve all given in to couch potato syndrome. Sometimes the lure of a comfortable chair, the television blaring your favourite programme and that bag of crisps are too good to turn down. The long term ramifications of a sedentary lifestyle devoid of exercise are well documented. (6) Conversely, exercising excessively—or overtraining—has detrimental effects on your health too.

Highlights

Each individual has their own stress capacity; when one’s training load goes beyond this tipping point, they are considered overreached or overtrained,
Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) is an extreme form of non-functional OR characterised by a longer duration of the decreased performance (over two months) and can be triggered by high-intensity exercise, monotonous training, poor nutrition etc,
Rest and recovery are crucial to any training programme. Muscular glycogen (energy stores) that were depleted during exercise can be replenished and damaged muscle tissue repaired during periods of recuperation.

It’s a misconception that only professional athletes are susceptible to overtraining; anyone can suffer from it. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just embarking on your fitness journey, habits dictate whether you’re likely to experience symptoms of overtraining. If you’re too sore to get out of bed in the morning or have hit the metaphorical wall and can’t train like you used to, you’ve likely overdone it. Here, we present a definitive guide on overtraining, signs to look out for and what you can do to prevent it.

Why Post-Meal Walks are Beneficial for Metabolic Health

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:21:00 +0000

The benefits of exercising—whether it’s playing tennis, lifting weights in the gym, or going for a jog—can not be more obvious for an individual’s overall health.

One of the simplest, most common forms of exercise is walking, accessible to everyone, and can be done practically anywhere and at any given time of the day.

However, taking a walk after consuming a meal comes with its own set of special benefits. In this piece, we explore the connection between post-meal walks and markers of metabolic health, specifically blood glucose levels.

How Does The Thyroid Affect Your Metabolism(Metabolic Health)

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 11:21:00 +0000

The thyroid is a part of the endocrine system and its intersection with the markers of metabolic health can reveal its pervasive effects. It performs a vital role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and the response of the body to other hormones.

What is the Thyroid?

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped hormone-producing gland that is just below the larynx (or Adam’s apple). It is responsible for producing key hormones that modulate metabolic rate, menstrual cycle, heart rate, breathing, muscle strength, body weight, and much more.

Physical Activity and Resting Metabolic Rate

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 11:22:00 +0000

Colloquially, we use metabolism to refer to the amount of calories we burn per day, or how easily we lose weight. But that’s not a complete picture of what metabolism is. Metabolism is the broad term used to name all the processes that happen in the body automatically that keep us alive.

Now, there is some truth in the former, colloquial definition. One of the main processes the body must execute in order to remain breathing and living is breaking down molecules into energy. It keeps us moving, grooving, and temperature-regulated and calories are one measurement of energy.

Eating Like Your Ancestors: Does it Make or Break Your Metabolism?

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:25:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the most dominantly produced crop in the world is? It’s wheat, and the reason behind its superiority is more complex than you think.

Wheat comes from a tribe of grasses called Triticeae, which also includes barley, rye, and some important wild grasses, among others. The seeds of these grasses were attractive as a flavour to primitive humans. The early diversification of the group took place at a location known as the ‘Fertile Crescent’.

How Alcohol Affects Your Blood Glucose Levels

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:24:00 +0000

The mention of alcohol almost always elicits a conflicting reaction. Add the debate surrounding sugary drinks and calorie counting to the mix and it becomes much more complicated.

It is commonly believed that any alcohol, in any quantity, is out of bounds, especially if one is insulin-resistant. It is also frequently stated that all alcohol has fewer calories than sugary drinks and can therefore be consumed in varying amounts.

Both these notions are far from the truth—let’s explore how and why.