Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionExerciseDietSupplementsMental StaminaWhat Lowers Stamina?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Exercise
Diet
Supplements
Mental Stamina
What Lowers Stamina?
Staminais the capacity to sustain energy for physical exercise and other day-to-day activities. Fortunately, healthy lifestyle habits and challenges can help build and improve stamina, such as increasing exercise, adding certain nutrients to your diet, exploring taking supplements, and practicing positive mental techniques.
This article provides an overview of how to improve stamina through exercise, diet, supplementation, and more, offering tips on factors that may be lowering levels.
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What Exactly Is Stamina?
Some researchers describe stamina as having staying power to maintain a physical or mental effort. Similar descriptors include having vitality, vigor, pep, or lasting energy to perform an activity that involves the body, mind, or both.
When you have low stamina, you may feel tired orburned-outafter exerting just a little energy—like walking up a set of stairs or completing a work task that requires mental effort.Thisexperience of fatiguecan lead to a lack of motivation and issues with concentration.
Taking steps to increase your stamina can help you feel more energetic and complete your daily to-do list with less struggle.
A Word From VerywellAddressing a sudden decrease in stamina requires a comprehensive approach. Consultation with a healthcare professional, such as a physical therapist, is crucial for personalized assessment and guidance.—THERESA MARKO, DPT, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Addressing a sudden decrease in stamina requires a comprehensive approach. Consultation with a healthcare professional, such as a physical therapist, is crucial for personalized assessment and guidance.—THERESA MARKO, DPT, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Addressing a sudden decrease in stamina requires a comprehensive approach. Consultation with a healthcare professional, such as a physical therapist, is crucial for personalized assessment and guidance.
—THERESA MARKO, DPT, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Increasing Stamina Through Exercise
Exerciseis a main way to help you increase stamina and energy, defined as the ability to put forth maximum physical effort over a given period.
Studies show that participating ina workout programcan have the following benefits:
Just as physical activity is important, allowing your body to rest and recover is, too. Listening to your body and taking rest days in which you don’t physically exert yourself with an intense workout allows your body, mind, and muscular system to repair and rebuild.
Increasing Stamina Through Diet
Focusing on foods that offer sustained energy is key for increasing stamina through diet. This involves finding a balance with your nutrition habits, particularly elements that support energy.
If you’re already incorporating exercise into your routine to help increase stamina, consider adding a combination ofcarbohydratesandprotein. These nutrients help replenish lostglycogenstores (stored sugar in cells) and amino acids (building blocks of protein) needed to provide energy to the body and build new muscle.
Carbohydrates like grains, cereals, and starchy vegetables could be coupled with protein options like hard-boiled eggs, plain Greek yogurt, hummus, and more. Consuming these pairs shortly after a workout can be effective for reaching the physical stamina gains you’re aiming for.
In addition, becausecaffeineis a natural stimulant, including small amounts of it in your diet—in moderation—can help increase the heart rate and provide a temporary boost in energy when you’re feeling particularly tired or fatigued.
Increasing Stamina (Safely) With Supplements
Supplements that anecdotally increase energyand stamina have gained popularity. Some research shows that almost one-third of people who report taking supplements use them for the potential energy benefits.
The amino acidtyrosinemay help fight fatigue as a dietary supplement.Some research suggests that this substance could be beneficial for increasingmental staminaand cognitive function, particularly in situations that are considered to be of high stress.
Always check with a healthcare provider before adding any new vitamins or supplements to your daily routine. They may interact with medications or other supplements and may be inappropriate for your unique health and personal situations.
How to Work on Mental Stamina
Having mental stamina is like having mental strength and the ability to handle stressors, perform under pressure, and maintain focus through distractions.
Experts use a “four c’s” model of mental toughness to help describe this concept, which is:
Some ways you can build mental stamina include:
A variety of lifestyle and risk factors can affect your energy and stamina levels, including:
Other risk factors include having a health condition such aschronic fatigue syndrome(or CES), which is a chronic illness that affects multiple systems in the body, making it difficult to perform daily tasks.
Autoimmune conditions(in which the immune system attacks the body), cancer,metabolic disorders(such as diabetes), and heart disease can also trigger low stamina and extreme exhaustion.
Summary
Stamina is the ability to sustain enough physical or mental energy to perform a challenging activity or task. It’s possible to build or increase stamina—and support your overall health and well-being–through a combination of exercise, diet, supplements, and mental adjustments.
Check with a healthcare provider before incorporating any new elements into your routine, particularly if you have a health condition or are concerned about low stamina and energy levels.
25 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.So S, Evans M, Jason LA, Brown A.Are stamina and fatigue polar opposites? A case study.J Prev Interv Community. 2015;43(1):32-41. doi:10.1080/10852352.2014.973235MedlinePlus.Fatigue.Rothenthal TC, Majeroni BA, Pretorius R, et al.Fatigue: an overview.Am Fam Physician; 78(10):1173-1179.Devise M, Lechaptois C, Berton E, Vigouroux L.Effects of different hangboard training intensities on finger grip strength, stamina, and endurance.Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:862782. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.862782de Vries JD, van Hooff MLM, Geurts SAE, Kompier MAJ.Exercise to reduce work-related fatigue among employees: a randomized controlled trial.Scand J Work Environ Health. 2017;43(4):337-349. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3634Ko DH, Choi YC, Lee DS.The effect of short-term Wingate-based high intensity interval training on anaerobic power and isokinetic muscle function in adolescent badminton players.Children (Basel). 2021;8(6):458. doi:10.3390/children8060458Prasad L, Varrey A, Sisti G.Medical students' stress levels and sense of well being after six weeks of yoga and meditation.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:9251849. doi:10.1155/2016/9251849McGlory C, Devries MC, Phillips SM.Skeletal muscle and resistance exercise training; the role of protein synthesis in recovery and remodeling.J Appl Physiol (1985). 2017;122(3):541-548. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00613.2016Gonzalez JT, Wallis GA.Carb-conscious: the role of carbohydrate intake in recovery from exercise.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2021;24(4):364-371. doi:10.1097/MCO.0000000000000761Kwon YJ, Lee HS, Park JY, Lee JW.Associating intake proportion of carbohydrate, fat, and protein with all-cause mortality in Korean adults.Nutrients. 2020;12(10):3208. doi:10.3390/nu12103208Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4MedlinePlus.Nutrition and athletic performance.Goods PS, Landers G, Fulton S.Caffeine ingestion improves repeated freestyle sprints in elite male swimmers.J Sports Sci Med. 2017;16(1):93-98.O’Connor PJ, Kennedy DO, Stahl S.Mental energy: plausible neurological mechanisms and emerging research on the effects of natural dietary compounds.Nutr Neurosci. 2021;24(11):850-864. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2019.1684688Kühn S, Düzel S, Colzato L, et al.Food for thought: association between dietary tyrosine and cognitive performance in younger and older adults.Psychol Res. 2019;83(6):1097-1106. doi:10.1007/s00426-017-0957-4Jongkees BJ, Hommel B, Kühn S, Colzato LS.Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands—a review.J Psychiatr Res. 2015;70:50-57. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB.Effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on physical performance: systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021;6(1):20. doi:10.3390/jfmk6010020Choudhary B, Shetty A, Langade DG.Efficacy of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults.Ayu. 2015;36(1):63-8. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.169002Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-zFood and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.Food and Drug Administration.Dietary supplement labeling guide: Chapter IV. Nutrition labeling.Weinberg R.Mental toughness: what is it and how to build it.Revista da Educação Física/UEM. 2013;24(1):1-10. doi:10.4025/reveducfis.v24.1.17523Lin Y, Mutz J, Clough PJ, Papageorgiou KA.Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: a systematic review.Front Psychol. 2017;8:258950. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01345Hui Ho D, Zheng R.Approach to fatigue in primary care.Singapore Med J. 2022;63(11):674. doi:10.4103/SINGAPOREMEDJ.SMJ-2021-118MedlinePlus.Chronic fatigue syndrome.
25 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.So S, Evans M, Jason LA, Brown A.Are stamina and fatigue polar opposites? A case study.J Prev Interv Community. 2015;43(1):32-41. doi:10.1080/10852352.2014.973235MedlinePlus.Fatigue.Rothenthal TC, Majeroni BA, Pretorius R, et al.Fatigue: an overview.Am Fam Physician; 78(10):1173-1179.Devise M, Lechaptois C, Berton E, Vigouroux L.Effects of different hangboard training intensities on finger grip strength, stamina, and endurance.Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:862782. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.862782de Vries JD, van Hooff MLM, Geurts SAE, Kompier MAJ.Exercise to reduce work-related fatigue among employees: a randomized controlled trial.Scand J Work Environ Health. 2017;43(4):337-349. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3634Ko DH, Choi YC, Lee DS.The effect of short-term Wingate-based high intensity interval training on anaerobic power and isokinetic muscle function in adolescent badminton players.Children (Basel). 2021;8(6):458. doi:10.3390/children8060458Prasad L, Varrey A, Sisti G.Medical students' stress levels and sense of well being after six weeks of yoga and meditation.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:9251849. doi:10.1155/2016/9251849McGlory C, Devries MC, Phillips SM.Skeletal muscle and resistance exercise training; the role of protein synthesis in recovery and remodeling.J Appl Physiol (1985). 2017;122(3):541-548. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00613.2016Gonzalez JT, Wallis GA.Carb-conscious: the role of carbohydrate intake in recovery from exercise.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2021;24(4):364-371. doi:10.1097/MCO.0000000000000761Kwon YJ, Lee HS, Park JY, Lee JW.Associating intake proportion of carbohydrate, fat, and protein with all-cause mortality in Korean adults.Nutrients. 2020;12(10):3208. doi:10.3390/nu12103208Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4MedlinePlus.Nutrition and athletic performance.Goods PS, Landers G, Fulton S.Caffeine ingestion improves repeated freestyle sprints in elite male swimmers.J Sports Sci Med. 2017;16(1):93-98.O’Connor PJ, Kennedy DO, Stahl S.Mental energy: plausible neurological mechanisms and emerging research on the effects of natural dietary compounds.Nutr Neurosci. 2021;24(11):850-864. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2019.1684688Kühn S, Düzel S, Colzato L, et al.Food for thought: association between dietary tyrosine and cognitive performance in younger and older adults.Psychol Res. 2019;83(6):1097-1106. doi:10.1007/s00426-017-0957-4Jongkees BJ, Hommel B, Kühn S, Colzato LS.Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands—a review.J Psychiatr Res. 2015;70:50-57. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB.Effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on physical performance: systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021;6(1):20. doi:10.3390/jfmk6010020Choudhary B, Shetty A, Langade DG.Efficacy of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults.Ayu. 2015;36(1):63-8. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.169002Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-zFood and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.Food and Drug Administration.Dietary supplement labeling guide: Chapter IV. Nutrition labeling.Weinberg R.Mental toughness: what is it and how to build it.Revista da Educação Física/UEM. 2013;24(1):1-10. doi:10.4025/reveducfis.v24.1.17523Lin Y, Mutz J, Clough PJ, Papageorgiou KA.Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: a systematic review.Front Psychol. 2017;8:258950. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01345Hui Ho D, Zheng R.Approach to fatigue in primary care.Singapore Med J. 2022;63(11):674. doi:10.4103/SINGAPOREMEDJ.SMJ-2021-118MedlinePlus.Chronic fatigue syndrome.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
So S, Evans M, Jason LA, Brown A.Are stamina and fatigue polar opposites? A case study.J Prev Interv Community. 2015;43(1):32-41. doi:10.1080/10852352.2014.973235MedlinePlus.Fatigue.Rothenthal TC, Majeroni BA, Pretorius R, et al.Fatigue: an overview.Am Fam Physician; 78(10):1173-1179.Devise M, Lechaptois C, Berton E, Vigouroux L.Effects of different hangboard training intensities on finger grip strength, stamina, and endurance.Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:862782. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.862782de Vries JD, van Hooff MLM, Geurts SAE, Kompier MAJ.Exercise to reduce work-related fatigue among employees: a randomized controlled trial.Scand J Work Environ Health. 2017;43(4):337-349. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3634Ko DH, Choi YC, Lee DS.The effect of short-term Wingate-based high intensity interval training on anaerobic power and isokinetic muscle function in adolescent badminton players.Children (Basel). 2021;8(6):458. doi:10.3390/children8060458Prasad L, Varrey A, Sisti G.Medical students' stress levels and sense of well being after six weeks of yoga and meditation.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:9251849. doi:10.1155/2016/9251849McGlory C, Devries MC, Phillips SM.Skeletal muscle and resistance exercise training; the role of protein synthesis in recovery and remodeling.J Appl Physiol (1985). 2017;122(3):541-548. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00613.2016Gonzalez JT, Wallis GA.Carb-conscious: the role of carbohydrate intake in recovery from exercise.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2021;24(4):364-371. doi:10.1097/MCO.0000000000000761Kwon YJ, Lee HS, Park JY, Lee JW.Associating intake proportion of carbohydrate, fat, and protein with all-cause mortality in Korean adults.Nutrients. 2020;12(10):3208. doi:10.3390/nu12103208Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4MedlinePlus.Nutrition and athletic performance.Goods PS, Landers G, Fulton S.Caffeine ingestion improves repeated freestyle sprints in elite male swimmers.J Sports Sci Med. 2017;16(1):93-98.O’Connor PJ, Kennedy DO, Stahl S.Mental energy: plausible neurological mechanisms and emerging research on the effects of natural dietary compounds.Nutr Neurosci. 2021;24(11):850-864. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2019.1684688Kühn S, Düzel S, Colzato L, et al.Food for thought: association between dietary tyrosine and cognitive performance in younger and older adults.Psychol Res. 2019;83(6):1097-1106. doi:10.1007/s00426-017-0957-4Jongkees BJ, Hommel B, Kühn S, Colzato LS.Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands—a review.J Psychiatr Res. 2015;70:50-57. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB.Effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on physical performance: systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021;6(1):20. doi:10.3390/jfmk6010020Choudhary B, Shetty A, Langade DG.Efficacy of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults.Ayu. 2015;36(1):63-8. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.169002Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-zFood and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.Food and Drug Administration.Dietary supplement labeling guide: Chapter IV. Nutrition labeling.Weinberg R.Mental toughness: what is it and how to build it.Revista da Educação Física/UEM. 2013;24(1):1-10. doi:10.4025/reveducfis.v24.1.17523Lin Y, Mutz J, Clough PJ, Papageorgiou KA.Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: a systematic review.Front Psychol. 2017;8:258950. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01345Hui Ho D, Zheng R.Approach to fatigue in primary care.Singapore Med J. 2022;63(11):674. doi:10.4103/SINGAPOREMEDJ.SMJ-2021-118MedlinePlus.Chronic fatigue syndrome.
So S, Evans M, Jason LA, Brown A.Are stamina and fatigue polar opposites? A case study.J Prev Interv Community. 2015;43(1):32-41. doi:10.1080/10852352.2014.973235
MedlinePlus.Fatigue.
Rothenthal TC, Majeroni BA, Pretorius R, et al.Fatigue: an overview.Am Fam Physician; 78(10):1173-1179.
Devise M, Lechaptois C, Berton E, Vigouroux L.Effects of different hangboard training intensities on finger grip strength, stamina, and endurance.Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:862782. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.862782
de Vries JD, van Hooff MLM, Geurts SAE, Kompier MAJ.Exercise to reduce work-related fatigue among employees: a randomized controlled trial.Scand J Work Environ Health. 2017;43(4):337-349. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3634
Ko DH, Choi YC, Lee DS.The effect of short-term Wingate-based high intensity interval training on anaerobic power and isokinetic muscle function in adolescent badminton players.Children (Basel). 2021;8(6):458. doi:10.3390/children8060458
Prasad L, Varrey A, Sisti G.Medical students' stress levels and sense of well being after six weeks of yoga and meditation.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:9251849. doi:10.1155/2016/9251849
McGlory C, Devries MC, Phillips SM.Skeletal muscle and resistance exercise training; the role of protein synthesis in recovery and remodeling.J Appl Physiol (1985). 2017;122(3):541-548. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00613.2016
Gonzalez JT, Wallis GA.Carb-conscious: the role of carbohydrate intake in recovery from exercise.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2021;24(4):364-371. doi:10.1097/MCO.0000000000000761
Kwon YJ, Lee HS, Park JY, Lee JW.Associating intake proportion of carbohydrate, fat, and protein with all-cause mortality in Korean adults.Nutrients. 2020;12(10):3208. doi:10.3390/nu12103208
Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4
MedlinePlus.Nutrition and athletic performance.
Goods PS, Landers G, Fulton S.Caffeine ingestion improves repeated freestyle sprints in elite male swimmers.J Sports Sci Med. 2017;16(1):93-98.
O’Connor PJ, Kennedy DO, Stahl S.Mental energy: plausible neurological mechanisms and emerging research on the effects of natural dietary compounds.Nutr Neurosci. 2021;24(11):850-864. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2019.1684688
Kühn S, Düzel S, Colzato L, et al.Food for thought: association between dietary tyrosine and cognitive performance in younger and older adults.Psychol Res. 2019;83(6):1097-1106. doi:10.1007/s00426-017-0957-4
Jongkees BJ, Hommel B, Kühn S, Colzato LS.Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands—a review.J Psychiatr Res. 2015;70:50-57. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014
Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB.Effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on physical performance: systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021;6(1):20. doi:10.3390/jfmk6010020
Choudhary B, Shetty A, Langade DG.Efficacy of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults.Ayu. 2015;36(1):63-8. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.169002
Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.
Food and Drug Administration.Dietary supplement labeling guide: Chapter IV. Nutrition labeling.
Weinberg R.Mental toughness: what is it and how to build it.Revista da Educação Física/UEM. 2013;24(1):1-10. doi:10.4025/reveducfis.v24.1.17523
Lin Y, Mutz J, Clough PJ, Papageorgiou KA.Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: a systematic review.Front Psychol. 2017;8:258950. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01345
Hui Ho D, Zheng R.Approach to fatigue in primary care.Singapore Med J. 2022;63(11):674. doi:10.4103/SINGAPOREMEDJ.SMJ-2021-118
MedlinePlus.Chronic fatigue syndrome.
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