Episode 2. Workout Burnout: Why More Exercise Might Actually Be Making You Gain MORE Fat and Feel MORE Tired
Five-minute episodes where ancient wisdom meets modern science to transform your health. Join Samantha Teague, certified Paleo Nutrition and Holistic Wellness coach, for straight talk on sustainable weight loss, energy optimization, and healthy aging through an ancestral approach to wellness.
Each mini-episode delivers one actionable concept that bridges evolutionary biology with cutting-edge science—from peptides and hormone optimization to simple lifestyle tweaks—without the fluff or overwhelm. These quick shots of primal motivation fit into even the busiest day, giving you permission to prioritize your wellbeing.
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Show Notes
Hey there, wellness warrior! I’m Samantha Teague, a Primal Health Coach. Before we dive in, I’m not a doctor, and this isn’t medical advice.
Welcome back for another 5-minute shot of primal motivation. Today, we’re tackling workout burnout – because sometimes more exercise is like drinking caffeine when you’re already jittery.
Here’s the truth bomb: Your body doesn’t know the difference between running from a bear and running from exhaustion in HIIT class. Both trigger cortisol – your stress hormone.
When cortisol spikes repeatedly from intense workouts, it disrupts insulin sensitivity, making your body store fat for “survival.” Your thyroid downregulates to conserve energy. And leptin – your satiety hormone – gets wonky, leaving you ravenous after that CrossFit session.
The result? Your body starts holding onto fat while stealing from muscle. Game over for your weight loss goals.
But wait – let’s dig deeper into what’s happening behind the scenes…
Think of your nervous system as your body’s electrical wiring. Your vagus nerve is the master switch controlling your “rest and digest” mode. When workouts become chronic stressors, your nervous system gets stuck in “fight or flight” mode.
Your adrenals – those small glands on top of your kidneys – pump out cortisol and adrenaline. But unlike our ancestors who had ACUTE stress (run from the bear, rest for weeks), we’re in CHRONIC stress mode.
This creates a domino effect:
Poor nervous system regulation leads to Disrupted sleep leads to Adrenal dysfunction leads to Energy crashes leads to Weight gain leads to More exhaustion. It’s a vicious cycle that no pre-workout or protein bar can fix.
Now, here’s the frustrating part about getting answers…
Let’s talk about testing. That morning fasted serum cortisol test your doctor orders? Yeah, it’s basically checking one frame of a 24-hour movie. You need the WHOLE story.
What you want is a 24-hour saliva cortisol panel. This test measures your cortisol rhythm throughout the day – showing you if your levels spike when they should drop, or if they’re too low when you need energy.
Look for reversed cortisol patterns, flatlined curves, or cortisol spikes. These patterns reveal why you’re wired but tired, can’t fall asleep after workouts, or hit that 3 PM wall.
Why is this important? The results help you understand when your HPA-axis is outputting too much or too little cortisol…and that data will help you know what type of supplements to take and at what time of day so you’re not further throwing your axis off kilter with a spray-supplements-and-pray approach (been there, done that!).
So what can you actually DO about all this?
Here’s what to do right now: First, grab my free Nervous System Mini Coaching Module *Find it in the messages section included in my Broad Spectrum Nervous System Plan, found in my Fullscript dispensary! It includes my top steps and supplements to support your nervous system.
Be sure to also work with a functional medicine practitioner who understands the whole picture of nervous system dysfunction.
Your body WANTS to move, but it needs you to speak its language. Sometimes the most rebellious thing you can do is REST. Talk to your doc about switching intense workouts for gentle walks, yoga, or swimming for two weeks. Notice how your energy shifts, then adjust as needed.
Remember, you’re not being lazy – you’re being strategic. When you work WITH your nervous system instead of against it, that’s when real transformation happens.
Get the saliva test, and let’s get your body out of survival mode. Until next time, this is Primal Sam reminding you that sometimes the best workout is the one you didn’t overdo!
