Cortisol, Cravings, and Fatigue: How Adaptogens Help Me Stay in Control
There was a point in my life where I felt like I was doing everything right—training consistently, eating clean, sleeping 7+ hours—and still dragging through the day. My appetite felt out of whack, my energy tanked by mid-afternoon, and I was constantly fighting cravings. Sound familiar?
The culprit, in my case and in many of my clients’ cases, was chronically elevated cortisol.
Cortisol isn’t inherently bad—it’s a hormone your body releases in response to stress. It helps you react, stay alert, and survive short-term threats. But when your body stays in that high-cortisol state—whether from poor sleep, under-recovery, emotional stress, or even overtraining—it can create a cascade of problems: cravings, brain fog, belly fat, irritability, poor sleep, and more.
Where Adaptogens Come In
This is where adaptogens shine. They don’t just lower cortisol—they help regulate it. That’s the key. You don’t want cortisol to be flatlined all day (you need it in the morning to wake up and train), but you do want it to taper down appropriately in the evening so your body can rest, recover, and repair.
I’ve found that using the right adaptogens—especially ashwagandha and L-theanine—helps me stay in that healthy cortisol rhythm. They smooth out the highs, prevent the crashes, and help reduce that wired-but-tired feeling so many people live with and never address.
Cravings and Cortisol: The Hidden Connection
Elevated cortisol increases blood sugar—and when blood sugar drops quickly, your brain panics and craves fast fuel. That’s why you can be eating enough calories and still have intense cravings, especially for sugar or salty carbs.
By lowering excess cortisol, adaptogens help steady blood sugar and reduce those stress-triggered cravings. This has been a game-changer not just for me personally, but for clients trying to lean out without feeling like they’re white-knuckling their diet 24/7.
Adaptogens for Daily Stress and Burnout Prevention
One of the biggest benefits I’ve seen from adaptogen use is reduced mental fatigue. You don’t hit that midday crash as hard, you recover faster from tough workouts or stressful days, and your sleep quality improves—all of which lead to more stable energy and better mood.
That’s why I included a clinically effective dose of ashwagandha and L-theanine in our Mood Boost+ formula at Brother Barbell Supplements. It’s not about masking symptoms—it’s about bringing your body back into balance so you can perform, focus, and feel better.
If you’re struggling with energy dips, unpredictable hunger, or that constant wired-and-tired loop, don’t ignore cortisol. Address it at the root—and adaptogens are one of the best tools I’ve found to help do exactly that.
