Exercise making me Mentally tired, not Physically - why ?

[Bansaw]

I have been trying to work out in the afternoons, 15 mins aerobic.
I find that I am coping well physically, and am even increasing in stamina. I feel a physical benefit.

But this is overshadowed by a mental malaise. I feel lowered mental energy, kindof a brain fog and a bit thick headed.
I wonder if this is neurotoxins being released / inflamation, or some other reason.
Anyone got any comments or suggestions?

(I am taking bicarbonate of soda afterwards and no sign of physical PEM. I've been doing 15 mins aerobic twice a week for a long time, but now upped it to once a day.)

 

[purrsian]

While we easily identify the energy required to use muscles, we often forget all the other things that use energy. Digesting food, using our brains to think, using our brains to process sensory stimuli, our body creating new blood cells/immune cells/all kinds of other cells to replace those that die... I'm always amazed at the sheer amount of things going on in our bodies at one moment in time.

Because we have such limited energy resources in CFS, if we use to much in one area, other areas suffer. I often feel physically exhausted after eating, as blood pools in my stomach and too much energy is being used to digest food, while my muscles lack enough blood to provide the energy to work well. Aerobic exercise sends blood out to nourish your muscles, but then your brain must suffer from the following lack of blood and energy.

It could also be the neurotoxins/inflammation as you mentioned. I know that I suffer a lot from inflammation issues. I have the flu like feeling almost constantly unless I use paracetamol plus codeine and I recently discovered this is probably because codeine reduces cytokine levels, which rise during inflammation.

 

[CCC]

My son can feel the different types of energy. He rarely has physical energy and mental energy at the same time. He says he has to choose.

You could just be hitting your energy envelop.