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 A HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
SPECIAL HEALTH REPORT

Boosting
Your Energy
How to jump-start your natural energy and fight fatigue

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BOOSTING YOUR ENERGY
SPECIAL HEALTH REPORT
Medical Editor
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
Simcox-Clifford-Higby Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School
Senior Physician, Brigham & Women’s Hospital,
Boston
Executive Editor
Anne Underwood
Writer
Nancy Monson
Copy Editor
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Published by Harvard Medical School
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ISBN 978-1-61401-126-2
The goal of materials provided by Harvard Health Publications
is to interpret medical information for the general reader.
This report is not intended as a substitute for personal medical
advice, which should be obtained directly from a physician.
Contents
What is energy?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Physical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Mental and emotional energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
What determines your energy level?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Energy and food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Vitamins, minerals, and energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Are there energy-boosting foods?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The jolt of stimulants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Energy and exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
How activity boosts energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
How lack of activity drains energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The exercise prescription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Energy and sleep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How sleep boosts your energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Getting the right amount of sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Energy and stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Managing the stress response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SPECIAL SECTION
A 6-step plan to jump-start your natural energy. . . . . . . . . 23
Fatigue: Energy’s enemy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Changing views of fatigue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Two types of fatigue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
When to see a doctor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Common causes of fatigue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Shift work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Overwork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Menopause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Medications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Caring for a family member. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Diseases that cause fatigue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Depression or anxiety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sleep disorders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chronic fatigue syndrome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Fibromyalgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Multiple sclerosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Traumatic brain injury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Other medical conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cover Image: © Monkey Business Images | Thinkstock
 Dear Reader,
In many ways, energy is the elixir of life. With it, you feel ready to take on the world. Without
it, you may have trouble just getting through the day.
Energy is both physical and mental in scope—and lack of energy is a common complaint: in
Gallup-Healthways surveys that asked one million Americans about their well-being, 14%
said they did not have the energy they needed to get things done. Likewise, 10% of Americans
surveyed for the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America poll said they experienced so
much daytime sleepiness that they were likely to nod off at inopportune times—such as during
a meeting or while driving.
Often a lack of energy or a feeling of fatigue is to be expected: for example, if you are recover-
ing from the flu or failing to get enough sleep. Maybe you’re simply trying to do too much,
and the resulting stress is wearing you down. Your exhaustion may be due to some of the
physical changes that accompany aging, such as normal reductions in the amount of deep
sleep or, for menopausal women, frequent hot flashes that disrupt sleep. While no one can
turn back the clock, there are steps you can take to slow or even reverse some aspects of age-
related fatigue. In fact, we’ve created a whole Special Section in this report on ways to jump-
start your natural energy.
In some cases, though, fatigue is not part of a normal process, but rather a sign of a chronic
illness. For example, lack of energy is one of the main symptoms of depression, chronic fatigue
syndrome, fibromyalgia and other pain syndromes, heart failure, multiple sclerosis, anemia,
hypothyroidism, and diabetes, all of which require medical attention. Fatigue often subsides
when these conditions are treated.
Currently, fatigue cannot be measured scientifically. But advances in understanding the neuro-
chemical processes involved with brain function are providing insights that could, one day,
pave the way for new tests to measure fatigue and new medications to treat it.
In the meantime, it’s important to know that while a lack of mental or physical energy can have
many different causes, there are a number of lifestyle changes you can make that will help you
regain the energy you need in order to fuel your life.
Sincerely,

Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D.

Medical Editor

Harvard Health Publications | Harvard Medical School | 10 Shattuck Street, Second Floor | Boston, MA 02115
 What is energy?

T he word “energy” can mean many things. On the

most basic level, it is the power generated in our
cells that enables our hearts to beat, our brains to
ents and oxygen cannot be turned directly into usable
energy for the trillions of cells in your body. Each cell
has one primary source of energy: a molecule called
think, and our muscles to move. All of us are produc- adenosine triphosphate, or ATP (see Figure 1, below).
ing energy constantly. You couldn’t function if you Your body stores only a small amount of ATP, but
didn’t. You wouldn’t be able to breathe, get up out of it makes more as quickly as it’s needed. When demand
your chair, or read this report.
But that’s not what most people mean when they
talk about energy. In an absolute sense, their bodies are Figure 1: How food and oxygen become energy
producing energy, but they don’t have energy—that is, 1. You breathe oxygen
they don’t have enough physical and mental energy to into your lungs.

do everything they want with ease. You might need The food you eat 4. Mitochondria convert
is broken down into oxygen and nutrients
energy in order to take on a physical challenge and separate nutrients to ATP, providing
keep it up for an extended period—working through a in your stomach energy to cells.
long day, for instance, or running a marathon, biking and intestine.

uphill, sightseeing on vacation, or doing yard work.

Or you might just want to get through the day without
feeling you’ve been flattened by a steamroller.
Whatever your goal, you’ll be happy to know that
there are a lot of lifestyle adjustments you can make
that will help you pick up your game. We’ll discuss Mitochondria
them in this report and also tackle some of the com-
mon causes of fatigue. But first it’s helpful to under-
stand just what energy is and how it’s produced.
2. Oxygen
and
Physical energy nutrients
travel through
Though we tend to think of energy as a single phe- the bloodstream Muscle
to your
nomenon—you either have it or you don’t—there muscles. 
cell
are both physical and mental components to energy. 
Physical energy has to do with the literal production Red blood cells
of energy in cells. 3. Oxygen and nutrients are transported
Like all machinery, muscles and brain cells must from the bloodstream into muscle cells.
have fuel. This fuel comes from the oxygen you breathe
and the food you eat. When it comes to food, certain The food you eat is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream,
which delivers it to cells throughout the body. Oxygen from your
nutrients provide raw power, and others help keep
lungs also travels to your cells, where tiny structures called mito-
the machinery well oiled. You need an optimum mix chondria use it to convert the food nutrients into a chemical called
of nutrients to keep the system functioning at its best adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides energy for everything
(see “Energy and food,” page 8). The catch is that nutri- from walking to thinking.

2 Boosting Your Energy  w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du

increases—such as when you are exercising—your
body must churn out more. To do this, it taps into
glucose stored in muscles and the liver, as well as fats
stored around the body.
Your body’s ability to create ATP is crucial because
it determines your capacity for physical exertion. And
the reverse is also true: your physical conditioning
influences how well you can generate ATP. Insufficient
sleep also may reduce your capacity to make ATP. So
you can see that diet, exercise, and sleep all play key
roles in generating energy.
Mental and emotional energy
Energy is not just about muscles: it’s also about your
mind and emotions. When you’re mentally energetic,
you’re curious, you’re alert, you’re “on.” You readily
absorb information by reading, listening, and watch-
ing. But mental energy is more complicated than
physical energy.
On one level, it’s about energy production in
cells—specifically, brain cells. Like physical energy, it
can be enhanced with optimum nutrition, exercise,
sleep, and stress management. But physical and men-
tal energy do not necessarily rise and fall in tandem.
Sometimes, one rises as the other falls.
That’s because the thing that we call “energy” is not
simply a reflection of how much ATP your brain cells
can generate. It also reflects your emotional state and
how interested you are in something. You may have
noticed that when you’re really absorbed in an activ-
ity—in a heightened state known as “flow”—you feel
more energetic than when you are only half-interested
in it. Passion and motivation can be powerful forces
in creating mental energy. If you are mentally psyched
to do something, typically you will feel physically
energetic enough to do it. By contrast, if you’re bored,
you’re likely to feel a lack of energy. This does not
result from inadequate energy in brain cells, although
we don’t know how to explain it.
What determines your energy level?
Some people, through a confluence of biology and
personality, are born with vast amounts of energy. The
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
classic high-energy type is someone like former Presi-
dent Bill Clinton or craft maven Martha Stewart, both
of whom have said that they need little sleep and are
always ready for a social event or a new project (see
“Do extroverts have more energy?” on page 7).
But most people are not so lucky. A multitude
of factors can affect your energy level, including the
amount and type of stress you’re under, your sleep
habits, your exercise routine, and your diet. Later
chapters of this report will address all of these—and
the Special Section will offer suggestions on improv-
ing them. The final chapter will discuss diseases that
can sap your energy.
In addition to lifestyle choices and illnesses, there
are also basic biological factors that affect your energy.
These include your genes, age, hormones, and circa-
dian rhythms. Remember: just because the person
sitting next to you at work (or sitting across the table
from you at breakfast) has more mental or physical
energy than you do, that doesn’t necessarily mean
that there’s something wrong with you. It could sim-
ply mean that you are at the lower end of the normal
energy spectrum (or that you’re not a “morning per-
son” and your alertness rises later in the day).
Your genes
There are probably many genes that play into your
energy level. Scientists are only beginning to tease
apart what they might be. But here’s one example:
Whether you’re a night owl or an early riser, you need
a certain number of hours of sleep in order to feel
fully rested. However, this number can vary widely
from one person to the next. Some people feel perky
after just seven hours of sleep, while others are groggy
if they log less than nine hours. The discovery of a
genetic mutation in two people who need far less
sleep than average may help explain at least some of
this variation, although it’s not clear how many people
carry this particular mutation.
The mutation—in a gene called DEC2, which is
known to affect circadian rhythms—was found in a
mother and daughter who were naturally short sleep-
ers, requiring just six hours a night instead of the
average of eight. Most Americans only get about six
hours of sleep a night and don’t feel that’s enough. As
Boosting Your Energy 3
a result, they rely on alarms, caffeine, and power naps
to awaken and stay awake during the day. By contrast,
these two women awoke naturally after six hours and
didn’t appear to suffer any negative effects from the
short sleep cycle. To verify the power of this gene, sci-
entists created genetically engineered mice with the
same mutation. The mice not only slept less and stayed
awake longer, they also needed less sleep to recover
after the experimenters kept them from sleeping.
Your circadian rhythms
If you’re like many people, you sometimes feel sleepy
or drowsy for no apparent reason. Perhaps you feel
like taking a nap in the middle of the day, or you
have trouble concentrating when you watch a movie
at night. If you haven’t used up your physical energy,
why do you feel sleepy?
No one feels alert and energetic all day. Instead,
most people have times of day when they are at their
best and other times when their energy slumps and
alertness fades. Understanding your body’s natu-
ral daily biological rhythms (also called circadian
rhythms) will help you match your activities with the
times of day when you’re feeling most alert or energetic.
Figure 2: When are you at your best?
post-lunch dip
MEMORY SPEED
8 am 10 am 12 pm 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm
Time of day
Scientists have measured several types of performance, including short-term memory and mental alertness, throughout the day. These
skills usually peak in late morning. Lowest performance levels are usually in the late evening. The best-known daily decline in perfor-
mance is in the early afternoon and is known as the “post-lunch dip.”
4 Boosting Your Energy 
To a large extent, your level of alertness—or its
opposite, sleepiness—is dictated by a cluster of cells
deep within the brain. These cells—collectively known
as the suprachiasmatic nucleus—are in the hypothala-
mus, the brain center that regulates alertness, appetite,
body temperature, and other biological states. The
suprachiasmatic nucleus acts as an internal “clock”
that controls your circadian rhythms, including the
rise and fall of hormones and other chemicals that
influence whether you feel sleepy or wide awake.
Like the other clocks in your life, your internal
clock operates on a 24-hour schedule. According to
this schedule, people typically feel most energetic in
the morning until early afternoon, when their energy
flags after lunch (see Figure 2, below). Many people
get a second wind later in the afternoon or early eve-
ning, but their energy level dips again after the sun
goes down, and it doesn’t rebound until the next
morning. In short, the biological clock helps explain
why people wake up in the morning and go to sleep
at night—and why their energy levels fluctuate during
the day.
Most of us are “morning larks”: our energy levels
rise and fall with the sun. Not everyone follows the
post-lunch dip
ALERTNESS
8 pm 10 pm 8 am 10 am 12 pm 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm 8 pm 10 pm
Time of day
w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du
 Ways to avoid jet lag
There are two strategies to avoid feeling
groggy when you fly. On a brief trip just
one or two time zones away, you may Day 2 Day 3
be able to wake up, eat, and sleep on 9:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
home time. Schedule appointments for Day 1
times when you would be alert at home. Usual bedtime Day 4
10:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
On longer trips, to help you adjust to
the new time zone, try the following:
Gradually switch before the trip.
For several days before you leave, move
mealtimes and bedtime incrementally
closer to the schedule of your destina-
tion (see illustration). Even a partial
switch may help.
During the trip, drink plenty of flu-
ids, but not caffeine or alcohol. Caf-
feine and alcohol promote dehydration,
which worsens the physical symptoms
of jet lag. They can also disturb sleep.
Switch your bedtime as rapidly as Here’s one way to help reset your internal clock when you travel through time
possible upon arrival. Don’t turn in
zones. If you’ll be traveling through several time zones, as when flying coast to
until it’s bedtime in the new time zone.
coast, you can gradually adjust your sleep time. For example, three days before
Use the sun to help you readjust.
you plan to travel from the West Coast to the East Coast, go to bed half an hour
If you need to wake up earlier in the
new setting (you’ve flown west to east), earlier than usual, and get up half an hour earlier the next morning. The next
get out in the early morning sun. If you night, go to bed an hour earlier than usual and get up an hour earlier. The day
need to wake up later (you’ve flown before you travel, make it 90 minutes. By the fourth day—the day of your trip—
east to west), expose yourself to late you’ll find it easier to adjust to your new time zone.
afternoon sunlight.

usual pattern, however. Some people are “night owls”
who get a second wind in the evening and have trou-
ble getting going early in the morning. Although it’s
largely self-regulating, your internal clock responds to
daylight as an important clue to external time. Nerve
fibers connect the hypothalamus to the retina in the
eye. In experiments, when people live for several days
in a windowless laboratory and are exposed to light at
intervals that are at odds with the outside world, their
internal clocks reset themselves to match the new pat-
tern of light and darkness. The influence of light on
sleep/wake patterns probably explains why as many as
90% of blind people have problems sleeping.
When the body has to adjust its internal clock
because of daylight savings time, shift work, or travel
to a different time zone (see “Ways to avoid jet lag,”
above), it disrupts more than just your sleep (and
energy level). The internal clock is also in charge of
regulating metabolism and cell division, which is why
shift work has been associated with metabolic diseases
such as diabetes.
Seasons and light
Many people in the northern hemisphere find that
they feel energized during spring and summer
months when sunlight is abundant, and sluggish and
depressed in winter. They may even suffer from sea-
sonal affective disorder, or SAD, during the colder
months. SAD typically comes on during the fall or
winter and subsides in the spring. SAD affects about
1% to 2% of the population, particularly women and
young people. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of

ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du Boosting Your Energy 5


Levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin begin climbing after
dark and ebb after dawn, helping to regulate your sleep/wake cycle.
But melatonin levels decline with age and virtually disappear by old
age, leading to more insomnia and less restorative sleep.
interest in once-pleasurable activities, interpersonal
problems, irritability, inability to concentrate, and
a change in sleeping patterns and appetite. Experts
don’t understand the causes of SAD, but three leading
theories have emerged, placing the blame on an out-
of-sync body clock or on improper levels of either the
neurotransmitter serotonin or the hormone melatonin
(see “Hormones and brain chemicals,” below).
Hormones and brain chemicals
One way that light influences your alertness is through
melatonin, a hormone that induces drowsiness. Mela-
tonin is produced in a predictable daily rhythm by
the pineal gland, located in the middle of the brain,
between the two hemispheres. Cells in the suprachias-
matic nucleus receive signals from the eyes about the
amount of light in the environment and send signals to
the pineal gland that influence the gland’s production
of melatonin. Levels of melatonin begin climbing after
dark, which encourages the body to sleep, and they
ebb after dawn, which encourages the body to awaken.
Scientists think that the daily light-sensitive cycles of
melatonin help keep the sleep/wake cycle on track.
Melatonin is widely available in supplement form
as a sleep aid and is often recommended for people
with insomnia or jet lag, as well as for shift workers.
However, some melatonin supplements contain ani-
mal brain and nerve tissue, which carries a risk of
6 Boosting Your Energy 
contamination with such infectious diseases as mad
cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Melatonin
supplements made synthetically in a lab do not carry
the same risk. But because these supplements are not
government-regulated, and labels are not required to
reveal this information, you can’t be sure of the source
of the melatonin you are taking.
In addition to melatonin, other chemicals in the
© Ridofranz | Thinkstock
body influence our state of alertness. Several neu-
rotransmitters (chemical messengers) play a role in
arousal. Norepinephrine, epinephrine (often called
adrenaline), and dopamine stimulate wakefulness.
Adenosine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
are believed to promote sleep. Individuals differ in
their natural levels of neurotransmitters and in their
sensitivity to these chemicals.
The female menstrual cycle and fluctuations in the
levels of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone
can also alter energy levels. Many reproductive-age
women suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS),
which causes them to feel tired, irritable, and sad
before their periods.
Your body weight
There are well-established connections between obe-
sity and fatigue: in one Swiss sample of 220 obese
people, 59% reported fatigue. The heavier you are, the
less active you tend to be, and the more tired you feel.
You use much of your energy in moving your body
to accomplish normal activities of daily living and
metabolic processes, leaving little left over for other
pursuits.
Links have also been noted between obesity and
sleep disturbances—including daytime sleepiness and
sleep apnea (episodes of not breathing during sleep)—
and between sedentary behavior and obesity. The
more time you spend sitting (at work, using the com-
puter, driving cars, watching television at home, etc.),
the less energetic you feel. In this vicious circle, seden-
tary behavior begets more sedentary behavior. By con-
trast, physical activity begets more physical activity.
Your age
It’s a nearly universal lament of people over age 35: you
don’t have as much energy as you did when you were
w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du

Do extroverts have more energy?
Extroverts like Richard Branson of the Virgin Group or
Howard Schultz of Starbucks often seem to have more
energy than introverts, and emerging evidence supports
the idea that personality traits may influence energy lev-
els. For example, a Dutch study of 765 people who worked
at least 20 hours a week found that subjects who had
low scores for extroversion and high scores for autonomy
experienced more fatigue than other subjects.
It’s not clear, however, how strong a role extroversion
plays in boosting energy. Research shows that introverts
who talk more and act assertive have just as much energy
as extroverts do. Thus, it may be that just acting like an
extrovert can affect your energy level.
younger. One of the most common complaints is that
you can’t stay up as late and still function normally the
next day. In part, that reflects lifestyle changes; you
may be putting in too many hours at work, or you may
be caring for children, older relatives, or both. But
aging also brings physical changes that can contribute
to a lack of energy.
Although increased fatigue is not inevitable with
increased age, certain age-related factors can promote
fatigue by influencing your sleep cycles directly. For
one thing, your circadian cycle advances, making you
want to fall asleep earlier at night and wake up earlier
in the morning.
Insomnia also becomes more common as people
get older. In part, that may be because melatonin lev-
els decline with age and virtually disappear by old
age. Since melatonin helps you feel sleepy at night, its
decline can make it harder to fall asleep. In women,
the onset of menopause can bring hot flashes,
which can interrupt sleep and even lead to chronic
insomnia.
People also notice that they’re not as strong as
they used to be or that they can’t move as quickly
as they age. In both men and women, muscle mass
declines steadily over the years. By age 70, you’ve lost
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30% of the muscle mass you had at age 20. A drop
in muscle mass means a decrease in strength and an
increase in fatigue. As muscles shrink, they become
fatigued more rapidly. With age, your ligaments and
joints also become stiffer, so you move more slowly. To
a large extent, you can compensate for these changes
by exercising regularly to maintain strength and flex-
ibility. Weight training increases muscle strength, and
stretching increases flexibility.
Along with a decline in physical energy, many
people find that their mental energy falls somewhat
as they age. They have a harder time concentrating
and remembering things, and it takes longer to learn
new information. In part, these difficulties reflect age-
related chemical changes in the brain that affect mem-
ory and learning. On the bright side, staying active
mentally by reading and learning new mental skills,
such as languages, games, and music, can help offset
this age-related decline.
Your health
Illnesses—including many that become more com-
mon with age—can deplete your energy as well (see
“Diseases that cause fatigue,” page 39). Many ill-
nesses can interfere with sleep. For example, people
with heart failure may awaken feeling short of breath
because body fluids accumulate in the lungs while
they’re lying down. People with heartburn often find
that their discomfort is greatest when they lie down
and stomach acids back up into the esophagus. And
hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs
can cause daytime drowsiness or fatigue (see “Medica-
tions,” page 37).
Fatigue is also a common symptom of a wide
range of diseases, including anemia, kidney disease,
multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. In some cases,
such as in cancer, fatigue may be the earliest sign that
something is wrong. If you suddenly feel listless, it’s
worth visiting your doctor to make sure nothing seri-
ous is going on.
Boosting Your Energy 7
 Energy and food

L ike the car you rely on to get

to work, your body carries its
own supply of fuel, and you can
nesium, potassium, and dietary
fiber—all of which are under-
consumed in the typical Ameri-
replenish it as needed. The food can diet and all of which directly
you eat is the stuff of which this or indirectly affect your energy
energy is made. level. Similarly, whole grains are
an excellent source of B vitamins,
iron, and magnesium, which play
The basics a role in energy production (see
Much of the food you eat is con- “Vitamins, minerals, and energy,”
verted into glucose (sugar) and below). If nothing else, such a diet,
fat, which provide the essential which is also recommended for a
fuel for energy production. The healthy heart, just makes you feel
equation is not as straightfor- better. That alone can boost your

© Cathy Yeulet | Thinkstock

ward as it seems, however. energy.
The energy potential of food Unfortunately, changes in
is measured in calories. But con- the food industry over the past
suming more calories than you 70 years have led to the develop-
need won’t give you extra energy. It’s important to pay attention not only to ment of highly processed, chemi-
In fact, it can have the oppo- total calories, but also to the types of foods cally enhanced, and nutritionally
site effect. Excess calories are that supply those calories. deficient products (think food in
stored as excess pounds, and the boxes). These products—including
heavier you are, the more effort you’ll need to expend cookies, chips, and most breakfast cereals—are often
in walking, pumping blood, and so forth. The more hard to resist, but they contain empty calories that
effort you exert, the more energy you need to burn— leave you hungry and tired rather than giving you the
and the more fatigued you’ll inevitably feel. nutrients and energy you need to feel your best.
It’s important to pay attention not only to total
calories, but also to the source of those calories. To
provide your body with the optimum fuel, you need Vitamins, minerals, and energy
adequate amounts of specific vitamins and minerals, Energy production depends on certain vitamins and
as well as a mix of unrefined or minimally refined minerals. Deficiencies in these can contribute to
carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, and whole grains), flagging energy levels, so it’s important to consume
proteins (lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans and enough. However, be aware that if your levels of these
peas, soy products, nuts, seeds, and dairy products), nutrients are normal, taking more will not help.
and healthy fats (such as olive oil, canola oil, and avo- Iron. A low level of iron is the most common cause
cados). You also need plenty of fluids. of anemia, a shortage of red blood cells (see “Anemia,”
Such a diet emphasizes unprocessed or minimally page 48). A deficiency of this vital mineral prevents
processed foods for a very good reason. Vegetables the bone marrow from making enough hemoglobin,
and fruits contain vitamins A, C, and K, folate, mag- the oxygen-carrying part of red blood cells. Thus,

8 Boosting Your Energy  w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du

anemia impairs the delivery of oxygen to the body’s
tissues. Because oxygen is needed to create ATP, doc-
tors assume that the fatigue many people with anemia
experience comes from the reduced production of
ATP in their cells.
Anemia is most common in menstruating women,
who lose blood (and, hence, iron) with every period.
When this blood loss causes iron-deficiency anemia,
iron-rich foods (such as liver, red meat, eggs, rice,
and beans) and iron supplements can help restore the
body’s iron levels and correct the anemia.
If you don’t suffer from an iron deficiency, how-
ever, there’s no evidence that taking iron supplements
will boost your energy. Indeed, this practice can lead
to iron overload, which, in some people, can damage
multiple organs in the body, including the liver and
heart. This in itself can lead to fatigue as well as a host
of serious health problems.
Vitamin B12 and folic acid. A deficiency in either
of these B vitamins can also cause anemia. Because
many packaged foods, including breads and flour,
are fortified with folic acid, most people get plenty
of that nutrient. However, about 6% of people ages
60 and older are deficient in vitamin B12, in part
because it becomes harder with age to absorb enough
of the vitamin from foods, such as meat and dairy
products. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also be a prob-
lem for vegetarians—particularly vegans, who con-
sume no animal or dairy products, the main dietary
sources of vitamin B12. Even if your diet contains
adequate amounts of vitamin B12 and folic acid, ill-
nesses such as inflammatory bowel disease can inter-
fere with their absorption. Likewise, it has recently
been found that people with type 2 diabetes who take
the drug metformin for many years may have low
vitamin B12 levels.
Some people take vitamin B12 shots for energy, but
again, this probably won’t increase your energy unless
you are B12 deficient.
Magnesium. Magnesium helps break down glu-
cose into energy, and low intakes are associated with
type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pres-
sure, osteoporosis, migraine headaches, asthma, and
colon cancer. A study by the Center for Magnesium
Education and Research suggests that 48% of the U.S.
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
population consumes less than the required amount
of magnesium from food (320 mg for women and 420
mg for men).
Vitamin D. The most talked-about vitamin in
recent years has been vitamin D, which is manufac-
tured in the skin from sunlight. It is also found in
some types of fish (such as tuna, salmon, mackerel,
and herring) and fortified products such as milk, soy
beverages, orange juice, and breakfast cereals. Obser-
vational studies suggest that people with high blood
levels of vitamin D have lower risks for cancer, heart
disease, and diabetes. Vitamin D deficiency, on the
other hand, can lessen bone and muscle strength,
making you feel weak, which can ultimately impair
your ability to perform everyday tasks. Low levels
of vitamin D can also depress your mood, another
energy sapper.
In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (a part of the
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and
Medicine) increased the Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D to 600 international
units (IU) per day for adults up to age 70 and to 800
IU per day for those ages 71 or older. Some doctors
recommend higher doses, around 1,000 to 2,000 IU
per day. The health benefits of such doses are not
yet proven, but are being studied. Do not exceed the
upper level of 4,000 IU per day.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are easy to diag-
nose and, for most people, simple to remedy with sup-
plements. Older people who are deficient in vitamin D
should take vitamin D3, which is absorbed more easily
than other forms of vitamin D.
Are there energy-boosting foods?
Given that food is fuel, it’s only natural to wonder if
certain types of food deliver energy more efficiently
than others. Beyond the importance of eating a
healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and veg-
etables, whole grains, and healthful sources of fat and
protein, there’s relatively little scientific information
about the effects of specific foods on energy levels
(see “Do energy bars pack an extra punch?” on page
14). However, certain foods can give you more energy
under specific circumstances.
Boosting Your Energy 9
Carbohydrates and energy
Because muscles burn carbohydrates first, tests of
physical endurance require a steady supply. Therefore,
many people view sugar as an “energy food.” That’s
misleading. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate, which
means that it’s digested and absorbed into the blood
quickly. When you eat a candy bar or some other sug-
ary food, your blood sugar shoots up. You feel more
alert and physically energized. But the effect is short-
lived, lasting only about half an hour, because your
pancreas responds by flooding your bloodstream with
large amounts of insulin, the hormone that drives
sugar (glucose) from your blood and into your cells.
This rapidly lowers your blood sugar. Afterward, you
may actually feel less energetic than you did before eat-
ing the sweet snack, so it’s best to avoid sugary foods,
despite the temporary lift they give you.
To keep your blood sugar and energy levels on an
even keel over the long haul, pick your carbohydrates
wisely. Try to avoid highly refined carbohydrates and
focus instead on complex carbohydrates, such as high-
fiber whole-grain bread, brown rice, whole-grain
pasta, and most vegetables. These take longer to break
down, so your blood sugar levels rise and fall more

Table 1: Glycemic load of popular foods, from worst to best

Glycemic load is a measure of how much a particular food will raise your blood sugar in the short term. It takes into
account both the amount of sugar in the food and the food’s glycemic index (how quickly that sugar is absorbed into your
bloodstream). Eating foods with a low glycemic load may help you keep your energy on a more even keel.

SERVING GLYCEMIC LOAD SERVING GLYCEMIC LOAD

FOODS SIZE PER SERVING FOODS SIZE PER SERVING
High glycemic load Low glycemic load
Pancakes 2 six-inch 46 Ice cream ½ cup 8
Dates, dried 2 ounces 42 All-Bran cereal ½ cup 8
Cornflakes 1 cup 38 Grapes 4 ounces 8
Macaroni and cheese 6 ounces 32 Baked beans 1 cup 7
Raisins 2 ounces 28 Apples 4 ounces 6

Potato, baked 5 ounces 26 Pumpernickel bread 1 slice 5

Coca-Cola 12 ounces 25 Oranges 4 ounces 5

White rice 5 ounces 23 Peaches 4 ounces 5

Raisin Bran cereal 1 cup 21 Pears 4 ounces 4

Pasta 1 cup 20 Green peas 3 ounces 3

Medium glycemic load Carrots 3 ounces 3

Grapefruit 4 ounces 3
Brown rice 5 ounces 18
Hummus (chickpea dip) 1 ounce 0
Whole-grain pasta 6 ounces 17
Oatmeal (rolled oats) 1 cup 13 While it’s useful to know the glycemic load of a particular
Banana 1 medium 13 food, this shouldn’t be your only criterion for including a food
in your diet or avoiding that particular item. For example,
Orange juice 1 cup 12 as shown in the table above, ice cream has a low glycemic
Potato chips 50 grams 11 load—but it also has a lot of saturated fat, which is not
healthy if taken in large amounts.
Adapted from Foster-Powell K et al. “International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (July 2002), Vol. 62,
pp. 5–56. The article includes a list of the glycemic index and glycemic load for 750 foods.

10 Boosting Your Energy  w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du

gradually (see Table 1, page 10). They also contain
more vitamins and minerals than refined carbs.
Protein and energy
You need protein to maintain your muscles, bones,
skin, and every other organ and tissue in your body.
Protein has many functions, including building the
enzymes that trigger many of the body’s important
chemical reactions. A lack of protein in the diet can
slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity,
and weaken the heart and respiratory system. A
weaker heart and respiratory system make it harder
to do physical work and force us to use more energy
doing it.
Protein deficiency is rare in the United States. In
fact, most Americans tend to overestimate how much
protein they really need. The recommended intake for
protein is 10% to 35% of your total calories, depend-
ing on your energy needs. However, recent research
suggests that older adults may benefit from a some-
what higher protein intake, especially when combined
with regular strength training and aerobic exercise, in
order to maintain muscle mass and strength as well
as prevent disability. The paradox is that many older
adults eat less food over all and therefore may be defi-
cient in protein.
Protein consumption should be spread out over
the day’s meals. The best sources include lean meats,
poultry, seafood, low-fat dairy products, beans and
peas, soy products, nuts and seeds, and eggs.
Fats and energy
Fats—technically known as fatty acids—also provide
energy, but certain types appear to be better than oth-
ers at getting you through your day. Foods that are
loaded with saturated fat (say, a cheeseburger and fries)
are not only unhealthy, leading to clogged arteries, but
also have a fairly immediate soporific effect. One small
study of 31 healthy, normal-weight people showed that
higher saturated fat consumption caused more daytime
sleepiness. Another found that when people eat more
saturated fat and less fiber, they don’t sleep as deeply
at night or get as many restorative benefits from sleep.
By contrast, scientists have learned that essential
fatty acids, which are highly concentrated in the brain,
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
support cognitive performance, providing at least an
indirect energy boost. Essential fatty acids include the
omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, flaxseeds, soybeans,
walnuts, and canola oil). They are called “essential”
because your body cannot manufacture them from
other nutrients; they must be acquired through food
or supplements.
Researchers are learning more about the role
omega-3s and other fatty acids play in the brain.
Numerous studies have linked low intake of omega-3
fatty acids to a host of cognitive and behavioral prob-
lems, including depression, memory problems, poor
mood, Alzheimer’s disease, and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder. Deficiency can also hamper the
renewal of neural membranes, thus making the brain
age faster. One study that used brain imaging tech-
niques to examine eight people with chronic fatigue
syndrome found reduced levels of essential fatty acids
in the brain. While more research is needed to know
whether consuming more omega-3 fatty acids would
alleviate chronic fatigue—much less help people with
run-of-the-mill energy concerns—it certainly can’t
hurt to ensure that you’re getting adequate amounts
in your diet.
Don’t forget fluids!
Water is the main component of blood and is essential
for carrying nutrients to cells and taking away waste
products. If you are short on fluids, one of the first
signs is a feeling of fatigue and weakness. Approxi-
mately 50% to 60% of your body weight is water, and
you are constantly losing water through urine, sweat,
and breathing. This water needs to be replenished.
Consuming a sufficient amount of fluids in beverages
and water-filled food (such as fruits, vegetables, and
soup) will help you maintain your energy.
The jolt of stimulants
Certain substances in food give you an energy boost
because they contain stimulants that speed up the
chemical reactions inside cells. Caffeine, the best-
known stimulant, occurs naturally in coffee, tea,
cocoa, and chocolate. It is also added to some soft
Boosting Your Energy 11
drinks and energy drinks and used as an ingredient in
some medications.
Caffeine has many effects. When you consume a
food or drink that contains caffeine, your brain cells
fire messages more quickly, improving concentra-
tion and reaction time. The heart pumps blood faster
and more forcefully, increasing your physical energy.
Some people are more sensitive than others to caf-
feine. For them, a cup of coffee or a can of cola is all
it takes to have some or all of the stimulating effects.
But people who consume caffeine on a regular basis
often develop a tolerance for it, which means that they
need to increase their intake to get the same effect. In
addition, people can become so dependent on caffeine
stimulation that they feel tired and sluggish when the
level of caffeine in their blood drops.
Nicotine in tobacco is also a stimulant, but because
of the detrimental effects of smoking, it should not be
used as an energy booster. Indeed, smoking can cause
insomnia, which can then lead to daytime sleepiness
and fatigue.
Do “energy boosters” work?
Go to the store, and you’ll see a multitude of herbs and
other supplements that claim to boost energy. Some
are even added to soft drinks and other foods for this
purpose. However, there is little or no scientific evi-
dence to support the claims for most of these sub-
stances. The fact is, the only pill that’ll reliably boost
your energy is one containing a stimulant, such as
caffeine—and the effects of these stimulants wear off
within hours. The same holds true for drinks touted
as energy boosters. Most contain as much caffeine as
a cup of coffee, and lots of sugar (see “Energy drinks:
Popular but problematic,” page 13).
Here’s a look at some of the other substances that
are commonly touted as energy boosters.
Chromium picolinate. This trace mineral is widely
marketed to build muscle, burn fat, and increase
energy and athletic performance, but research has not
supported these claims.
Coenzyme Q10. This enzyme is found in mito-
chondria, the energy factories of our cells. Supple-
ments have been shown to improve exercise capacity
12 Boosting Your Energy 
in people with heart disease and may do the same in
people with rare diseases that affect the mitochon-
dria. In other cases, the effects are not clear. One
small European study suggested that people with
chronic fatigue syndrome might benefit from supple-
mentation with coenzyme Q10, but more research is
needed.
Creatine. Another compound produced by the
body, creatine is largely found in muscle. It is widely
sold as a supplement. Taken as a supplement, there is
evidence that it can build muscle mass and improve
performance in sports requiring short bursts of mus-
cle activity (like sprinting). Small studies suggest
that creatine supplements combined with resistance
training can improve muscle mass and strength in
older adults. However, there is little evidence that it
can reduce a feeling of fatigue in anyone. While no
adverse effects of taking creatine in the doses recom-
mended on the bottle (typically 2 to 3 grams per day)
have been established, there are too few studies of
sufficient size and duration to allow confidence about
the lack of adverse effects.
DHEA. Sometimes marketed as a “fountain of
youth,” this naturally occurring hormone is said to
boost energy as well as prevent cancer, heart disease,
and infectious diseases, among other things. The truth
is that supplemental DHEA has no proven benefits and
some potentially serious health risks. Some research
shows that DHEA can damage the liver. It can also
lower levels of heart-healthy HDL cholesterol. And
because this hormone is related to estrogen and tes-
tosterone, there is concern that it may increase the risk
for breast and prostate cancers. By increasing levels of
testosterone, it can also encourage acne and facial hair
growth in women. Until further research clarifies the
side effects, it’s wise to avoid taking DHEA.
Ephedra. Although this product in supplement
(pill) form was banned by the FDA in 2004 because
of major safety concerns, including increased risk of
heart attack and stroke, it remains available for sale
on the Internet. Any effectiveness ephedra may have
in terms of boosting energy probably results from
two substances it contains—ephedrine and pseudo-
ephedrine—which may increase alertness. There is no
completely safe amount of ephedra you can consume
w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du
 Energy drinks: Popular but problematic
L ooking for energy from a bottle? You’re not alone. Energy
drinks and shots—including Amp, 5-Hour Energy, Monster
Energy, Red Bull, and Rockstar—have become the fastest-
growing category in the beverage industry. They’re consumed
both to boost flagging energy levels and to help with weight
© Mauro Matacchione | Thinkstock
loss. Most popular among teenagers and young adults, these
products are booming at $12.5 billion a year, according to the
market research firm Packaged Facts.
But there’s really no magic formula here. What gives these
drinks their jolt is good old-fashioned caffeine. Consumer
Reports tested 27 energy drinks and found that the amount
of caffeine ranged from 6 to 242 milligrams (mg) per serv-
ing—and there is more than one serving in some cans and
bottles. As a point of comparison, coffee has roughly 100 mg
of caffeine in a 5- to 8-ounce cup, while 12 ounces of Coca-
Cola has 50 mg.
Most of the drinks also contain lots of sugar, which along
with the caffeine can lead to a jolt of energy and then a crash
(just like the sugar in a candy bar). Energy drinks also contain
a mix of herbs and other substances that are marketed as
“energy boosters,” but they haven’t actually been proven to
increase energy unless the drinks also contain caffeine.
But the bigger concern is that some people, particularly
young adults, may consume too many of these drinks.
When they do, all that caffeine, a diuretic, can contribute to
dehydration and other problems. Since 2004, the FDA has
received reports of 34 deaths and 56 episodes of adverse
reactions—such as blood pressure elevations, convulsions,
and heart rhythm abnormalities, most leading to hospitaliza-
tions—linked to energy drinks. Emergency room visits related
to ingestion of energy drinks have also increased, from 1,494
in 2005 to 20,783 in 2011, the most recent year for which
statistics are available. Most of these visits involved people
ages 18 to 39, but the largest increase was seen among
people 40 or older—perhaps because of caffeine intolerance,
orally. (Some cold remedies also contain ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine, but it’s best to use these for no more
than a few days. Prescription nasal sprays containing
these substances are safer than pills, but should also be
used for just a few days as prescribed.) If you want to
boost your energy by stimulating your central nervous
system, a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage
will work just as well.
Ginkgo biloba. Derived from the maidenhair
tree, ginkgo biloba has been used for centuries in
Chinese medicine and is now a common dietary
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
Energy drinks are hugely popular for boosting flagging energy,
but what gives them their jolt is usually good old-fashioned
caffeine and sugar. You’re better off with a cup of coffee.
use of prescription drugs that interacted with the drink’s
ingredients, or existing medical conditions.
Public health experts have also raised alarms about the prac-
tice of mixing energy drinks with alcohol, prompting the FDA
to warn manufacturers that caffeine is an “unsafe additive”
to an alcoholic beverage. The stimulant effect of the energy
drinks can counteract the soporific effect of the alcohol, en-
abling a person to drink longer. In addition, the caffeine can
mask a person’s level of intoxication, the FDA said, and many
people may erroneously think the energy drink will sober
them up and make it safe for them to drive.
The bottom line: If you need a quick surge of energy, it is
okay to consume an occasional energy drink—no more than
one a day—but this shouldn’t be a daily or long-term practice.
If you’re dragging, it’s far better to drink a single cup of coffee
or tea, or better yet, create energy through proven nutritional,
exercise, and lifestyle strategies. (The Special Section, “A 6-step
plan to jump-start your natural energy,” starting on page 23,
contains a well-rounded program.)
supplement in Western countries. Its effects on cog-
nition (thinking), mood, alertness, and memory have
been the subject of many studies, but those studies
have not generally been of high quality, so it is hard
to draw conclusions about how effective it really is. A
Cochrane Collaboration review found the evidence
was too weak to conclude that ginkgo biloba improved
cognition in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Regard-
ing memory in people without dementia, the evidence
is conflicting. Other studies suggest ginkgo biloba may
improve some aspects of mood, including alertness
Boosting Your Energy 13
 Do energy bars pack an extra punch?
I t’s impossible to walk into a drugstore or supermarket with-
out seeing shelves lined with “power bars” that supposedly
boost your energy. The manufacturers of such products claim
that they’re superior to candy bars because they contain an
“ideal ratio” of simple to complex carbohydrates, along with
protein and fat. However, there’s no proof that such an ideal
ratio exists.
In fact, only a few studies of these bars have been conducted.
One from Ohio State University compared the glycemic index
of typical energy bars with other sources of carbohydrates.
The power bars were no better than a candy bar at provid-
ing sustained energy. Another, a military study conducted in
Finland, found that high-protein bars were no more effective
than standard field rations in preventing an energy deficit
during an eight-day training exercise, although they did ap-
pear to boost mood and satiety.
and calmness, in healthy subjects. By making you more
alert and calm, it may increase your sense of energy.
Ginseng. This is a relatively safe and popular herb,
said to reduce fatigue and enhance stamina and endur-
ance. It is sometimes called an “adaptogen,” meaning
it helps the body cope with mental and physical stress
and can boost energy without causing a crash the way
sugar does. Data from human studies are sparse and
conflicting. Some studies report that ginseng improves
mood, energy, and physical and intellectual perfor-
mance. Other research concludes it doesn’t improve
oxygen use or aerobic performance, or influence how
quickly you bounce back after exercising.
14 Boosting Your Energy 
A lack of scientific evidence doesn’t mean these products
aren’t popular, however. An online survey of 2,355 adults
found that 33% of those surveyed were consuming energy
bars and other highly fortified food and supplement prod-
ucts. Those who purchased them most often were men,
African Americans, Hispanics, more highly educated people,
and those under age 45.
If you like the convenience of a power bar or energy bar as
a snack, limit your intake to just one per day and look for
a bar with the fewest and most natural ingredients (whole
grains, nuts, and dried fruit) and the lowest calories (less
than 200). Read the label. Ideally, bars will have more than
3 grams of protein and fiber, less than 20 grams of sugar,
no hydrogenated oils or trans fats, and no high-fructose
corn syrup. Or grab a bag of homemade trail mix—nuts,
seeds, and dried fruits—instead.
Guarana. This herb induces a feeling of energy
because it’s a natural source of caffeine—in fact, it
appears to be even more stimulating than caffeine.
But consuming a lot of guarana, especially if you also
drink coffee and other caffeinated beverages, could
ultimately lower your energy level by interfering with
sleep.
Vitamin B12 . Some doctors give injections of vita-
min B12 as energy boosters. But unless they are given
to correct anemia that results from a true deficiency
of the vitamin, there is little evidence that vitamin B12
treatments boost energy (see “Vitamin B12 and folic
acid,” page 9).
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 Energy and exercise

It may sound strange, but in order to get more

energy, you have to do the very thing you don’t feel
you have enough energy to do: exercise. Regular exer-
energy. When you work out, your body releases epi-
nephrine and norepinephrine. In large amounts, these
stress hormones cause the energy-draining fight-or-
cise boosts your energy in multiple ways. When you flight response, but in the modest amounts induced
understand how, you will never again think of it as a by exercise, they make you feel energized (see “Energy
tedious routine that some health nag wants you to do, and stress,” page 20). Exercise also boosts levels of
but rather as a surefire energy enhancer that you can compounds called endorphins, “feel-good” chemi-
tap into at will. cals that lift your mood and are often credited for the
“runner’s high.” An elevated mood in itself can be an
energy booster.
How activity boosts energy Finally, regular aerobic exercise almost guarantees
There are at least four distinct ways that exercise that you will sleep more soundly—a prerequisite for
makes you feel more energetic. feeling refreshed. Exercise is the only proven way to
For starters, when you engage your muscles in any increase the amount of time you spend in deep sleep,
type of exercise, more energy-producing mitochon- the type that particularly restores your energy (see
dria form in your muscle cells. Mitochondria are the “How sleep boosts your energy,” page 18). The more
cellular powerhouses that convert glucose and fat into deep sleep you get, the less likely you are to awaken
ATP, the molecule that cells use for energy. So while in the middle of the night, and the more rested you’ll
exercise burns energy, it also enables muscle cells to feel the next day. Exercise also increases the amount
produce more energy. of time you spend in REM (rapid
Second, exercise increases eye movement) sleep, the time
your body’s oxygen-carrying during sleep when you dream
capacity. Oxygen, along with glu- most often and most vividly.
cose and fat, is essential to fueling More time in REM sleep also
cells, which need oxygen both to restores your sense of energy,
create ATP and to liberate energy though not as much as deep sleep.
stored as ATP. An increase in How exercise improves both
oxygen therefore gives you more REM and deep sleep is unknown,
stamina. Any type of regular although scientists suspect that it
exercise creates more capillaries, leads to the production of chemi-
© Moneky Business Images | Thinkstock

the tiny blood vessels that ferry cals that affect alertness.
oxygen to your cells. But aerobic In a poll conducted for the
exercise, by making you breathe National Sleep Foundation, peo-
the most deeply and increasing ple who exercised vigorously on
your heart rate the most, gets a regular basis reported sleep-
more oxygen circulating. ing better than more sedentary
Third, exercise affects levels Regular exercise boosts your energy in at least people, even though both groups
of various hormones and chemi- four distinct ways, so don’t beg off of exercise got about seven hours of sleep
cal messengers that can increase just because you feel tired. on weekday nights. Non-exercis-

ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du Boosting Your Energy 15

ers reported the least energy and the most sleepiness.
However, you should avoid exercising in the two to
three hours before you go to bed. Exercising too close
to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.
How lack of activity drains energy
Picture your energy level as a rechargeable battery.
You can plug it in and charge it up with exercise, or let
it sit idle and watch the energy drain away.
Why exercise? Energy and beyond
Regular exercise helps you feel, think, and look better. Strong
evidence from thousands of studies shows that engaging in
regular exercise helps ward off numerous diseases. Among its
benefits, exercise
• reduces your risks for heart disease, stroke, high blood
pressure, and high cholesterol
• lowers blood sugar levels and reduces your risk for type 2
diabetes and metabolic syndrome
• reduces the risk of certain cancers, including breast and
colon cancers
• eases mild to moderate depression
• reduces your risk for osteoporosis (provided you do
weight-bearing exercise, meaning exercise where you
work against gravity)
• helps prevent or ease lower back pain
• relieves arthritis pain and expands a limited range of motion
• helps maintain muscle mass and prevent falls
• boosts mental sharpness in older adults
• strengthens your muscles, lungs, and heart
• improves functional abilities in older adults—that is,
being able to walk up stairs or through a store, heft
groceries, rise from a chair without help, and perform a
multitude of other activities that permit independence
• helps prevent weight gain and may aid weight loss when
combined with the proper diet
• lowers the risk for hip fractures.
Each of the diseases and problems that regular exercise
helps protect against can rob people of energy. Thus, regular
exercise not only gives you more energy now: it also helps
ward off energy-robbing illnesses in the future. In fact, regular
exercise does more to protect your health and energy than
any medical treatment ever invented or discovered. Through
regular exercise, you can do more to protect your health than
your doctor can do for you.
16 Boosting Your Energy 
When you’re inactive, you lose muscle cells­, and
the cells that remain have fewer mitochondria. It’s
remarkable how little time it takes to see the effects.
People who have a limb immobilized because of an
injury or illness begin losing muscle cells within just
six hours. With weaker muscles, everything you ask
your muscles to do requires more effort, leaving less
energy for other activities.
It’s particularly important to keep exercising as
you age because muscle mass tends to decline over the
years. Sarcopenia, the gradual decrease in muscle tis-
sue, starts earlier than you may realize—around age
30. The average 30-year-old can expect to lose about
25% of his or her muscle mass and strength by age 70
and another 25% by age 90. The result is not only a
decrease in energy, but also an increase in risk for a
host of other diseases (see “Why exercise? Energy and
beyond,” at left).
Lack of exercise also causes changes in your heart
and lungs. They become less efficient at oxygenat-
ing your blood and pumping that blood (along with
nutrients) to all parts of your body. That in turn affects
your energy level, most noticeably during periods of
physical exertion. Compared with an active person, a
sedentary person experiences more fatigue when car-
rying out a physically demanding task and has both a
higher heart rate and lower oxygen consumption.
Inactivity also has psychological effects. The less
active you are, the less active you want to be. People
who don’t exercise have a greater perception of fatigue
than people who do.
The exercise prescription
Regular exercise can contribute to a feeling of vitality
and energy, and it can also improve your sleep. But
what type of exercise should you do? You don’t have
to spend a lot of time worrying about this. When it
comes to exercise and energy, it’s hard to go wrong—
and you don’t have to run for miles or work out to
the point of exhaustion to start reaping benefits (see
“Exercise regularly,” page 25).
Aerobic exercise is an obvious choice, whether you
prefer brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, or swimming.
In one study of 427 people ages 45 and older, those
w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du
with greater cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness scored
higher on a scale measuring vitality than those who
were less fit. Studies have demonstrated that aerobic
exercise can even reduce fatigue in people who have
major health challenges, such as chronic autoimmune
conditions or cancer. A review of 36 studies found
that 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a
week (for at least three months) significantly reduced
fatigue in people with diseases such as multiple sclero-
sis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. A similar review
of 19 studies involving people ages 65 and older found
that physical activity eased cancer-related fatigue.
Most studies linking regular exercise to a greater
sense of energy have involved aerobic exercise rather
than strength training, so it is difficult to say how
strength training compares. However, it probably does
help, by building muscle mass and boosting levels of
mitochondria. Stronger muscles also mean that the
activities that use those muscles can be done more effi-
ciently that is, using less energy. Indeed, many people
report an increased sense of energy and alertness from
either kind of regular exercise—and a well-rounded
exercise program should include both.
Even core exercises may help. One recent study
of the core-strengthening program known as Pilates
found that Pilates improved sleep quality in 22 sed-
entary people and lessened daytime sleepiness. But
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
core work may help improve energy in other, more
subtle ways too, beyond enhancing sleep. Among
other things, core exercises can help improve your
posture whether you’re sitting, standing, or mov-
ing. Good posture trims your silhouette and projects
confidence—and psychologists say the boost to your
psyche may give you mental energy.
In fact, the only types of activities that don’t
appear to have significant effects on energy are
stretching and balance exercises. That doesn’t mean
you should ignore them, however, because they have
other health benefits. Balance exercises are recom-
mended to help prevent falls. Stretching can help
relieve back pain, stiff necks, and sore knees when
tight muscles are to blame. If you’re a runner, a tennis
player, a golfer, a hiker, or a biker, the right stretching
program can set you on a path toward better perfor-
mance. And as you age, it can help keep you active
and flexible, making it easier to accomplish innumer-
able everyday tasks.
It’s never too late to start exercising. If you’ve
never had a formal exercise program—or you’ve
allowed your exercise regimen to lapse over the years
because of illness, time pressures, or family obliga-
tions—Starting to Exercise, another Special Health
Report from Harvard Medical School, can help you
(see “Resources,” page 51).
Boosting Your Energy 17
 Energy and sleep
O f everything we’ve mentioned so far, there is no
more obvious influence on energy than sleep.
Sleep well, and the next day, everything hums along.
Sleep poorly, and you can barely drag yourself through
the day’s tasks without a jolt of caffeine.
For centuries, scientists scrutinized minute aspects
of human activity but showed little interest in sleep.
Sleep was perceived as an unvarying period of inac-
tivity when nothing very important happened. Since
then, researchers have learned that sleep plays a key
role in health and are gradually starting to unravel the
complex ways energy depends on adequate sleep.
How sleep boosts your energy
Scientists divide sleep into two major types: REM
(rapid eye movement) sleep or dreaming sleep, and
non-REM or quiet sleep. Surprisingly, they are as dif-
ferent from each other as each one is from waking—
yet both may be important for energy.
Non-REM sleep involves three stages. But sleep
specialists believe that the last of them—known as deep
sleep or slow-wave sleep—is a time for your body to
renew and repair itself. This stage of sleep appears to be
the one that plays the greatest role in energy, enhancing
your ability to make ATP, the body’s energy molecule.
In deep sleep, blood flow is directed less toward your
brain, which cools measurably. At the beginning of
this stage, the pituitary gland releases a pulse of growth
hormone that stimulates tissue growth and muscle
repair. Researchers have also detected increased blood
levels of substances that activate your immune system,
raising the possibility that deep sleep helps prepare the
body to defend itself against infection.
Someone whose deep sleep is restricted will wake
up feeling less refreshed than a person who got ade-
quate deep sleep. When a sleep-deprived person gets
some sleep, he or she will pass quickly through the
lighter sleep stages into the deeper stages and spend
18 Boosting Your Energy 
a greater proportion of time there, suggesting that
deep sleep fills an essential role in a person’s optimal
functioning.
Just as deep sleep restores your body, scientists
believe that REM sleep restores your mind, perhaps in
part by helping clear out irrelevant information. Studies
of students’ ability to solve a complex puzzle involving
abstract shapes suggest that the brain processes infor-
mation overnight; students who got a good night’s sleep
after seeing the puzzle fared much better than those
asked to solve the puzzle immediately. Other studies,
from Harvard Medical School and elsewhere, have
found that REM sleep facilitates learning and memory.
People who were tested to measure how well they had
learned a new task improved their scores after a night’s
sleep. If they were prevented from having REM sleep,
the improvements were lost. By contrast, if they were
awakened an equal number of times from deep sleep,
the improvements in the scores were unaffected.
Getting the right amount of sleep
It’s not surprising that getting less sleep than you need
leaves you feeling tired, but you may be taken aback to
learn that getting more than you need can be just as
bad. Many people find that on days when they sleep
late, they don’t feel more rested and recharged; instead,
they feel more lethargic and unmotivated than usual.
That’s because any significant deviation from normal
sleep patterns can upset your circadian rhythms. The
best solution is to figure out how many hours of sleep
are right for you and then stick with it—even on week-
ends and vacations.
For most people, however, the problem is too
little sleep, not too much. There are many causes of
sleep deprivation, but the most common one is simply
burning the candle at both ends. In this 24/7 world,
we remain tethered to work and electronic devices
well into the night. There are drugs that can help, but
w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du
the first line of defense is to make some basic lifestyle
changes that promote sleep (see “Get a better night’s
sleep,” page 26). And while caffeine can help keep you
awake when you’re dragging, too much reliance on it
may make it hard to get a good’s night sleep particu-
larly if you have caffeine after noontime. (For some
people, even a single cup of coffee in the morning
means a sleepless night.) Caffeine blocks the effects
of adenosine, a neurotransmitter thought to promote
sleep. It can also interrupt sleep by increasing the need
to urinate during the night.
Aging
Older people have trouble falling asleep and staying
asleep. They wake up more often, and it takes them
longer to fall back asleep, in part because melatonin
levels decline with age (see “Hormones and brain
chemicals,” page 6). Furthermore, though they still
spend about 20% of sleep time in REM sleep, as they
did when younger, they spend less time in energy-
restoring deep sleep. By age 65, people spend less than
5% of sleep time in deep sleep, compared with about
20% when they were in their 20s.
Other age-related changes can interfere with sleep
as well. Hot flashes can rob women of rest. According
to the National Sleep Foundation, 61% of postmeno-
pausal women have insomnia. (For coping techniques,
see “Menopause,” page 36.) And with age, people also
become more prone to snoring, which can be a sign
of sleep apnea (see “Sleep disorders,” page 40). If you
think you have sleep apnea, see a doctor for help. This
disorder not only drains your energy, but also raises
your risk of major illnesses such as heart disease.
As you get older, you’re more likely to make up for
your nighttime sleep deficit by napping. But if you nap
too late in the day or doze too long, the practice can
make insomnia worse by preventing you from falling
asleep at bedtime. Research comparing 5-, 10-, 20-,
and 30-minute naps suggests that, for most people, the
optimal nap length for boosting energy and cognitive
function is 10 minutes.
Sunday insomnia
People often have trouble falling asleep on Sunday
nights. While anxiety about work or school on Mon-
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
day is a potential cause, often the most important fac-
tor is a weekend change in sleep habits. When you stay
up late Friday night and sleep Saturday morning, you
are primed to stay up even later Saturday night and
sleep in the next day. By Sunday evening, your body’s
clock is programmed to stay up late. People who have
developed a pattern of Sunday insomnia may feel their
anxiety mount as they anticipate a difficult night.
The best way to avoid the Sunday blues is to main-
tain the same wake-up time and bedtime on the week-
ends as during weekdays. If this isn’t possible and you
end up staying up later than usual on Friday and Sat-
urday, the next best thing is to force yourself to get
up at your weekday wake-up time and take an early
afternoon nap on Saturday and Sunday. This way, you
maintain the same wake-up time while compensating
for your sleep deprivation.
Health hazards of insufficient sleep
The problem with inadequate sleep isn’t just that you
feel sluggish. A number of studies of hand-eye coordi-
nation and reaction time have shown that sleep depri-
vation can be as debilitating as intoxication.
It also leaves you prone to two potentially danger-
ous phenomena—microsleeps and automatic behav-
ior. Microsleeps are brief episodes of sleep that occur
in the midst of ongoing wakeful activity. They usually
last just a few seconds but can go on for 10 to 15 sec-
onds—and pose a grave danger if they happen when
you’re driving. Automatic behavior refers to a period
of several minutes or more when you’re awake and
performing routine duties but not attending to your
surroundings. Examples include a driver who keeps
the car on the road but misses an intended exit or a
train engineer who continues routine functions but
fails to notice an obstruction on the track.
In addition, long-term sleep deficits can be a con-
tributing factor in some significant illnesses. Problems
include a sharp increase in the risks for type 2 diabe-
tes, high blood pressure, and major depression. Sleep
loss has also been linked to weight gain, especially in
younger people; lack of sufficient sleep tends to dis-
rupt hormones that control hunger and appetite, and
the resulting daytime fatigue often discourages a per-
son from exercising.
Boosting Your Energy 19
 Energy and stress

I mminent danger gives you a surge of energy. The

fight-or-flight response (also known as the stress
response) primes your body to either take on an
Figure 3: The stress response
Hypothalamus Pituitary gland
attacker or run for your life. The body churns out
stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and A
norepinephrine (see Figure 3, at right). In response,
blood flow increases to the brain and heart. Your heart
pumps faster, your blood pressure goes up, and you Senses sharpen
take deeper breaths. Glucose floods your bloodstream
to provide fuel for muscles. This is a survival mecha- Breath quickens and
lungs take
nism that evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago ACTH released in more oxygen
to protect people in life-threatening situations.
Blood pressure rises
But while emergencies and other short-term Heart beats
faster
stressors can energize you temporarily, the stress
response guzzles energy, which is why it’s natural
B
to feel fatigued after a stressful event. Imagine the Muscles tighten
Adrenal glands
effect when you’re under constant low-level stress— release cortisol,
epinephrine
whether from traffic jams, work deadlines, financial (adrenaline),
issues, or caring for a sick relative. These, too, can Glucose and fats
and
norepinephrine
evoke the stress response. No wonder these pressures are released into
(noradrenaline)
bloodstream
make you feel tired.
According to an American Psychological Asso-
ciation poll known as the Stress in America Survey,
seven in 10 Americans reported experiencing physical
and nonphysical symptoms of stress. These symptoms
prominently included fatigue (37%), changes in sleep- Collectively, the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands
ing habits (30%), and feeling overwhelmed (35%) and make up the HPA axis, which plays a pivotal role in triggering the
irritable or angry (37%). Many people coped with the stress response.
excess stress by overeating, eating unhealthy foods, The hypothalamus sends a chemical messenger (corticotropin-
skipping meals, or engaging in sedentary activities like releasing factor, or CRF) to the nearby pituitary gland, which then
listening to music, watching TV or movies, or reading. releases its own chemical messenger (adrenocorticotropic hormone,
or ACTH) into the bloodstream (A). ACTH travels to the adrenal
But here’s the curious thing. People who regularly
glands, which respond by releasing a number of stress hormones
feel fatigued don’t necessarily have more stressors
into the bloodstream (B).
in their lives than others. In some cases, what is dif-
At the same time, the sympathetic nervous system releases stress
ferent is their response to stress. Faced with routine
hormones, too (not shown). The effects of these hormones are
frustrations—a rude remark by a store clerk, a com-
widespread, as this illustration shows. Senses become sharper,
puter crashing, an incorrect charge on a credit card— muscles tighten, the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, and
they may get angrier, more anxious, or more nervous. breathing quickens. This prepares you to fight or flee in the face of
Learning to dial back the stress response can help. danger—but it also consumes a lot of energy.

20 Boosting Your Energy  w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du

 Managing the stress response
Although your response to stress is partly genetic, you
can moderate it in several ways.
One of those is through regular exercise. Exercise is
a great stress reducer, as well as an energy booster in its
own right (see “Energy and exercise,” page 15). While
it is not clear exactly how exercise promotes stress
reduction, there are some reasonable theories. Regu-
lar aerobic exercise causes the “stress system”—mainly
parts of the brain and the adrenal glands—to generate
fewer stress hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine,
and cortisol) in response to daily stressors. In addition,
by prompting the production of endorphins in the
brain, regular exercise also may have a calming effect
that helps in dealing with those stressors.
You can also learn to moderate the stress response
with meditation and other mind-body techniques or
with cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of psycho-
therapy that helps you identify and change negative
thoughts and behaviors. Mind-body relaxation tech-
niques have become well-accepted as stress-reducing
strategies and are commonly recommended by both
mainstream health care providers and integrative
Practicing mindfulness in daily life
E nergy can come in different guises. Sometimes it seems
that nothing but a jolt of sugar and caffeine will power
you through a tough day. But in the long run, you’re better
off with the calm, focused energy you get from mindful-
ness—a practice that can help you stay “in the moment.”
© Antonio_Diaz | Thinkstock
You can try it no matter what else you’re doing, whether it’s
washing the dishes or taking a walk. Here’s how:
• Start by bringing your attention to the sensations in your
body.
• Breathe in through your nose. Let your abdomen expand
fully. Then breathe out through your mouth. Notice the
sensations of each inhalation and exhalation.
• Proceed with the task at hand slowly and with full
deliberation.
• Engage your senses fully. Notice each sight, touch, and
sound so that you savor every sensation.
• When you notice that your mind has wandered from the
task at hand, gently bring your attention back to the sen-
sations of the moment.
Mindfulness is a lifelong practice. Even if you start practicing
ww w. h ealt h . h ar v ar d . e du
medicine specialists. Although there are many differ-
ent techniques that work, their common goal is to turn
off the stress response by eliciting its opposite—the
relaxation response. All relaxation techniques empha-
size a strong connection between the mind and the
body. This once-novel idea is now widely accepted as
scientists probe how the brain works and get a better
understanding of how biological events such as fatigue
relate to mental conditions.
What happens deep inside your cells when you
elicit the relaxation response? Exciting new research
suggests that this simple act temporarily throws a
switch on certain genes, tamping down the activity of
genes associated with the chronic inflammation that
many experts believe contributes to heart disease,
inflammatory bowel disease, and diabetes. At the same
time, it turns up the activity of genes linked with the
use of energy in the body, particularly the functions
of mitochondria, the cells’ tiny energy powerhouses.
There is even preliminary evidence that the relaxation
response may slow the aging of our cells.
To measure gene activity, the researchers used
blood samples taken from two small groups of healthy
Mindfulness meditation can give you a calm, focused energy
that helps power you through your day.
it as a meditation, you will find it expanding to your daily
life, helping you to better appreciate simple everyday experi-
ences. By learning to focus on the here and now, you may
find yourself less likely to get caught up in worries about the
future or regrets over the past. When you waste less energy
on stress, you have more energy for activities and other
aspects of your life.
Boosting Your Energy 21
subjects: long-term practitioners of techniques like
yoga, meditation, and repetitive prayer; and novices
who hadn’t used these techniques before, but who
received training in them as part of the study. While
the long-term practitioners had the most profound
changes in gene activity, the group with eight weeks of
training also showed significant changes in gene activ-
ity compared with measurements from when they
were complete novices.
Are you intrigued? See “Practicing mindfulness
in daily life,” page 21, and “Quick and easy relaxation
techniques,” page 28, for specific methods to try. In
addition, here are some forms of exercise that incor-
porate mind-body techniques.
Qigong. This ancient Chinese art melds breath-
ing, meditation, gentle exercise, and flowing move-
ments. (Qi, or chi, is the Chinese word for the life
energy believed to course through the body. Qigong
is thought to unblock and properly balance the flow of
qi.) When practiced regularly, qigong can lower your
blood pressure, pulse, and demand for oxygen, as do
other techniques that elicit the relaxation response. As
a bonus, it may also enhance balance and flexibility.
Rhythmic, repetitive activities. Rhythmic exer-
cises, such as walking, jogging, swimming, or bicy-
cling, can be calming and relaxing. Once you get
under way, become aware of how your breathing com-
plements the activity. Breathe rhythmically, repeat-
ing a focus word, phrase, or prayer you’ve chosen.
Remember to adopt a passive attitude. When disrup-
tive thoughts intrude, gently turn your mind away
from them and focus on moving and breathing.
A mindful walk. Taking a mindful walk is a good
example of exercising with relaxation in mind. As you
move and breathe rhythmically, be aware of the sen-
sations of your body. How does it feel as your breath
flows in through your nostrils and out through your
mouth? Gradually expand your awareness to the sights
and smells around you. Notice the freshly mown grass,
22 Boosting Your Energy 
flowers, trees, fallen leaves, dappled sun, or gray clouds.
How does the outside air feel against your body? How
does the surface beneath your feet feel and sound?
What thoughts are moving through your head? A slow,
mindful walk helps center and relax you. Alternatively,
a brisker pace that pushes your limits can be calming
and energizing in equal parts. In this case, place more
emphasis on the sensations of your body, such as your
quickened breathing and heartbeat and the way your
muscles respond as you tax them.
Tai chi. This mind-body exercise regimen, which
consists of a series of flowing postures that you per-
form in a set sequence while centering your mind, is
an excellent form of physical activity to reduce stress
and boost vitality in older adults. It is an easy exercise
regimen to adopt and can break the cycle of seden-
tary behavior, while improving balance, coordination,
flexibility, muscle strength, and stamina. In addition
to reducing stress, tai chi can improve body aware-
ness and reduce social isolation when it’s practiced in
a group setting. Sessions, which usually last an hour,
begin with meditation and progress to the postures,
which are performed slowly (although some styles of
practice are done at higher intensity). Body posture
and deep breathing are key elements of correct prac-
tice, and regular, ongoing sessions confer the most
benefit.
Yoga. Like tai chi, yoga is a proven stress buster
with numerous studies showing substantial benefits
for the mind and body. To begin with, research dem-
onstrates that the practice of yoga reduces the burden
of mental stress, which expends a lot of the body’s
energy resources. In addition, yoga improves physi-
cal health and the quality of sleep over the long term,
which adds up to more vigor. And because stress plays
a role in worsening the symptoms caused by most dis-
eases, yoga may be even more beneficial for chroni-
cally ill people than for healthy individuals. Regular
practice yields the most benefit.
w w w.h ealt h .ha r va r d.e du
 SPECIAL SECTION

A 6-step plan to jump-start

your natural energy
T
here is no pill or energy drink in the stores that will You’ll want to tailor the strate-
magically restore the energy of your youth. (Only if you gies to your individual needs, so
before reading this section, get a
have an underlying illness causing fatigue will medica-
notebook or electronic device so
tion help—by treating the illness, not by directly boosting that you can write down each step,
your energy.) However, certain lifestyle changes—outlined in followed by the specific changes
the six-step plan below—can go a long way toward improving you can make to accomplish that
your energy, mood, and overall health. Because these ap- item. Writing your goals down can
help you stay on track. Making
proaches address both the physical and psychological aspects
daily entries can help you monitor
of fatigue, they can improve your strength and ability to exert your progress and stay focused.
yourself and sustain your motivation.

1 Eat for energy

Simply getting outdoors in nature can
help restore your body and soul, reduce
stress, and give you some exercise, all
of which can boost your energy.
© Cathy Yeulet | Thinkstock
Caffeine and sugar can give
you a temporary lift. But in the
long run, the only diet that will
keep you functioning at your best
is a well-rounded, healthful diet
(see “Energy and food,” page 8). It
gives you the vitamins and miner-
als you need for generating energy.
It gives you the unrefined carbohy-
drates and healthy unsaturated fats
that supply the reserves you’ll need
throughout the day. But what does
this healthy, energy-boosting diet

look like? Try these tips.

Let the Harvard Healthy Eat-
ing Plate be your guide. With
the overload of diet advice out

www.health.har vard.edu Boosting Your Energy 23

 SPECIAL SECTION | A 6-step plan to jump-start your natural energy

there, it can be hard to separate noon slump. The reasons for this Use caffeine to your advan-
objective, scientific recommenda- are unclear, but it may reflect the tage. Caffeine can increase or
tions from those that are slanted increase in blood sugar after eat- decrease your energy level, depend-
by commercial or other agendas. ing, which is followed by a drop in ing on when and how much of it
That’s why teams from Harvard energy later. you consume. Caffeine does help
Health Publications and the Har- Avoid crash diets. If you increase alertness for an hour or
vard T.H. Chan School of Public need to lose weight, do so gradu- two after consumption, so hav-
Health came up with a graphical ally, without skimping on essential ing a cup of coffee before going to
approach to healthy eating (see nutrients or starving yourself of a meeting or starting on a project
Figure 4, below right). As you’ll the calories you need for energy. can help sharpen your mind. But it
see from the Healthy Eating Plate, Poor nutrition and inadequate can also cause insomnia, especially
half of every meal should consist calorie intake can cause fatigue. when consumed in large amounts
of fruit and vegetables. Carbs are And remember to eat regularly or after 2 p.m. (or even noon, if
good, as long as they’re the whole- throughout the day, even when you’re caffeine-sensitive).
grain variety. For protein, choose you’re dieting. Your brain needs a Limit alcohol. If you’re going
fish, fowl, beans, and nuts over red steady supply of glucose from food. to drink, do so in moderation at
meat. When you eat a diet packed When the brain’s glucose levels a time when you don’t mind hav-
with vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole are low, some people feel hungry, ing your energy wind down. The
grains, healthy fats, and lean pro- fatigued, or both, which can then sedative effect of alcohol is espe-
tein, you not only consume the trigger a bout of overeating. cially strong at midday, when you
finest energy-boosting foods, but
you also promote good health—an
energy booster in itself. Figure 4: Eating for energy and health
Eat small, frequent meals …
but don’t overeat. When energy
is the issue, it’s better to eat small
meals and snacks every few hours
than three large meals a day. This
approach can reduce your per-
ception of fatigue because your
brain, which has very few energy
reserves of its own, needs a steady
supply of nutrients. Some people
begin feeling sluggish, headachy, or
lightheaded after just a few hours
without food. But it doesn’t take
much to feed your brain—a piece
of fruit or a few nuts is adequate.
Smaller is especially better at
lunch. Researchers have observed
that the circadian rhythms of peo-
ple who eat a lot at lunch typically When you eat a diet packed with vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean
show a more pronounced after- protein, you not only consume energy-boosting foods, but you also promote good health.

24 Boosting Your Energy www.health.har vard.edu


normally feel a bit lethargic any-
way, so one of the best hedges
against the midafternoon slump is
to avoid alcohol at lunch. Similarly,
avoid the five o’clock cocktail if you
want to have energy in the eve-
ning to pursue a hobby, stay awake
through a movie, spend time with
your family, or finish that report
for work the next day.
That said, many experts advise
against having a nightcap just
before going to bed. Though alco-
hol initially relaxes you and causes
drowsiness, several hours later it
begins to stimulate the brain—par-
ticularly the sleep/wake centers.
For this reason, it may help you
to fall asleep, but the stimulating
effect that kicks in two to three
hours later may awaken you and
make it difficult to get enough
deep, restorative sleep for the rest
of the night.
If you do choose to drink alco-
hol, a glass with dinner is a reason-
able choice. And stay within the
limits of moderation: no more than
two drinks a day for men and one
for women.
Drink water. What’s the only
fluid that has been shown to en-
hance performance for most activi-
ties? It’s not some pricey sports
drink. It’s water. If your body is
short on fluids, one of the first
signs is a feeling of fatigue.
Sports drinks such as Gatorade
and Powerade combine water with
sugar, vitamins, minerals, and elec-
trolytes—sodium, chloride, potas-
sium, and other substances that
help regulate body processes. But
www.health.har vard.edu
A 6-step plan to jump-start your natural energy | SPECIAL SECTION
these add-ons won’t give you extra
energy for ordinary, everyday activ-
ities, and these drinks may provide
more calories than you burn. You
don’t need them unless your work-
out is extremely strenuous or long,
or you sweat profusely and lose
nutrients through perspiration.
How much water do you need?
The Institute of Medicine recom-
mends that women consume a
total of about 91 ounces of fluids
a day (about 11.5 cups) and men
about 125 ounces (16 cups). These
fluids can come from a combina-
tion of drinks (such as water, milk,
coffee, tea, or soda) and solid foods
that contain water (such as fruits
and vegetables), so you don’t actu-
ally need to drink 16 cups of fluid
a day: five to eight is good enough.
2 Exercise regularly
Exercise is the energy booster
that is so counterintuitive, most
people don’t even think of it. But
it’s a proven way to increase your
vim and vigor (see “Energy and
exercise,” page 15). The Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans
recommend 150 minutes of mod-
erate aerobic activity per week (for
example, half an hour five days a
week) or 75 minutes of vigorous
activity, or a mix of the two. The
guidelines also advise engaging in
two to three strength training ses-
sions per week. Allow at least 48
hours between these muscle-build-
ing workouts to give your body
time to recover.
However, certain people—par-
ticularly those with chronic fatigue
syndrome or multiple sclerosis,
those who are elderly, or those who
have long been couch potatoes—
should start slowly and build grad-
ually. Some evidence indicates, for
example, that aerobic exercise can
aggravate symptoms in some peo-
ple with chronic fatigue syndrome.
And people with multiple sclerosis
are prone to overheating quickly,
which can make them feel weak
and fatigued. Check with your doc-
tor for advice based on your own
health history before you begin an
exercise program.
Whether you are doing aerobic
exercise or strength training, start
each exercise session with a five-
to 10-minute warm-up. March-
ing in place and gently swinging
your arms, dancing to a song on
the radio, or starting slowly on a
treadmill or exercise bike are excel-
lent ways to warm up. At the end of
each session, finish with a five- to
10-minute cool-down, such as slow
walking, until your heart rate and
breathing return close to normal.
Stretching is also essential at the
end of a session to work out muscle
kinks and improve range of motion
and balance.
Aerobic activity. The most
convenient and affordable form of
aerobic activity is walking. Stud-
ies have shown that brisk walking
for at least half an hour, five times
a week, has nearly the same health
benefits as more vigorous exercise
(see “How fast is brisk?” on page
26). People who take brisk walks
have a lower risk for heart disease,
diabetes, high blood pressure, high
Boosting Your Energy 25
 SPECIAL SECTION | A 6-step plan to jump-start your natural energy
How fast is brisk?
A brisk walk is generally 3 to 4 miles per hour. But since humans don’t come
equipped with built-in speedometers, you need some way to measure your walk-
ing speed. One way is to count your steps per minute. Provided you’re walking on
level ground, you can use the following as general guidance to gauge your pace:
• Slow = 80 steps per minute
• Moderate to brisk = 100 steps
per minute
cholesterol, colon cancer, osteopo-
rosis, and perhaps other diseases.
Even mental health problems are
less frequent in regular walkers.
Although it hasn’t been studied,
many regular walkers also believe
that this exercise makes them
more energetic.
If you are starting an exercise
program for the first time, begin
with a slow walk around the block
almost every day. Then, as your
energy level rises and your mus-
cles become conditioned, gradu-
ally spend more time exercising.
Increase the length and intensity
of your walk to a degree that’s chal-
lenging but not overwhelming.
If you are up for more vigor-
ous workouts, you can try running,
hiking, biking, aerobic dancing, or
swimming. In truth, exercise inten-
sity is dictated more by your level
of fitness than the activity—so even
a walk can be termed “vigorous”
if you pick up the pace and boost
your heart rate. Many experts offer
the following rule of thumb for
aerobic exercise: If you can talk eas-
ily while performing your routine,
exercise harder. If you can’t carry
on a conversation at all, back off.
26 Boosting Your Energy
• Fast = 120 steps per minute
• Race walking = More than 120
steps per minute
Strength training. Resistance
exercise, such as weight lifting,
is especially beneficial for people
in their 60s and older because it
builds muscle mass. Weight lifting
doesn’t have to involve heavy bar-
bells. Lifting light hand weights can
provide adequate resistance, as can
using strength training machines
at the gym.
Choose weights as light as 2
pounds for your first few strength
training sessions so you can con-
centrate on good form—you want
to isolate muscles by trying to move
only those that you’re exercising.
After that, add enough weight so
that the maximum number of rep-
etitions you can do per set is about
eight to 12. The last few repetitions
in each set should require a good
deal of effort. Aim for two to three
sets per exercise, breathing out as
you lift and breathing in as you
lower the weight. Rest between
sets for a minute to reap the best
strength gains.
Be sure to exercise all of the
major muscle groups of the legs,
trunk, arms, and shoulders.
Yoga and tai chi. Yoga and
tai chi (see page 22) can enhance
energy, too, while also improving
balance, coordination, flexibility,
muscle strength, and stamina. In
addition, a study published in the
Journal of Physical Activity and
Health found that doing 20 minutes
of yoga postures led to better cog-
nitive functioning—specifically, an
improved ability to focus and take
in and use new information—than
20 minutes of aerobic exercise.
3 Get a better night’s
sleep
Nothing saps your energy faster
than a poor night’s rest (see “Energy
and sleep,” page 18). But you don’t
have to toss and turn all night. Most
ordinary sleep difficulties can be
solved with a simple set of behav-
ioral changes. (If you suffer from a
disorder such as sleep apnea, how-
ever, you’ll need to see a doctor
who specializes in sleep.)
Practice good sleep hygiene.
People who have difficulty sleeping
often come to associate their bed-
room with the frustration of trying
and failing to get to sleep. These
associations create anxiety, worsen-
ing the insomnia. Reconditioning
is a behavioral technique for break-
ing such negative associations.
Here’s what to do:
• Use the bed only for sleeping or
sex. Watch TV or read in a dif-
ferent room, and keep your bed-
room dark for sleep. (That also
means covering up lights from
chargers and electronic devices.
Better yet, keep laptops, cell-
phones, and other devices in a
different room.)
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Another random document with
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was fought in 1429; and as there is abundant testimony of Sir John
having been in possession of the Garter and all its honors long after
that period; and, further, that his tomb in Pulham Mary, Norfolk,
represented him in gilt armor, with his crest and two escutcheons,
with the cross of St. George within the order, we may fairly conclude
that if the charge was ever made, of which there is no trace, it
assuredly never was proven.
If there were some individuals who refused to accept the honor at all,
there were others who were afraid to do so without curious inquiry.
Thus, in the reign of Henry VI. we hear of the embassador from
Frederick III. Emperor of Germany (one Sir Hertook von Clux),
stating that his master wishes to know “what it would stand him in, if
he were to be admitted into the honorable order!” Cautious Austria!
There are examples both of courtesy and sarcasm among the
Knights of the Garter. I may cite, for instance, the case of the Duke
of York, in the reign of Henry VI. a. d. 1453. The King was too ill to
preside at the Chapter; the Duke of Buckingham was his
representative; and the Duke of York, so little scrupulous in most
matters, excused himself from attending on this occasion, because,
as he said, “the sovereign having for some time been angry with him,
he durst not attend, lest he should incur his further displeasure, and
thereby aggravate the illness under which the King was suffering.”
When the same Duke came into power, he gave the Garter to the
most useful men of the York party, beheading a few Lancastrian
knights in order to make way for them. At the Chapter held for the
purpose of electing the York aspirants, honest John de Foix, Earl of
Kendal, declined to vote at all. He alleged that he was unable to
discern whether the candidates were “without reproach” or not, and
he left the decision to clearsighted people. The Earl was a
Lancastrian, and he thus evaded the disagreeable act of voting for
personal and political enemies.
But whatever the intensity of dislike one knight may have had
against another, there were occasions on which they went, hand in
hand, during the celebration of mass, to kiss that esteemable relic,
the heart of St. George. This relic had been brought to England by
the Emperor Sigismund. Anstis remarks, after alluding to the
obstinacy of those who will not believe all that St. Ambrose says
touching the facts of St. George, his slaying of the dragon, and his
rescue of a royal virgin, that “whosoever is so refractory as
obstinately to condemn every part of this story, is not to be bore
with.” He then adds: “this true martyr and excellent and valued
soldier of Christ, after many unspeakable torments inflicted on him
by an impious tyrant, when he had bent his head, and was just ready
to give up the ghost, earnestly entreated Almighty God, that
whoever, in remembrance of him, and his name, should devoutly ask
anything, might be heard, a voice instantly came from Heaven,
signifying that that was granted which he had requested.... While
living, by prayer he obtained that whoever should fly to him for his
intercession, should not pray nor cry out in vain. He ordered the
trunk of his body, which had origin from among infidels, to be sent to
them, that they whom he had not been able to serve, when living,
might receive benefit from him, when dead; that those infidels who
by any misfortune had lost their senses, by coming to him or his
chapel, might be restored to soundness of mind and judgment. His
head and other members were to be carried, some one way and
some another. But his heart, the emblem of lively love, was
bequeathed wholly to Christians, for whom he had the most fervent
affection. Not to all them in general, though Christians, but to
Englishmen alone; and not to every part of England, but only to his
own Windsor, which on this account must have been more pleasing
to the sovereigns and all other the knights of this most illustrious
order. Thus his heart, together with a large portion of his skull, is
there kept with due honor and veneration. Sigismund, Emperor of
Alemain, always august, being chosen in this honorable order,
presented this heart to the invincible Henry V., who gave orders to
have it preserved in that convenient place, where he had already
instituted for himself solemn exequies for ever, that the regard he
had for all others might be past dispute.” This is very far, indeed,
from being logical, but the fact remains that during the reign of Henry
VI., the heart seems to have been regarded with more than usual
reverence by the knights of the two factions which were rending
England. Each hoped to win St. George for a confederate.
The chapters were not invariably held at Windsor, nor in such
solemn localities as a chapel. In 1445, Henry VI., held a chapter at
the Lion Inn in Brentford. In this hostelrie the King created Sir
Thomas Hastings and Sir Alonzo d’Almade, Knights of the Garter. To
the latter, who was also made Earl of Avranches, in the best room of
a Brentford inn, the monarch also presented a gold cup. The whole
party seems to have made a night of it in the pleasant locality, and
the new chevaliers were installed the next morning—after which,
probably, mulled sack went round in the golden cup.
Shakespeare makes Richard III. swear by his George, his Garter,
and his Crown; but the George and Collar were novelties introduced
by Henry VII. The latter King held one of the most splendid chapters
which ever assembled, at York, prefacing the work there by riding
with all the knights, in their robes, to the morning mass of requiem,
and following it up by similarly riding to even-sung. This was more
decent than Henry VI.’s tavern chapter of the (Red) Lion, in
Brentford. Henry VII. was fond of the solemn splendor of
installations, at which he changed his costume like a versatile actor,
was surrounded by ladies as well as knights, and had Skelton, the
poet, near to take notes for songs and sonnets, descriptive of the
occasion. A sovereign of the order, like Henry VII., so zealous to
maintain its splendor and efficiency, merited the gift which was
conferred upon him by the Cardinal of Rouen—of the bones of one
of the legs of St. George. The saint had many legs, but it is not said
where these bones were procured, and they who beheld them, at the
chapter held in St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1505, probably little troubled
themselves as to whence the precious relics were derived. Henry, in
return, left an image of St. George, of one hundred and forty ounces,
adorned with masses of precious stones, to the College of Windsor,
“there to remain while the world shall endure, to be set upon the high
altar at all solemn feasts.” Leg bones and costly image would now be
sought for in vain. The world has outlived them, and suffers nothing
by their loss.
It was the successor of Richmond, namely Henry VIII. who granted
to these knights what may be termed a sumptuary privilege, that of
being permitted to wear woollen cloth made out of the realm. None
but a knight, save the peers, dared don a coat or mantle made of
foreign cloth. In love of splendor, Henry was equal to his
predecessor, and perhaps never was a more brilliant spectacle seen
than on the 27th of May, 1519, when the King and a glittering
cortège rode from Richmond to Windsor, and changed steeds and
drank a cup at the “Catherine’s Wheel,” in Colnbrook, by the way.
The Queen and a galaxy of ladies met them in Eton, and the usual
solemnities were followed by a gorgeous banquet, at which there
were such meat and music as had scarcely ever been so highly
enjoyed at a festival before. The middle of the hall was crowded with
spectators, but at the close of the repast, these were turned out,
when “the King was served of his void, the knights also, standing all
along”—which must have been a remarkably edifying exhibition.
Henry re-modelled the order, and framed the statutes by which it is
now chiefly governed. Among them was the one directing that no
person of mean birth should be elected, and this the King himself
very speedily broke, by electing Thomas Cromwell. The latter
returned thanks for the honor in the very humblest strain, and while
he seemed conscious that he was entirely unworthy of the
distinction, he appeared desirous to assure the sneering knights’
companions who had been compelled to give him their suffrages,
that ignoble as he was, he would imitate nobility as closely as
possible. But there were men, from the period of the institution of the
order downward to Henry’s time, who, if of higher birth than
Cromwell, were not of higher worth. Very many had forfeited their
dignity as knights by treasonable practices; and Henry decreed that
wherever these names occurred in the records, the words “Vœ
Proditor!”—Out upon the traitor—should be written against them in
the margin. The text had thus a truly Tudor comment.
Under the succeeding sovereign, Edward VI., a great portion of the
splendor of the religious ceremonies at the installation was
abolished. It was in this reign that Northumberland procured the
ejection of Lord Paget from the order, on the ground that the
meanness of his birth had always disqualified him, or as Edward VI.
says in his journal, “for divers his offences, and chiefly because he
was no gentleman of blood, neither of father-side nor mother-side.”
Lord Paget, however, was restored under Mary, and the record of his
degradation was removed from the register.
Under Mary, if there was some court servility there was also some
public spirit. When the Queen created her husband Philip a knight,
an obsequious herald, out of compliment to the “joint-sovereigns,”
took down the arms of England in the chapel at Windsor, and was
about to set up those of Spain. This, however, was forbidden “by
certain lords,” and brave men they were, for in such a display of
English spirit there was peril of incurring the ill-will of Mary, who was
never weary of heaping favors on the foreign King-consort, whom
she would have made generalissimo of her forces if she had dared.
It is a curious fact that Philip was not ejected from the order, even
when he had despatched the Spanish Armada to devastate the
dominions of the sovereign.
In illustration of the fact that the Garter never left the leg of a knight
of the order, there are some lines by the Elizabethan poet Peele,
which are very apt to the occasion. Speaking of the Earl of Bedford,
Peele says—

—“Dead is Bedford! virtuous and renowned

For arms, for honor, and religious love;
And yet alive his name in Fame’s records,
That held his Garter dear, and wore it well.
Some worthy wight but blazon his deserts:
Only a tale I thought on by the way,
As I observed his honorable name.
I heard it was his chance, o’erta’en with sleep,
To take a nap near to a farmer’s lodge.
Trusted a little with himself belike,
This aged earl in his apparel plain,
Wrapt in his russet gown, lay down to rest,
His badge of honor buckled to his leg.
Bare and naked. There came a pilfering swad
And would have preyed upon this ornament
Essayed t’ unbuckle it, thinking him asleep.
The noble gentleman, feeling what he meant—
‘Hold, foolish lad,’ quoth he, ‘a better prey:
‘This Garter is not fit for ev’ry leg,
‘And I account it better than my purse.
 The varlet ran away, the earl awaked.
And told his friends, and smiling said withal,
‘’A would not, had ’a understood the French
‘Writ on my Garter, dared t’ have stol’n the same.’
This tale I thought upon, told me for truth,
The rather for it praised the Posy,
Right grave and honorable, that importeth much—
‘Evil be to him,’ it saith, ‘that evil thinks.’”

Elizabeth was distinguished for loving to hold newly-chosen knights

in suspense, before she ratified their election by her approval. The
anniversary banquets too fell into disuse during her reign, and she
introduced the most unworthy knight that had ever stood upon the
record of the order. This was Charles IX. of France. On the other
hand she sent the Garter to Henri Quatre. He was the last French
monarch who was a companion of the order, till the reign of Louis
XVIII. On the day the latter came up from Hartwell to Stanmore, on
his way to France, at the period of the first restoration, the Prince
Regent invested him with the brilliant insignia at Carlton House. It
was on this occasion Louis XVIII. observed that he was the first King
of France who had worn the garter since the period of Henri Quatre.
Louis had erased his own name from the Golden Book of Nobility of
Venice, when he heard that the name of Bonaparte had been
inserted therein. He, perhaps, would have declined receiving the
Garter, if he could have foreseen that the royal niece of the Prince
Regent would, in after years, confer the order on the imperial
nephew of Napoleon.
The period of James is marked by some pretty quarrels among the
officials. Thus at the installation of Prince Henry, there was a feast
which was well nigh turned into a fray. At the very beginning of it, the
prebends and heralds fell to loggerheads on the delicate question of
precedency. The alms-knights mingled in the quarrel by siding with
the prebends, and claiming the next degree of precedency before
the heralds. Reference was made to the Earls of Nottingham and
Worcester. The referees adjudged the heralds to have right of
precedency before the prebends. Thereupon the proud prebends,
oblivious of Christian humility, refused to go to church at the tail of
the heralds. The latter went in exultingly without them, and the
prebends would not enter until a long time had elapsed, so that it
could not be said they followed the gentlemen of the tabard. The
delicate question was again angrily discussed, and at length referred
to the whole body of knights. The noble fraternity, after grave
deliberation, finally determined that on the next day of St. George,
being Sunday, in the procession to the church, the alms-knights
should go first, then the pursuivants of arms, then the prebends
(many of whom were doctors of divinity), and finally the heralds. The
latter were cunning rogues, and no inconsiderable authority in
matters of precedency; and they immediately declared that the
knights had decreed to them the better place, inasmuch as that in
most processions the principal personages did not walk first.
Of the knights of this reign, Grave Maurice, Prince of Orange, and
Frederick the (Goody) Palsgrave of the Rhine, were among the most
celebrated. They were installed in 1613, the Prince by proxy, and the
Palsgrave in person. A young and graceful Count Ludovic of
Nassau, was chosen at the last moment, to represent the Prince,
whose appointed representative, Count Henry, was detained in
Holland by adverse winds. “The feast,” says an eye-witness, “was in
the Great Hall, where the king dined at the upper table alone, served
in state by the Lord Gerard as Sewer, the Lord Morris as Cupbearer,
the Lord Compton as Carver; all that were of the order, at a long
cross table across the hall. The Prince by himself alone, and the
Palatine a little distance from him. But the Count Nassau was ranged
over-against my Lord Admiral, and so took place of all after the
Sovereign Princes, not without a little muttering of our Lords, who
would have had him ranged according to seniority, if the king had not
overruled it by prerogative.”
Wilson, in his history of James I., narrates a curious anecdote
respecting this Grave Maurice and the ribbon of the order. “Prince
Maurice took it as a great honor to be admitted into the Fraternity of
that Order, and wore it constantly; till afterward, some villains at the
Hague, that met the reward of their demerit (one of them, a
Frenchman, being groom of the Prince’s chamber) robbed a jeweller
of Amsterdam that brought jewels to the Prince. This groom,
tempting him into his chamber, to see some jewels, there, with his
confederates, strangled the man with one of the Prince’s Blue
Ribbons; which being afterward discovered, the Prince would never
suffer so fatal an instrument to come about his neck.”
James, by raising his favorite Buckingham, then only Sir George
Villiers, to the degree of Knight of the Garter, was considered to have
as much outraged the order as Henry VIII. had done by investing
Cromwell with the insignia. Chamberlain, in a letter to Sir Dudley
Carleton, says, “The King went away the next day after St. George’s
Feast, toward Newmarket and Thetford, the Earl of Rutland and Sir
George Villiers being that morning elected into the order of the
Garter, which seemed at first a strange choice, in regard that the wife
of the former is an open and known recusant, and he is said to have
many dangerous people about him; and the latter is so lately come
into the sight of the world, and withal it is doubted that he had not
sufficient likelihood to maintain the dignity of the place, according to
express articles of the order. But to take away that scruple, the King
hath bestowed upon him the Lord Gray’s lands, and means, they
say, to mend his grant with much more, not far distant, in the present
possession of the Earl of Somerset, if he do cadere causâ and sink
in the business now in hand.” The last passage alludes to the murder
of Overbury.
The going down to Windsor was at this time a pompous spectacle.
The riding thither of the Knights Elect is thus spoken of by a
contemporary: “On Monday,” (St. George’s day, 1615), “our Knights
of the Garter, Lord Fenton and Lord Knollys, ride to Windsor, with
great preparation to re-vie one with another who shall make the best
show. Though I am of opinion the latter will carry it by many degrees,
by reason of the alliance with the houses of the Howards, Somerset,
Salisbury, and Dorset, with many other great families that will bring
him their friends, and most part of the pensioners. Yet most are
persuaded the other will bear away the bell, as having the best part
of the court, all the bed-chamber, all the prince’s servants and
followers, with a hundred of the Guard, that have new rich coats
made on purpose, besides Sir George Villiers (the favorite), and Mr.
Secretary—whose presence had been better forborne, in my
judgment, for many reasons—but that every man abound in his own
sense.” James endeavored to suppress, in some measure, the
expensive ride of the Knights Elect to Windsor, but only with partial
success. His attempted reform, too, had a selfish aspect; he tried to
make it profitable to himself. He prohibited the giving of livery coats,
“for saving charge and avoiding emulation,” and at the same time
ordered that all existing as well as future companions should present
a piece of plate of the value of twenty pounds sterling at least for the
use of the altar in St. George’s Chapel.
Charles I. held chapters in more places in England than any other
king—now at York, now at Nottingham, now at Oxford, and in other
localities. These chapters were sometimes attended by as few as
four knights, and for the most part they were shorn of much of the
ancient ceremony. He held some brilliant chapters at Windsor,
nevertheless. At one of them, the election of the Earl of
Northumberland inspired a bard, whose song I subjoin because it is
illustrative of several incidents which are far from lacking interest.
“A brief description of the triumphant show made by the Right
Honorable Aulgernon Percie Earl of Northumberland, at his
installation and initiation into the princely fraternity of the Garter, on
the 13th of May, 1635.”
To the tune of “Quell the Pride.”

“You noble buds of Britain,

That spring from honor’s tree,
Who love to hear of high designs,
Attend awhile to me.
And I’ll (in brief) discover what
Fame bids me take in hand—
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“The order of the Garter,

Ere since third Edward reigned
Unto the realm of England hath
A matchless honor gained.
The world hath no society,
 Like to this princely band,
To raise
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“The honor of his pedigree

Doth claim a high regard,
And many of his ancestors
For fame thought nothing hard.
And he, through noble qualities,
Which are exactly scanned,
Doth raise
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“Against the day appointed,

His lordship did prepare;
To publish his magnificence
No charges he did spare.
The like within man’s memory
Was never twice in hand
To raise
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“Upon that day it seemed

All Brittany did strive,
And did their best to honor him
With all they could contrive.
For all our high nobility
Joined in a mutual land
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“The common eyes were dazzled

With wonder to behold
The lustre of apparel rich,
All silver, pearl, and gold,
Which on brave coursers mounted,
Did glisten through the Strand,
To blaze
The praise
 Of great Northumberland.

“But ere that I proceed

This progress to report,
I should have mentioned the feast
Made at Salisbury Court.
Almost five hundred dishes
Did on the table stand,
To raise
The praise
Of great Northumberland.”

The Second Part, to the same tune.

“The mightiest prince or monarch

That in the world doth reign,
At such a sumptuous banquet might
Have dined without disdain,
Where sack, like conduit water,
Was free ever at command,
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“The famous Fleet-street conduit,

Renowned so long ago,
Did not neglect to express what love
She to my lord did owe.
For like an old proud woman
The painted face doth stand
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“A number of brave gallants,

Some knights and some esquires,
Attended at this triumph great,
Clad in complete attires.
The silver half-moon gloriously
Upon their sleeves doth stand,
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.
“All these on stately horses,
That ill endured the bit,
Were mounted in magnific cost,
As to the time was fit.
Their feathers white and red did show,
Like to a martial band,
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“The noble earls and viscounts,

And barons, rode in state:
This great and high solemnity
All did congratulate.
To honor brave Earl Percy
Each put a helping hand
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“King Charles, our royal sovereign,

And his renownéd Mary,
With Britain’s hope, their progeny,
All lovingly did tarry
At noble Viscount Wimbleton’s,
I’ the fairest part o’ th’ Strand,
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“To famous Windsor Castle,

With all his gallant train,
Earl Pearcy went that afternoon
His honor to obtain.
And there he was installed
One of St. George’s band,
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.

“Long may he live in honor,

In plenty and in peace;
For him, and all his noble friends,
 To pray I’ll never cease.
This ditty (which I now will end)
Was only ta’en in hand
To blaze
The praise
Of great Northumberland.”

This illustrative ballad bears the initials “M. P.” These, probably, do
not imply either a member of Parliament, or of the house of Percy.
Beneath the initials we have the legend, “Printed at London, for
Francis Coules, and are” (verses subaudiuntur) “to be sold at his
shop in the Old Bayley.” There are three woodcuts to illustrate the
text. The first represents the Earl on horseback; both peer and
charger are very heavily caparisoned, and the steed looks as
intelligent as the peer. In front of this stately, solid, and leisurely
pacing couple, is a mounted serving-man, armed with a stick, and
riding full gallop at nobody. The illustration to the second part
represents the Earl returning from Windsor in a carriage, which looks
very much like the Araba in the Turkish Exhibition. The new Knight
wears his hat, cloak, collar and star; his figure, broad-set to the
doorway, bears no distant resemblance to the knave of clubs, and
his aristocratic self-possession and serenity are remarkable,
considering the bumping he is getting, as implied by the wheels of
his chariot being several inches off the ground. The pace of the
steeds, two and twohalves of whom are visible, is not, however, very
great. They are hardly out of a walk. But perhaps the bareheaded
coachman and the as bareheaded groom have just pulled them up,
to allow the running footmen to reach the carriage. Two of these are
seen near the rear of the vehicle, running like the brace of
mythological personages in Ovid, who ran the celebrated match in
which the apples figured so largely. The tardy footmen have just
come in sight of their lord, who does not allow his serenity to be
disturbed by chiding them. The Percy wears as stupid an air as his
servants, and the only sign of intelligence anywhere in the group is
to be found in the off-side wheeler, whose head is turned back, with
a sneering cast in the face, as if he were ridiculing the idea of the
whole show, and was possessed with the conviction that he was
drawing as foolish a beast as himself.
The Earl appears to have ridden eastward, in the direction pointed
by his own lion’s tale, before he drove down to Windsor. The show
seems to have interested all ranks between the Crown and the
Conduit in Fleet street. Where Viscount Wimbledon’s house was, “in
the fairest part of the Strand,” I can not conjecture, and as I can not
find information on this point in Mr. Peter Cunningham’s “Hand-Book
of London,” I conclude that the site is not known.
In connection with Charles I. and his Garter, I will here cite a
passage from the third volume of Mr. Macaulay’s “History of
England,” page 165. “Louvois hated Lauzun. Lauzun was a favorite
at St. Germains. He wore the Garter, a badge of honor which has
very seldom been conferred on aliens who were not sovereign
princes. It was believed, indeed, in the French court, that in order to
distinguish him from the other knights of the most illustrious of
European orders, he had been decorated with that very George
which Charles I. had, on the scaffold, put into the hands of Juxon.”
Lauzun, I shall have to notice under the head of foreign knights. I
revert here to the George won by Charles and given to Lauzun. It
was a very extraordinary jewel, curiously cut in an onyx, set about
with twenty-one large table diamonds, in the fashion of a garter. On
the under side of the George was the portrait of Henrietta Maria,
“rarely well limned,” says Ashmole, “and set in a case of gold, the lid
neatly enamelled with goldsmith’s work, and surrounded with
another Garter, adorned with a like number of equal-sized diamonds,
as was the foresaid.” The onyx George of Charles I. was in the
possession of the late Duke of Wellington, and is the property of the
present Duke.
There is something quite as curious touching the history of the
Garter worn by Charles I., as what Mr. Macaulay tells concerning the
George. The diamonds upon it, forming the motto, were upward of
four hundred in number. On the day of the execution, this valuable
ornament fell into the hands of one of Cromwell’s captains of cavalry,
named Pearson. After one exchange of hands, it was sold to John
Ireton, sometime Lord-Mayor of London, for two hundred and five
pounds. At the Restoration, a commission was appointed to look
after the scattered royal property generally; and the commissioners
not only recovered some pictures belonging to Charles, from Mrs.
Cromwell, who had placed them in charge of a tradesman in Thames
street, but they discovered that Ireton held the Garter, and they
summoned him to deliver it up accordingly. It has been said that the
commissioners offered him the value of the jewel if he would
surrender it. This is not the case. The report had been founded on a
misapprehension of terms. Ireton did not deny that he possessed the
Garter by purchase, whereupon “composition was offered him,
according to the direction of the Commission, as in all other like
cases where anything could not be had in kind.” That is, he was
ordered to surrender the jewel, or if this had been destroyed, its
value, or some compensation in lieu thereof. Ireton refused the terms
altogether. The King, Charles II., thereupon sued him in the Court of
King’s Bench, where the royal plaintiff obtained a verdict for two
hundred and five pounds, and ten pounds costs of suit.
In February, 1652, the Parliament abolished all titles and honors
conferred by Charles I. since the 4th of January, two years
previously. This was done on the ground that the late King had
conferred such titles and honors, in order to promote his wicked and
treacherous designs against the parliament and people of England.
A fine of one hundred pounds was decreed against every offender,
whenever he employed the abolished title, with the exception of a
knight, who was let off at the cheaper rate of forty pounds. Any one
convicted of addressing a person by any of the titles thus done away
with, was liable to a fine of ten shillings. The Parliament treated with
silent contempt the titles and orders of knighthood conferred by
Charles I. As monarchy was defunct, these adjuncts of monarchy
were considered as defunct also. The Protector did not create a
single Knight of the Garter, nor of the Bath. “These orders,” says
Nicolas, “were never formally abolished, but they were probably
considered so inseparably united to the person, name, and office of
a king, as to render it impossible for any other authority to create
them.” Cromwell, however, made one peer, Howard, Viscount
Howard of Morpeth, ten baronets and knights, and conferred certain
degrees of precedency. It was seldom that he named an unworthy
person, considering the latter in the Protector’s own point of view,
but the Restoration was no sooner an accomplished fact, when to
ridicule one of Oliver’s knights was a matter of course with the
hilarious dramatic poets. On this subject something will be found
under the head of “Stage Knights.” Meanwhile, although there is
nothing to record touching Knights of the Garter, under the
Commonwealth, we may notice an incident showing that Garter
King-at-arms was not altogether idle. This incident will be sufficiently
explained by the following extract from the third volume of Mr.
Macaulay’s “History of England.” The author is speaking of the
regicide Ludlow, who, since the Restoration, had been living in exile
at Geneva. “The Revolution opened a new prospect to him. The right
of the people to resist oppression, a right which, during many years,
no man could assert without exposing himself to ecclesiastical
anathemas and to civil penalties, had been solemnly recognised by
the Estates of the realm, and had been proclaimed by Garter King-
at-arms, on the very spot where the memorable scaffold had been
set up.”
Charles II. did not wait for the Restoration in order to make or
unmake knights. He did not indeed hold chapters, but at St.
Germains, in Jersey, and other localities, he unknighted knights who
had forgotten their allegiance in the “late horrid rebellion,” as he
emphatically calls the Parliamentary and Cromwellian periods, and
authorized other individuals to wear the insignia, while he exhorted
them to wait patiently and hopefully for their installations at Windsor.
At St. Germains, he gave the Garter to his favorite Buckingham; and
from Jersey he sent it to two far better men—Montrose, and Stanley,
Earl of Derby. The worst enemies of these men could not deny their
chivalrous qualities. Montrose on the scaffold, when they hung (in
derision) from his neck the book in which were recorded his many
brave deeds, very aptly said that he wore the record of his courage
with as much pride as he ever wore the Garter. Stanley’s chivalry
was never more remarkable than in the skirmish previous to
Worcester, when in the hot affray, he received seven shots in his
breast-plate, thirteen cuts on his beaver, five or six wounds on his
arms and shoulders, and had two horses killed under him. When he
was about to die, he returned the Garter, by the hands of a faithful
servant, to the king, “in all humility and gratitude,” as he remarked,
“spotless and free from any stain, as he received it, according to the
honorable example of my ancestors.”
Charles made knights of the Garter of General Monk and Admiral
Montague. The chapter for election was held in the Abbey of St.
Augustine’s at Canterbury. It was the first convenient place which the
king could find for such a purpose after landing. “They were the only
two,” says Pepys, “for many years who had the Garter given them
before they had honor of earldom, or the like, excepting only the
Duke of Buckingham, who was only Sir George Villiers when he was
made a knight of the Garter.” The honor was offered to Clarendon,
but declined as above his deserts, and likely to create him enemies.
James, Duke of York, however, angrily attributed Clarendon’s
objection to being elected to the Garter to the fact that James himself
had asked it for him, and that the Chancellor was foolishly unwilling
to accept any honor that was to be gained by the Duke’s mediation.
Before proceeding to the next reign, let me remark that the George
and Garter of Charles II. had as many adventures or misadventures
as those of his father. In the fight at Worcester his collar and garter
became the booty of Cromwell, who despatched a messenger with
them to the Parliament, as a sign and trophy of victory. The king’s
lesser George, set with diamonds, was preserved by Colonel
Blague. It passed through several hands with much risk. It at length
fell again into the hands of the Colonel when he was a prisoner in
the Tower. Blague, “considering it had already passed so many
dangers, was persuaded it could yet secure one hazardous attempt
of his own.” The enthusiastic royalist looked upon it as a talisman
that would rescue him from captivity. Right or wrong in his sentiment,
the result was favorable. He succeeded in making his escape, and
had the gratification of restoring the George to his sovereign.
The short reign of James II. offers nothing worthy of the notice of the
general reader with respect to this decoration; and the same may be
said of the longer reign of William III. The little interest in the history
of the order under Queen Anne, is in connection with her foreign
nominations, of which due notice will be found in the succeeding
section. Small, too, is the interest connected with these matters in
the reign of George I., saving, indeed, that under him we find the last
instance of the degradation of a knight of the garter, in the person of
James, Duke of Ormund, who had been attainted of high treason.
His degradation took place on the 12th July, 1716. The elections
were numerous during this reign. The only one that seems to
demand particular notice is that of Sir Robert Walpole, First Lord of
the Treasury. He gave up the Bath on receiving the Garter in 1726,
and he was the only commoner who had received the distinction
since Sir George Monk and Sir Edward Montague were created,
sixty-six years previously.
The first circumstance worthy of record under George II. is, that the
color of the garter and ribbon was changed from light blue to dark, or
“Garter-blue,” as it is called. This was done in order to distinguish the
companions made by Brunswick from those assumed to be
fraudulently created by the Pretender Stuart. Another change was
effected, but much less felicitously. What with religious, social, and
political revolution, it was found that the knights were swearing to
statutes which they could not observe. Their consciences were
disturbed thereat—at least they said so; but their sovereign set them
at ease by enacting that in future all knights should promise to break
no statutes, except on dispensation from the sovereign! This left the
matter exactly where it had been previously.
The first circumstance worthy of attention in the reign of George III.,
was that of the election of Earl Gower, president of the council, in
1771. The sharp eye of Junius discovered that the election was a
farce, for in place of the sovereign and at least six knights being
present, as the statutes required, there were only four knights
present, the Dukes of Gloucester, Newcastle, Northumberland, and
the Earl of Hertford. The first duke too was there against his will. He
had, says Junius, “entreated, begged, and implored,” to be excused
from attending that chapter—but all in vain. The new knight seems to
have been illegally elected, and as illegally installed. The only
disagreeable result was to the poor knights of Windsor. People
interested in the subject had made remarks, and while the illegal
election of the president of the council was most properly put before
the King, representation was made to him that the poor knights had
been wickedly contravening their statutes, for a very long period.
They had for years been permitted to reside with their families
wherever they chose to fix their residence. This was pronounced
irregular, and George III., so lax with regard to Lord Gower, was very
strict with respect to these poor knights. They were all commanded
to reside in their apartments attached to Windsor Castle, and there
keep up the poor dignity of their noble order, by going to church
twice every day in full uniform. There were some of them at that
period who would as soon have gone out twice a day to meet the
dragon.
The order of the Garter was certainly ill-used by this sovereign. In
order to admit all his sons, he abolished the statute of Edward (who
had as many sons as George had when he made the absurd
innovation, but who did not care to make knights of them because
they were his sons), confining the number of companions to twenty-
five. Henceforward, the sovereign’s sons were to reckon only as over
and above that number. As if this was not sufficiently absurd, the
king subsequently decreed eligibility of election to an indefinite
number of persons, provided only that they could trace their descent
from King George II.!
No Companion so well deserved the honor conferred upon him as he
who was the most illustrious of the English knights created during
the sway of the successor of George III., as Regent; namely, the late
Duke of Wellington. Mr. Macaulay, when detailing the services and
honors conferred on Schomberg, has a passage in which he brings
the names of these two warriors, dukes, and knights of the Garter,
together. “The House of Commons had, with general approbation,
compensated the losses of Schomberg, and rewarded his services
by a grant of a hundred thousand pounds. Before he set out for
Ireland, he requested permission to express his gratitude for this
magnificent present. A chair was set for him within the bar. He took
his seat there with the mace at his right hand, rose, and in a few
graceful words returned his thanks and took his leave. The Speaker
replied that the Commons could never forget the obligation under
which they already lay to his Grace, that they saw him with pleasure
at the head of an English army, that they felt entire confidence in his
zeal and ability, and that at whatever distance he might be he would
always be, in a peculiar manner, an object of their care. The
precedent set on this interesting occasion was followed with the
utmost minuteness, a hundred and twenty-five years later, on an
occasion more interesting still. Exactly on the same spot, on which,
in July, 1689, Schomberg had acknowledged the liberality of the
nation, a chair was set in July, 1814, for a still more illustrious
warrior, who came to return thanks for a still more splendid mark of
public gratitude.”
There is nothing calling for particular notice in the history of the
Order since the election of the last-named knight. Not one on whose
shoulders has been placed “the robe of heavenly color,” earned so
hardly and so well the honor of companionship. This honor, however,
costs every knight who submits to the demand, not less than one
hundred and eight pounds sterling, in fees. It is, in itself, a heavy fine
inflicted on those who render extraordinary service to the country,
and to whom are presented the order of the Garter, and an order
from the Garter King-at-arms to pay something more than a hundred
guineas in return. The fine, however, is generally paid with alacrity;
for, though the non-payment does not unmake a knight, it has the
effect of keeping his name from the register.
I have already observed that Mr. Macaulay, in his recently-published
History, has asserted that very few foreigners, except they were
sovereign princes, were ever admitted into the companionship of the
Garter. Let us, then, look over the roll of illustrious aliens, and see
how far this assertion is correct.