Just wondering whether anyone can throw any light on this. Researched extensively on www. no help
I only buy Huel as trying to cure my exhaustion after exercise classes. I’m fine before and during the class and for about 2 hours afterwards then the exhaustion and aching muscles comes on and lasts all the rest of the day (class is at 9.15am). I have 2 scoops Huel in the hour before class and then directly afterwards. Still getting the exhaustion. Had it for years and can’t find the solution. If I have a day of just walking and non strenuous activities I’m not tired at all.
I know this ? not directly related to Huel but thought I might find health conscious people, similar problem.
Exercise is tiring, what did you expect? Isn’t it the purpose of exercise to break you down? You seem to be describing the plain effects of exercise.
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Poor diet? Poor sleep?
Your body is being overwhelmed by the intensity and by the sound of it, failing to recover.
Huel is great food for throughout the day (I get through quite a lot!) but after a tough session I tend to go for something with a higher GI. I swear by chocolate milk personally! Getting some quick carbs and a bit of protein in right after a tough workout will ensure you can train effectively the next day and should hopefully cut out some of the exhaustion 
Thanks for responding Phil. Good diet (except when exhausted from the
exercise and then urge to eat sweet stuff ) and good sleep. Yes, failing
to recover. Been going on for absolutely years, just the same. Would love
to find a cure. Frustrating as goes against what is usually claimed about
exercise.
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Exercise supposed to energise you and make you stronger and healthier,
build stronger muscles, better circulation system, stronger heart. Other
people I speak to don’t have this problem in recovering, they just feel
energised they say
Not if you consistently increase the load.
Thanks Jake83. The exhaustion comes on about 1 1/2 hours after the class
or swim, especially when I have eaten. Sometimes lasts all day, sometimes
takes about 5 - 7 hours to recover depending on how much I’ve done - I only
do about an hour anyway, at about 9am. Enjoy the class at the time and its
difficult to accept this is the result…I have 2 scoops 1 hour before
and another 2 afterwards - drunk gradually both before and after. Then at
about 11 something more substantial (not hungry early in the morning for
breakfast, but like huel)
Hmmm, perhaps you’re not refuelling enough? I personally have about 500 calories first thing in the morning (porridge made with Huel), followed by a 300cal Huel shake a few hours after. If I was only having 3 scoops in the morning I would possibly feel quite exhausted too.
Hbmcd, are you doing a low carb diet (that is, carb intake less than 75% of your energy)?
Are you doing a calorie restricted diet (do you fear about getting fat)?
If yes, then the solution to your problem is simple, you have to eat a lot of pasta or grains before and after each exercise session. You’ll be able to exercise more, recover faster and build more muscle.
Your problem (if I’ve understood well) is called “DOMS”:
You should also try to do cool-down (light exercise) and then stretching of all the muscles involved after you’ve finished intense exercise. If you try some of these things I’ve suggested, please let me know.
P.S: I had same problem (after intense running) a few months ago. For me the problem was probably the fear of getting fat and the fear of calories. I was already doing an healthy diet but I still hadn’t understood that when the diet is healthy, the risk of under-eating is far more serious than the risk of over-eating. In fact over-eating whole grains is nearly impossible unless you’re being force-fed. That should be the last of your worries.
2nd P.S: Stretching also helped me and I feel the improvement immediately after stretching. I’ve heard somewhere that stretching (and cool down) improve blood flow. I don’t know for sure if it’s true.
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Thank you so much for this. Thing is I’m not hungry before 9.15am when
the classes start. That’s why I have 2 scoops of Huel taken gradually over
an hour or so from 8am. It seems likely that’s what I have as along with
the exhaustion I can feel every muscle I’ve worked. Maybe I should try 3
scoops before the class as I can’t face eating ordinary food at that time
in the morning although would be able to manage it a bit later but not
before class. If I do less strenuous exercise such as briskish walking,
I don’t get this exhaustion, its only if the exercise is what i call
strenuous, which is what is encouraged in these classes to get the blood
pumping etc. - and i do enjoy the classes and don’t want to stop
exercising. Also, it comes on one and a half hours after class , by next
day i’ve slept it off and am ok again.
Thanks very much for this |Jake83. Thing is I’m not hungry in the
morning, have tried eating but can’t change my repulsion to food at this
time. I just have coffee. Been looking into this 'breakfast or not’
thing for some time and can’t work it out - i.e. whether to force myself to
eat or not. Don’t we have …is it glycogen…already in the muscles
ready for exercise in the morning before eating? It’s not as I’ve eaten
late the following evening, as I’ve tried having my mail meal 1pm ish so
this is not the reason for lack of appetite. If I don’t exercise in the
morning, left to the rhythms of my body I will get up at say 6 but not want
to eat until 10 or 11. As said, if I don’t exercise I feel perfectly find
doing this. The classes are only 3/4 hour from 9.15, this is why I have
Huel and have had something similar from USA for years beforehand. Maybe
i will start trying 3 scoops Huel beforehand and 1 afterwards. I often
discuss with palls at the gym but can’t find anyone with same problem,
although probably if people did they would stop going!
p.s. maybe there are a lot of people having Huel for similar reasons!
Have you consulted a doctor? May be worth a general health check up.
Have you tried increasing complex carbs in your evening meal?
During cutting season (when I trim bodyfat ready for summer) I decrease my calories from 3200 to 2400 and eat sweet potato every evening within a few hours of bed. Seems to increase my energy the next morning.
In general, maybe more calories are needed? Two scoops is only ~300 calories. A banana blended into Huel is a fantastic pre workout.
http://www.nutristrategy.com/caloriesburned.htm
http://www.nutristrategy.com/caloriesburnedswimming.htm
1 hour swimming is around 700 calories.
I’m not sure if they also consider the calories for recovery. If you’re building muscles during recovery, you’re probably spending more calories. But if you’re starving then you’re not building muscles, and over time you’ll be destroying what you already have. So you’ve to be careful. Just remember to eat enough.
Indeed the question is this: is your performance increasing over time or is it decreasing? Or stagnating?
Let me quote current wikipedia (glycogen page):
You need carbs at the end of exercise to increase glycogen storage AND to provide energy for recovery.
P.S: Let me quote some more from that page:
So you should have around 500g * 4cal/g = 2000cal of glycogen. I think that your problem is not that you run out of glycogen during exercise, rather you don’t have enough for recovery. It’s also possible that you run out of glycogen in the arms while you still have plenty in the legs. In general the muscles are greedy and they don’t release what they don’t use. They keep it for themselves. The only “donor” of glucose is the liver.
Hello, you seem to be taking Huel as a pre-workout and post-workout replacement. You’re perfectly fine on a 100% Huel diet, but if you’d like to combine diet with a healthy exercise (i.e. cardiovascular or strength training), you may need to introduce other supplements in addition to your Huel routine.
First, you need to make sure that you are taking enough Huel. You’d be wise to download a free food diary app on your phone and use it to find exactly how many calories, carbs, fats, proteins and other micro-nutrients you need. Most people are surprised to find out that, even when they are trying to lose weight, they don’t eat as much as they should! As a result, they end up having less energy and lose more muscle mass than fat. A food diary, with a few calculations, will be able to give you a clear idea of how much you should eat and then it will be down to you to decide what to add. It’s also important to try and eat at fixed intervals (i.e. every 3 or 4 hours)
A few supplements you may need to research on would be BCAA and pre-workout (as the name suggests, to take before workout) L-Glutamine and whey protein/casein (for post-workout) and perhaps multivitamins to take at the right dosage during the day. These are something you can research on your own or discuss with a PT if there are any available at your gym/classes.
Another thing I always seem to mention in this forum is Vitamin D. If you feel that your energy levels are low, this may be due to a Vitamin D deficiency, which is something you can find out with your GP. There are ways to counter this, and I find that the most efficient way is investing in an S.A.D. lamp and have a 10-15 minutes light “therapy” once a day, preferably in the morning.
What is a SAD lamp?
I’ve heard Vitamin D supplements are potentially dangerous but also potentially useful. In fact I’m changing my clothes so I get more sun in the future. I’ve also been told that the best light is in the morning and evening, but I think in higher latitudes there is less difference. Whey supplements I would recommend not to use them, especially if one is already using an high protein shake like Huel. I’ve not researched L-Glutamine.
http://www.sad.org.uk/10-tips-buying-sad-lights/
I first saw them over 20 years ago but have never used them…a lot of people recommend them…I just prefer being depressed 
Is it just white diffused light?
As I understand it, natural light is more “warm” in morning and evening, and more “cold” mid-day. So it feels more natural to have “warm” lights within our houses. Unless you use lights also during mid day. In that case it’s more natural to have white lights. That’s my limited understanding.
I also recommend very much and always use f.lux and/or redshift software.
Blue light is more effective than white is the general consensus. Having never used any version I cannot offer an opinion of my own.
Many people in the UK are affected by lack of sunshine in the Winter months. I have recently started taking a vegan D3 supplement on the recommendation of Joe @IcyElemental.