Predictors of feelings of energy differ from predictors of fatigue

ABSTRACT

Background: Studies examining energy and fatigue as a bipolar mood have focused on a single variable, usually fatigue, when studying these moods.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify factors predicting feelings of energy and fatigue separately while simultaneously examining multiple domains related to these mood states in graduate health sciences students.

Method: Seventy-seven participants were recruited from a Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy program at a small school in Northern New York. Participants completed a series of surveys to measure mood, diet, mental work load intensity on school days and non-school days, and physical activity. Participants also completed the Trail-making Test Part B task on an iPad and their Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and muscle oxygen consumption mVO2 was measured. A backwards linear regression was used to determine the relationship between energy, fatigue and multiple variables.

Results: The predictor variables accounted for 46.1% and 22.7% of the variance in fatigue and energy, respectively. More fatigue was associated with worse sleep quality, more time spent sitting and higher perceived intensity of mental workload on non-school days. More energy was associated with better sleep quality, higher muscle oxygen saturation, lower RMR, and faster psychomotor performance.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that energy and fatigue are separate, yet overlapping constructs that are predicted with different accuracy by different variables. Our results indicate that small lifestyle changes may be necessary to improve feelings of fatigue but comprehensive interventions may be necessary to improve feelings of energy and fatigue.

KEYWORDS:

• Energy
• fatigue
• resting metabolic rate
• mitochondrial function

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ali Boolani

Ali Boolani is an Assistant Professor at Clarkson University. His research work focuses on moods as they relate to human movement, lifestyle factors and physiological function.

Patrick J. O’Connor

Patrick J. O’Connor is a Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia. Over the past 30 years he has conducted research on fatigue as it relates to physical activity and nutrition.

Jeri Reid

Jeri Reid is an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant. Her research focuses on the health and well-being of students undergoing rigorous academic programs.

Sai Ma

Sai Ma is a Ph.D. candidate in statistics. His research focuses on public health applications and extreme value distribution.

Sumona Mondal

Sumona Mondal is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Clarkson University. Her current research focuses on developing mathematical models using data mining approaches to problems generated from bio-engineering, environmental sciences, and health sciences.