! Asthma and allergies. Whether you call it exercise-
induced asthma, food allergies or seasonal allergies, they
are similar symptoms of adrenal dysfunction.
! Mechanical imbalance.Problems in the low back, knee,
foot and ankle are often associated with adrenal prob-
lems. These areas can become mechanically unstable and
produce symptoms such as low-back pain, sciatica and
excess pronation in the foot, leading to foot and ankle
problems.
! Stress-related syndromes.The problems referred to as
burnout, stressed-out, overtraining (overexercising) and
nervous breakdown are almost always the result of adre-
nal exhaustion. While occasionally these problems
become serious enough to warrant medication or hospi-
talization, adrenal dysfunction occurs long before this
point.
! Blood-sugar-handling stress.With adrenal dysfunction,
the body is unable to properly control blood sugar.
Symptoms include constantly feeling hungry, being irri-
table before meals or if meals are delayed, and having
strong cravings for sweets or caffeine.
! Insomnia.Many people with adrenal dysfunction fall
asleep easily (often because of exhaustion) but wake in
the middle of the night with difficulty getting back to
sleep. This may be due to high levels of cortisol occurring
at the wrong time (levels should be low during sleeping
hours). Many people say they wake up in the night to uri-
nate. But it’s usually the adrenal problem that awakens
them, and then they get the urge to urinate.
! Diminished sexual drive.This is a common symptom of
adrenal dysfunction due to low levels of the hormone
DHEA, which makes estrogen and testosterone. (Low
levels of these hormones can also adversely affect the
strength of bones and muscles.)296 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH