For many people, the new year doesn't start on January 1st, but in March. The end of the vacation season leads to buying school supplies, organizing transportation, and returning to a full work routine. Exhaustion creeps into daily life, even when getting the eight hours of sleep recommended by doctors.
However, science suggests that persistent fatigue and difficulty coping with stress in the early days of the routine are not always due to a lack of willpower. They can be written in our genes, and this information is vital for facing a month when physical and mental demands skyrocket, according to a report seen by the Argentine News Agency.
Currently, genetic tests can analyze up to 700,000 variants. Therefore, it follows that the metabolic differences of each body can determine how much supplementation is needed for mitochondria to function at a good level.
«Not everyone metabolizes these nutrients in the same way. Some have genetic variants that require a higher intake or supplementation to maintain adequate levels,» explains Adrián Turjanski, scientific director of Gen360 and a CONICET researcher.
At the same time, all these circumstances lead people to increase their coffee consumption to 'get through' the day to survive the return to routine. This allows them to identify predispositions to neuromuscular fatigue and post-effort inflammation, factors that directly impact the ability for physical and emotional recovery after an intense day of work and parenting.
Again, genetics also dictates the reaction to these substances. «Certain genetic variants can prolong the effects of caffeine, causing anxiety, insomnia, or irritability if consumption is not moderated according to each person's profile,» explains Turjanski.
Consequences of lack of sleep
At the same time, the pressure to perform at all costs can be fatal, and as an example, the lack of sleep increases the risk of traffic accidents on school or work commutes.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 21% of car accidents are linked to drowsiness, making it the most common cause after alcohol and distraction.
Instead of resorting to generic diets or magic solutions for the beginning-of-year fatigue, genetic analysis is positioned as the starting point for real well-being.
«Genetics does not predict our destiny, but it does offer us valuable tools to make informed decisions that can significantly improve our quality of life,» concludes Turjanski.
