Some individuals claim that they do not get tired because of their tenacity & ‘strong willpower’, but this is not true. Often these individuals have an optimistic mindset and appear upbeat, but this is only because they are in a state of heightened arousal or ‘sympathetic overdrive’ ~ there is no off-switch, hence unable to ‘feel their exhaustion’! Dopamine, the neurotransmitter that allows us to feel pleasure, is released when motivation and sense of accomplishment is activated in the brain. Dopamine suppresses pain, and when it is released in vast amounts, one does not feel fatigue. If one works relentlessly without respite and is always ‘up & raring to go’, we must question ‘hidden fatigue’ a state that the individual themselves are not able to determine or even acknowledge. If one’s cannot register tiredness, we are likely to overwork which can have a detrimental effect on our health and reduce our lives by many years. It is therefore vital to ‘know one’s limitations’ and ‘The Power of Off’!

Molecular Hydrogen crosses the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB)

There are many cases where well-known antioxidants foods that are known to detoxify excessive active oxygen activity do not reach body parts depending on the size of molecule, cellular lipid and reactivity. A human cell contains a high volume of lipids and is covered with cell membrane, therefore hydrophoebic substances like Vitamin C or certain polyphenols are limited when being absorbed by our cells. These substances get digested, absorbed and flow through the vessels and tissues, but as it cannot cross into the blood brain vessels, it becomes a waste. To solve this issue, Molecular Hydrogen inhalation therapy is on the increase. Hydrogen is the smallest and the lightest element on the periodic table. As a gas, it exists as a form with two molecules bound to each other. Therefore, these nano-molecules can cross the BBB, into brain cells detoxifying active oxygen species, and reduces oxidative damage that causes tiredness, and in so doing rejuvenates the body. For this reason, research into Molecular Hydrogen inhalation therapy and Hydrogen-infused water has been continuing in the faculties of circulatory disease, stroke, cardiac infarction, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, as well as early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

How Brain Fatigue impacts the decline in body function

Concentration

We all know that one’s ability to work, or study efficiently is directly proportional to our ability to concentrate. Many people lament they ‘have a poor attention span’, but avoiding to concentrate is an innate survival-mechanism of human beings, which is part of our ancient brain from our ‘hunter-gather’ days, designed to protect us from fast-approaching predators. Concentrating on something could delays noticing those dangers, or in our modern world ~ cars or perpetrators approaching from a blind spot. To prepare for sudden danger, we must simultaneous process and respond to different information. Thus, the brain adapted and evolved to naturally disperse attention into different things. Therefore, to concentrate on work or studying, the brain must block unnecessary information and only process necessary information ~ an activity opposed to its natural state ~ hence the reason why the brain becomes tired. This is why it is difficult for humans to focus on one task whilst simultaneously perform other tasks. Each part of the brain must be evenly activated, but after concentrating for long periods of time and only activating certain parts, this depletes the balance resulting in brain fatigue.

Memory

In order to complete tasks, we must commit the information into memory. There is ‘short~, and ‘long term’ memory, and when something gets memorised, it is first stored in Hippocampus as ‘short term’ memory. Short term memory only lasts for a couple of seconds, and generally only around 7 memories are retained. Once material is deemed to be unnecessary in the long term, it is transferred and stored in temporal lobe of cerebral neocortex. The Hippocampus not only stores short term memory but also differentiates whether it is necessary for certain information to be stored as or not. However, when the brain becomes fatigued, the function of Hippocampus weakens, and is unable to transform “short term memory” to ‘long term memory’ and therefore the memory declines.

Visual Field & Balance

A person’s visual field is greatly affected by the condition of the brain. When the brain is in a heightened state of arousal, the visual field range to properly view the task at hand is shortened and impaired. The consciousness focuses on centerring the visual gaze. When the brain is fatigued, it is in a state of heightened arousal, therefore the vision gets shortened, despite not having to concentrate on anything in particular. This results in the brain not being able to be aware of and/or process surrounding information, thus increasing the dangers of incurring injury during menial tasks or causing accidents. In states of persistent brain fatigue, one’s balance becomes impaired, raising the risk of tripping, or falling. If you find yourself stumbling unexpectedly, it may well be due to brain-fatigue