Take 1-1.5 tsp per day of our Activated Yellow Maca or 2-3 tsp per day of our Activated Chocolate Maca for a min 6-12 weeks. For recipe ideas of how to include maca in your daily routine download our recipe booklet here or watch our recipe channel here.

Fatigue, or extreme tiredness, is estimated to cost employers over a hundred billion US dollars a year in health-related costs¹ and is a significant safety concern as performance decreases as employees become tired. Experts say that losing two hours of sleep impairs condition and performance to the effect of having three beers, and being awake for 20 hours is similar to being legally drunk. Worker productivity is decreased during fatigue, costing thousands of dollars per employee annually in the United States¹. Fatigue is often experienced in people with reduced cortisol levels. Fatigue is commonly associated with:

• Lack of energy
• Desire to sleep
• Decreased motivation
• Impaired memory or concentration
• Malaise
• Extreme tiredness
• Post-exertional malaise (PEM) – tiredness following exertion

Short-term stress helps the body deal with immediate dangers, and consequently often results in fatigue. Stress stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) to increase arousal, tolerance of pain, appetite, improves attention and motor reflexes². Adrenal glands send out hormones throughout the body, and the brain releases hormones and neurotransmitters to heighten senses and motor reflexes². From the adrenal glands, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) activates immune cells to release cytokines and mediators of inflammation, sometimes causing activation of the stress system, symptoms and signs². The cytokines Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are inflammatory, and prolonged secretion is likely to initiate oxidative stress³. Proinflammatory cytokines act on the brain, causing sickness and exacerbation of physical and psychological health problems^4-6. A common symptom of stress include fatigue, decreased physical activity, social withdrawal and other depressive symptoms, and sleep-walking⁷. The natural supplement maca is taken by many native individuals in Peru to combat fatigue by addressing underlying stress.

Maca contains anti-fatigue compounds such as polysaccharides^8-10 and macamides – types of fatty acid amides and oleamides^11-13. These fatty acid derivatives affect anti-inflammation through many different pathways. In an animal model, oleamides inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL6, reducing paw swelling¹⁴. A similar model showed an oleamide-induced reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), an antioxidant effect¹⁵. Phytosterols¹⁶ also contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties of maca¹⁷. For example, stigmasterol suppresses TNF-alpha and reduces recruitment of proinflammatory immune cells¹⁸. Most studies focus on the beneficial effect of yellow maca, but all three cultivars demonstrated antidepressant activity in ovariectomised mice¹⁹. Each type of maca protected skin from UVB-induced oxidative stress and skin damage²⁰. Extractions from yellow maca reduced fatigue by increasing stamina and endurance and decreased muscle damage in mice^21-24. In clinical trials, maca showed antidepressant activity in men and women in regards to sexual function^25-28. These studies demonstrate the advantages of taking maca to reduce fatigue by decreasing the underlying mechanisms of stress.

Maca is beneficial to treat underlying causes of chronic stress, fatigue, and cytokine inflammation. For more information, see our articles on:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
• Hypothyroidism
• Depression
• Metabolic syndrome
• Physical athletic performance