35: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 3535: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 35
UK Health Radio Podcast
Jessica Patay and Susanna Peace‑Lavelle talk with Dr Sundeep Dugar about the science behind caregiver burnout, focusing on energy, mitochondria, sleep, nutrition and exercise. The conversation connects everyday exhaustion with what’s happening in caregivers’ bodies and suggests realistic ways to protect their limited energy reserves.
46:07•30 Sept 2026
Running on Empty: The Science of Caregiver Burnout and Energy
Episode Overview
- Caregiver burnout is strongly linked to depleted personal energy reserves, not just “tiredness”.
- Energy in the body depends on both good nutrition (fuel) and exercise (maintaining the furnace of mitochondria).
- Long‑term caregiving accelerates the natural decline in energy that comes with ageing.
- Sleep is essential “exercise” for the brain; poor sleep deepens the energy deficit spiral.
- Caregivers are encouraged to make small, intentional deposits into their energy bank through food, movement and rest.
“To deal with all the d’s we spoke about, you need the e.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and long‑term caregiving? This Brave Together episode on UK Health Radio brings parents deep into the science of why they feel so utterly drained. Host Jessica Patay, a caregiving mum to her adult son with Prader–Willi Syndrome, and co‑host Susanna Peace‑Lavelle sit down with Dr Sundeep Dugar to unpack what’s really going on inside a caregiver’s body.
Rather than simply saying “self‑care matters”, Dr Dugar explains why: everything we do, think and feel is powered by energy, and that energy has limits. As he puts it, “To deal with all the d’s we spoke about, you need the e.” You’ll hear stress, exhaustion and burnout framed in terms of energy reserves and mitochondria — the tiny “furnaces” in each cell that control whether we function or fall apart.
Caregiving parents running “120 miles an hour” are constantly withdrawing from their energy bank account without enough deposits. That’s why so many mums feel like they’re “running on empty”. The conversation stays practical. Dr Dugar breaks energy production down to two pillars: nutrition as fuel and exercise as the furnace. He’s refreshingly honest about the realities of processed food, late‑night donuts and the lure of convenience, while still cheering for small, realistic shifts towards whole foods and movement.
Sleep gets a starring role too, with the surprising point that “you actually need energy to go to sleep”, and that deep and REM sleep are the brain’s version of a workout. Throughout, Jessica and Susanna keep caregivers in mind, repeatedly saying “we see you” and stressing that this isn’t about handing out more to‑dos, but offering reasons to take their own bodies seriously.
If you’re a parent who always puts your child first and wonders why you feel so depleted, this episode may give you language — and science — to justify protecting your energy. What’s one small “deposit” you’re ready to make into your own energy account today?
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