Vitamin B6: Supporting Energy and Reducing Tiredness

The short answer

Vitamin B6 supports energy levels by helping the body release and use energy from food. It also contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

These are recognised physiological effects. Following a scientific assessment, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that cause-and-effect relationships had been established between dietary vitamin B6 and both normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Vitamin B6 does not supply calories and does not act like caffeine. Instead, it works behind the scenes as a helper for enzymes that process carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It also supports the production of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body.

How vitamin B6 helps the body release energy

Vitamin B6 is the name given to a small family of related compounds. Inside the body, much of its work is carried out by an active form called pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, usually shortened to PLP.

PLP acts as a coenzyme. In simple terms, this means it helps enzymes complete chemical reactions that would otherwise happen too slowly. According to EFSA's scientific review of vitamin B6 requirements, the active forms of B6 assist more than 100 enzymes.

Several of those reactions are directly connected to the way the body handles fuel:

• Glycogen breakdown: the liver and muscles store carbohydrate as glycogen. PLP helps an enzyme called glycogen phosphorylase release glucose-1-phosphate, which can then be used in energy metabolism.
  
• Making glucose: vitamin B6 supports gluconeogenesis, the process the body uses to make glucose from non-carbohydrate materials when required.
  
• Processing protein and fat: B6-dependent enzymes help break down and rearrange amino acids and also participate in lipid metabolism.

This is what “contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism” means in practical terms. Vitamin B6 helps the body's existing energy-producing machinery work normally; it is not itself a source of energy.

Why vitamin B6 is connected to tiredness and fatigue

Vitamin B6 also participates in making haem, the iron-containing part of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body.

This provides another clear connection with energy and tiredness. When vitamin B6 is severely lacking, the body can develop a type of anaemia in which red blood cells contain too little haemoglobin. EFSA noted that this can lead to weakness, tiredness and fatigue.

In a separate scientific opinion on B6 and normal red-blood-cell formation, EFSA also concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship had been established. Vitamin B6 therefore supports two relevant systems: releasing and using fuel, and producing the blood cells that help deliver oxygen.

What happened in a 2023 controlled trial?

A 2023 randomised, double-blind crossover trial examined a B-complex supplement in 32 healthy adults aged 20 to 30 who were not trained athletes.

Each participant took the supplement and a placebo during separate 28-day periods, with a 14-day break between them. The supplement contained vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12, together with vitamin E, inositol, calcium and taurine. Its vitamin B6 dose was 50 mg per day. This was the study dose, not a general dosage recommendation; the NHS advises against taking more than 10 mg per day from supplements unless directed by a doctor.

After each period, the researchers measured how long participants could run on a treadmill at an individually set intensity of up to 85% of maximum oxygen uptake. They also measured several blood markers during a separate fixed-intensity running test and the following recovery period.

The results were clear:

• Mean running time to exhaustion was 15.82 minutes after the B-complex, compared with 12.56 minutes after placebo;
  
• This represented a 1.26-fold improvement compared with both the participants' pre-supplement result and the placebo result; and
• Blood lactate and ammonia rose less during exercise and returned towards resting levels faster after the B-complex than after placebo.

Lactate and ammonia are produced during physical activity and are commonly studied as biochemical indicators of exercise fatigue and recovery. The lower levels also provide supporting evidence alongside the longer running time.

What does this mean for everyday energy?

Vitamin B6 is not a quick stimulant. Its contribution is more fundamental: it helps enzymes access stored fuel, process nutrients and produce haemoglobin.

The controlled trial gives a practical example of these ideas in an exercise setting. Participants taking the B-complex ran for longer and produced lower levels of two fatigue-related blood markers. The underlying biology also explains why maintaining adequate B6 matters outside the gym.

An earlier randomised, double-blind trial in 198 employed men found that those taking a B-complex multivitamin and mineral supplement containing B6 reported greater physical stamina across the 28-day study. They also reported greater mental stamina and concentration after a working day. Because several nutrients were combined, the result supports the complete formula rather than isolating B6.

The authorised wording in the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims Register reflects that evidence:

• “Vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.”
  
• “Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.”

Conclusion

Vitamin B6 supports energy at the biochemical level. In its active form, it helps enzymes release glucose from glycogen, make glucose when needed and process amino acids and fats. It also supports normal red-blood-cell formation and haemoglobin production.

EFSA concluded that these established functions support vitamin B6's contribution to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. A 2023 controlled trial adds a practical example: a B-complex containing B6 increased running time to exhaustion and reduced exercise-related lactate and ammonia compared with placebo.

Supporting energy metabolism and helping reduce tiredness and fatigue are two evidence-based reasons vitamin B6 is included in ZMAN+.

References

1.  EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on vitamin B6-related health claims, including normal energy-yielding metabolism and reduction of tiredness and fatigue. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1759.
2. Lee M-C, Hsu Y-J, Shen S-Y, Ho C-S, Huang C-C. A functional evaluation of anti-fatigue and exercise performance improvement following vitamin B complex supplementation in healthy humans, a randomized double-blind trial. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2023;20(10):1272-1281. Local full-text XML.
3. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on vitamin B6 and protein and glycogen metabolism, normal red-blood-cell formation and other functions. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(9):1225.
4. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Dietary Reference Values for vitamin B6. EFSA Journal. 2016;14(6):4485.
5. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims Register.
6.  NHS. B vitamins and folic acid.
7.  Kennedy DO, Veasey RC, Watson AW, et al. Vitamins and psychological functioning: a mobile phone assessment of the effects of a B vitamin complex, vitamin C and minerals on cognitive performance and subjective mood and energy. Human Psychopharmacology. 2011;26(4-5):338-347. Local PubMed abstract.

 

StayPrime supplements were not used in the studies discussed in this article. This article summarises published research and does not claim that taking StayPrime supplements will produce the same results. It is for general information only and is not medical advice. Consult with a doctor if unsure about what you should consume.