Cortisol is often referred to as the stress hormone. It helps to make sure that all your body’s systems are operating efficiently, which is important for your overall health and wellness. Though often seen as a function of stress, its significance goes well past just responding to external forces. Cortisol stabilizes blood sugar, boosts cognition, and prepares the body for wakefulness from sleep. Cortisol, it turns out, is a complicated player in our bodies. By learning how it works, you can control your health with more power than ever before.
Cortisol is an essential player in blood-sugar regulation, as it tells the liver to produce glucose. This process allows for a constant stream of energy for your brain and body. At the population level, every day people step out their doors into an acute spike of cortisol. This reaction, known as the “cortisol awakening response,” primes them for whatever challenges lie in their day. Angela Clow, an expert in biological rhythms, emphasized, “It’s the hormone that gets us out of bed.”
Cortisol levels naturally decrease throughout the day but there is a cortisol surge that happens in bursts about every 90 minutes or so. These cycles are important regulators of wakefulness and sleep and serve to keep physiological processes in balance and adapt to internal and external threats. Stafford Lightman, a prominent researcher in this field, noted, “A very large proportion of the genes in your body are sensitive to cortisol,” highlighting its regulatory influence on multiple tissues such as the brain, liver, and immune system.
Cortisol tapers down in the day-to-day, but inaccurate beliefs around what cortisol does can cause stress that isn’t even necessary. Dr. Thomas Upton pointed out that “it’s not just cortisol that goes up in stressful situations.” Other hormones such as catecholamines—adrenaline and noradrenaline—are highly important immediate stress response hormones. In stressful conditions, people are flooded with adrenaline, which prompts a cascade of physiological responses. If the stress is still ongoing, cortisol will be released as a secondary stress response.
Contrary to what you might have heard, short-term stress isn’t necessarily bad. Lightman had indicated that short-term doses of cortisol enable people to meet their stresses and strains. If you only have a brief period of anticipated stress, then you get a brief release of cortisol. That’s perfectly normal. In a state of chronic stress, your body can produce excess cortisol and throw your body’s natural rhythms out of balance.
Extended anxiety can result in an affliction referred to as “flat-lining.” In this fight or flight state, experts note, cortisol levels stop rising and falling throughout the day. As Professor Clow cautioned, chronic stress flat-lining is often an obstacle to regulating other physiological processes. “Instead of having a healthy dynamic pattern of cortisol secretion over each 24 hours, you get ‘flat-lining’,” she stated.
Science shows that keeping these cortisol levels in check is not just about a magic pill, drink, or powder, but a holistic approach. Low-impact activities such as walking, stretching, and Pilates serve as great ways to maintain cortisol levels. They are better than maximal exercise tests done in unfavorable circumstances. Alderson, an advocate for balanced exercise routines, noted that “gentle exercise…can regulate cortisol far better than an hour-long HIIT class on an empty stomach.”
Moreover, lifestyle factors like nutrition, quality of sleep, and emotional health play a large role in cortisol regulation. Martin highlighted the intricate nature of the association between stress and unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating. As she candidly put it, a lot of us have an unhealthy relationship with food. When we experience unexplained weight gain, it’s convenient to point the finger at cortisol. This view highlights a gap in our understanding of the complex ways in which different factors interact with cortisol to produce different effects.
Cortisol’s impact on the body isn’t inherently good or bad—that’s all a matter of context and time. Invasive physical endeavors such as marathons require a robust cortisol response. This smart move allows people to better respond to the added stress their bodies are put under during these large events. Upton stated, “You need a cortisol response in that situation, and there’s nothing wrong with it: if you didn’t have that response, the results would probably be terrible.”
Experts are calling on people to adopt practices that promote mental and emotional health, as well as physical health. Instead of targeting cortisol with supplements, they argue for an emphasis on overall wellness. Martin continued chronic stress in our lives wreaks havoc on mental and physical health. He warned against pursuing strategies to only reduce cortisol levels. “The most important thing is to look after yourself,” she advised.
Ultimately, understanding the vital functions of cortisol can reshape perceptions around this hormone from one of fear to one of appreciation. As individuals navigate their daily lives filled with challenges and opportunities, recognizing cortisol’s essential role can empower them to embrace their health fully.
