Physical Impact of stress on the Body – Part 2.

In part 1, I looked at the first two phases of stress

  • Phase 1 – the Alarm Phase
  • Phase 2 – the Resistance Phase
  • Phase 3 – Exhaustion

To reach phase 3 – Exhaustion there must be prolonged exposure to cortisol and other stress resistance hormones.

In the resistance stage the body uses high cortisol levels to free up stored energy for the body to use to physically resist the stressor.  If the body is unable to reset the cortisol levels to its normal level then the body never fully relaxes and when the next stressor comes along the cortisol levels are increase even higher.  If this cycle continues the body is unable to rest and relax as the cortisol levels remain too high and the body moves from the resistance phase to exhaustion.

You know are cortisol levels are high when you feel tired but wired, have difficulty sleeping and are very anxious.  Excess cortisol also interferes with the action of progesterone, testosterone and the thyroid creating more hormonal imbalances.

By the exhaustion stage the adrenal glands are either too depleted for producing too much cortisol or are reacting to the detrimental effects of high cortisol and thus reducing cortisol production significantly.    At this stage you feel tired in the morning, you are constantly ill due to the suppression of your immune system, have low blood sugar, depression and feel burned out.   As this stage develops muscle wastage can occur and diabetes can set in.

While this stage is very serious, it is possible to turn the situation around.  One of the key things is to learn to relax and rest.  I would also strong recommend Dr. Wilson’s book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, or visit his website  Dr. Wilson’s web site, AdrenalFatigue.org, or visit Fawne Hanson’s website http://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/ as they are both excellent sources of information.

 

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  • Physical Impact of Stress on the body – Part 1

    Stress is a natural human response that enables the body to cope during certain situations. There are three phases to our stress response:

    • Phase 1 - The Alarm Phase
    • Phase 2 - The Resistance Phase
    • Phase 3 - Exhaustion
    Phase 1 - The Alarm Phase This phase is short lived and initiated by the hormones released by the adrenal medulla.  It is triggered by excitement, exercise, emergency and embarrassment - what are commonly called the "E" situations. During this phase the sympathetic nervous system will dominate and favour body functions that support vigorous physical activity.  Once the situation is resolved the body either the parasympathetic nervous system will dominate allowing the body to relax and digestion food or the sympathetic nervous system will continue to dominate and the body will move into phase 2. Phase 2 - The Resistance Reaction This is a long term stress reaction or chronic stress and it initiated by the hypothalamic releasing hormones:
    • Corticotropin
    • Growth hormone
    • Thyroptropin
    During phase 1 stress response the heart rate is increased to increase the rate of blood flow as blood is directed away from the digestive system and digestive organs towards the skeletal muscles of the body.   Drawing blood away from the blood away from the stomach for too long can lead to indigestion or IBS.   In addition, corticotropin is the body's hormone alarm bell telling it to release steroids and adrenaline, increased exposure can lead to IBS, stomach aches, nausea, diarrhea and heartburn. All the body functions are impacted as the body's pH is increased.  The body's sodium levels are increased increasing water retention by the kidneys and maintaining the increase in blood pressure during the alarm phase.  This increase in blood pressure and blood flow helps the body cope with the demands placed upon it but in the long term can lead to hypertension. The stress hormones cause the blood to become thicker and stickier increasing its ability to clot to help the body cope with injury.  Chronic stress where there is thicker blood and no injury can lead to blood clots and therefore affect the blood flow causing damage to the heart.  The increase in the heart rate and force of the contractions of the heart in chronic stress can lead to an abnormal heart rhythm causing heart muscle damage. Adrenaline and cortisol trigger the release of fatty acids into the blood stream for the body to use as energy.  Prolonged release by cortisol can potentially increase cholesterol levels leading to a thickening of the lumen and hence a narrowing of the arteries.  Continued exposure to cortisol can increase abdominal fat, therefore increasing the risk of heart disease.    

  • How to prevent Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?

    If your training was effective, you should feel some soreness the next day, and for two days at the most. If the second day is significantly worse than the first, and your soreness lasts into a 3rd day or beyond, you have what they call delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it’s a sign that you trained too hard for you.  There are no hard and fast rules on what is too hard as DOMS varies from individual to individual. So now I want to talk about how to prevent Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

    1. Anti-Inflamatories
    As DOMS is created as a result of inflamation, in the past it was considered a good idea for those susceptible to DOMS to take anti-inflamatories e.g. ibiprofen.  However the downside of this approach is that anti-inflmatories reduce muscle growth and excessive use can damage your liver.  Hence this approach has fallen out of favour.

    2. Static Stretching

    As its not that beneficial to stretch cold muscles, start with a gentle warm up to wam up your muscles.  So both your joints and muscls are prepared and get the most benefits from stretching.

    3. Constrast Showering

    Ideally after stretching, jump in the shower and give yourself around of contrast hydrotherapy by alternating the temperature between hot and cold every two minutes. The contrast effect has definitely proven to be effective for reducing soreness and restoring muscle performance more quickly when its used the day after the workout, and any other day that a muscle is sore.

    4. Warm Up

    Ensuring that you warm up before exercising by lightly working the same muscles that you are going to train can go a long way to reducing DOMS and injuries. References Vaile JM, Gill ND, Blazevich AJ. The effect of contrast water therapy on symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 Aug;21(3):697-702.