This is how stress affects our blood glucose curve

by Nutri Glucovibes December 23, 2021 No comment(s)

[1] Lawler J, Powers SK, Thompson D. Linear relationship between V̇O(2max) and V̇O(2max) decrement during exposure to acute hypoxia. J Appl Physiol. 1988;64(4):1486–92.
[2] Hill EE, Zack E, C. Battaglini1, M. Viru2, A. Viru2 and ACH. Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: The intensity threshold effect. NPG Neurol – Psychiatr – Gériatrie. 2014;14(84):350–3.
[3] McArdle W, Katch F, Katch V. Exercise Physiology. J Chem Inf Model [Internet]. 2017;53(9):21–5. Available from: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/scp
[4] Costache AD, Costache II, Miftode R Ștefan, Stafie CS, Leon-Constantin MM, Roca M, et al. Beyond the finish line: The impact and dynamics of biomarkers in physical exercise—a narrative review. J Clin Med. 2021;10(21):1–18.

“I’m stressed,” “I don’t have time,” “I can’t keep up.” Do these expressions sound familiar? Almost all of us have heard them, if not said them ourselves. Stress affects our blood glucose levels and our overall health.

But do you really know what stress means and the hormonal reactions that occur in your body when you experience it? Have you heard of cortisol or catecholamines and the effects they produce?

In this post, we’ll briefly explain what stress is, what the hormonal response is in a stressful situation, and finally, how it affects blood glucose levels.

What is stress?

We could define stress as a physiological response to a situation perceived as dangerous. This response is highly individual because the same situation, such as giving a speech in front of 1,000 people, won’t be perceived as equally ‘dangerous’ by an experienced speaker and an inexperienced person.

Something similar happens with athletes when they seek the benefits of exposure to high altitudes (2,000-2,500m). At these altitudes, the ability to use, absorb, and transport oxygen is reduced, and the body interprets it as a dangerous/stressful situation (1). However, for people living in Mexico City, being exposed to 2,000m of altitude will hardly cause stress since this city is located at 2,240m. Their bodies are already adapted.

Same situations in both cases but totally different responses in each. This example shows that stress is a highly individual response, as we don’t all react the same way to the same stimulus.

Hormonal effect

In a dangerous or stressful situation, the body reacts by releasing certain hormones into the bloodstream:

Catecholamines
Cortisol

These hormones are responsible for preparing the body to face “fight or flight” situations. This response made sense when our ancestors faced dangers like being attacked by a predator or food scarcity. But today, such dangers are almost nonexistent. What danger is there in public speaking? In reality, our lives aren’t at risk. However, the body still perceives it as “dangerous/stressful,” reacting the same way as if it were facing a real threat.

Another situation you might be more familiar with, which also stresses the body, is physical exercise (2). Moreover, the greater the intensity, the more stress it causes, leading to a greater release of hormones.

More intensity = more stress = more catecholamines and cortisol
Less intensity = less stress = less catecholamines and cortisol

But what are the effects of these hormones? The truth is, they produce several effects. The main ones and their consequences are (3):

Increased heart rate to pump more blood.
Increased breathing rate to supply more oxygen.
Increased blood flow to the muscles while decreasing blood flow to the digestive tract—it’s a matter of priorities.
Increased hepatic glycogenolysis, meaning more glucose is released from the liver.
Suppressed immune function (4).
Decreased glucose absorption in various tissues (to prioritize glucose use in muscles or the brain).
Increased protein degradation while decreasing protein synthesis.

It’s amazing how many effects these hormones have, isn’t it?

How does stress affect blood glucose levels?

Of all the effects these hormones produce, one directly impacts blood glucose levels: the increase in hepatic glycogenolysis.

If you’ve read the earlier posts on this blog, you’ll know the importance of the liver in blood glucose control. In fact, we’ve often referred to it as the conductor of the orchestra when it comes to glucose regulation.

Physiologically, the liver is responsible for maintaining stable blood glucose levels. As a result of an acute stress situation (such as public speaking or intense physical exercise), there is an increase in the secretion of catecholamines and cortisol. These hormones cause a rise in blood glucose to cope with the “fight or flight” situation, and this increase is easily detectable with a continuous glucose monitor (the sensor we use at Glucovibes).

Lastly, it’s important to differentiate between acute stress situations, like those seen during intense physical exercise, and chronic stress, where cortisol levels are consistently elevated. The latter is exemplified by the situations mentioned at the beginning. Chronic stress can be harmful to health because:

Blood glucose levels may remain elevated (leading to cardiovascular diseases, neuropathy, nephropathy, etc.).
There would be an increase in protein degradation (muscle loss).
The immune system would be nearly suppressed (resulting in more frequent illnesses).

As Paracelsus said, “Only the dose makes the poison.”
In conclusion:

In this post, we aimed to explain in a simple way some situations that can be perceived as “dangerous” and that are also individual.

Finally, at GlucoVibes, we are aware of the significant impact stress has on blood glucose levels. That’s why our app includes morning and evening questionnaires to evaluate different aspects of your day, including a section specifically for recording daily stress.

Additionally, the app allows you to log physical activity performed during the day (which is highly recommended) and subjective intensity, using a perceived effort scale from 0 to 10. This helps us better understand the causes of recorded blood glucose values.

We hope you enjoyed this blog and gained a clearer understanding of how stress affects blood glucose levels.

References

[1] Lawler J, Powers SK, Thompson D. Linear relationship between V̇O(2max) and V̇O(2max) decrement during exposure to acute hypoxia. J Appl Physiol. 1988;64(4):1486–92.
[2] Hill EE, Zack E, C. Battaglini1, M. Viru2, A. Viru2 and ACH. Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: The intensity threshold effect. NPG Neurol – Psychiatr – Gériatrie. 2014;14(84):350–3.
[3] McArdle W, Katch F, Katch V. Exercise Physiology. J Chem Inf Model [Internet]. 2017;53(9):21–5. Available from: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/scp
[4] Costache AD, Costache II, Miftode R Ștefan, Stafie CS, Leon-Constantin MM, Roca M, et al. Beyond the finish line: The impact and dynamics of biomarkers in physical exercise—a narrative review. J Clin Med. 2021;10(21):1–18.

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What is stress?

Hormonal effect

How does stress affect blood glucose levels?

References