Cortisol is the hormone related to stress response by excellence. Involved in processes as essential as the regulation of the energy, the control of inflammation, metabolism, or function of the immune system. When their levels are kept too high or low for a prolonged period, can appear symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, weight gain or changes in mood.
Know your levels using an analysis as the Test Cortisol it can help you to better understand what is going on in your body and if the stress is affecting your health.
- Cortisol and stress: how they relate and what symptoms you need to observe
- Weight gain: what the science tells
- Tiredness and lack of energy
- Insomnia and cortisol
- Stress and sensitivity to cortisol
- Types of analysis
- When it is important to analyze cortisol and how to prepare
Cortisol and stress: how they relate and what symptoms you need to observe
Cortisol is released in response to situations that the body interprets as a threat or a high demand: work pressure, lack of rest, emotional conflicts, excessive responsibilities, or even disease. This release is part of a normal mechanism and adaptive, but when the stress becomes constant, the system stops functioning properly.
The symptoms may make you suspect an alteration of the cortisol include:
- Feeling permanent alert or inability to relax.
- Anxiety and nervousness without apparent cause.
- Irritability, mood swings or the feeling of being “at the limit”.
- Palpitations or tension muscle.
- Digestive problems stress-related.
If these signs are prolonged for weeks or months, should be evaluated if cortisol is out of range.
Weight gain: what the science tells
The elevated levels of cortisol can influence the metabolism, especially in the way that the body stores fat. The research shows that:
- Excess cortisol promotes the accumulation of abdominal fat, more active metabolically.
- Increases the appetite and preference for foods rich in sugar and fats.
- Affects the regulation of insulin, generating peaks and troughs that make it difficult to control the weight.
- You can alter muscle mass and decrease energy expenditure.
For this reason, people undergoing chronic stress may notice that gain weight without eating moreor that it costs them to lose it despite diet and exercise. Measure cortisol helps to understand if this is one of the factors involved.
Tiredness and lack of energy
Cortisol follows a natural rhythm: high in the morning to activate the body, and low for the night to allow the rest. When this rhythm is disturbed, it may appear to feelings of:
- Morning fatigue.
- Energy spot during the day.
- Constant need for coffee or stimulants.
- Fatigue that does not improve or rest.
- Difficulty concentrating or “mental fog”.
Both levels are too high as too low may generate persistent fatigue. For this reason, an analysis can differentiate if it is of accumulated stress, insomnia, hormonal changes or other factors.
Insomnia and cortisol
Poor sleep and have the cortisol altered they feed each other. If your cortisol is high at night, the body remains in a state of alert, which causes:
- Difficulty getting to sleep.
- Frequent awakenings.
- Feeling of being “fast-track” before going to sleep.
- Light sleep and not sleep.
Long-term, little sleep maintains the high cortisol levels during the day, creating a circle that affects mood, memory, and metabolism. An analysis can help confirm this change in the circadian rhythm of cortisol.
Stress and sensitivity to cortisol
Not all people react the same to the stress. Some may have normal levels of cortisol, but a increased sensitivity to its effect. This means that your body responds in an exaggerated way to stimuli normal, causing symptoms similar to those of an excess of cortisol.
This happens more often in people with:
- History of stress maintained.
- High self-imposed.
- Anxiety baseline or trend to the hypervigilance.
- Previous trauma.
- Chronic insomnia.
In these cases, measure cortisol may help to rule out a hormone problem and guide the approach towards the management of stress, and emotional regulation.
Types of analysis
There are several ways to measure cortisol, each with specific utilities:
1. Cortisol in blood
Is the test most common and appropriate to perform a first evaluation of this hormone and detect if their production is within the normal ranges. It is usually performed early in the morning (ideally, about 9 in the morning), when cortisol reaches its natural peak, allowing an accurate comparison with the reference values. It is a quick analysis and accessible that provides very useful information to interpret symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, anxiety or weight gain.
2. Cortisol in saliva
Useful to study the circadian rhythm cortisol, as you can take multiple samples in a single day.
3. Cortisol in 24-hour urine
Indicated for more specific studiesas suspicion of hyperproduction maintained.
4. Free Cortisol
More sensitive in certain cases of alteration of the axis of the adrenal.
The test of cortisol in blood is the most common for a valuation basic, fast, and effective.
When it is important to analyze cortisol and how to prepare
It is advisable to measure cortisol when:
- Show persistent symptoms related to the stress.
- Notes weight gain you can't explain to diet or physical activity.
- You have chronic insomnia or sleepy little sleep.
- You suffer constant fatigue or “brownouts” throughout the day.
- You're in a period of overload emotional or professional.
- You costs to recover after a very demanding period.
At what time of day do the test?
Cortisol has a daily rhythm, which tends to be measured in the morningwhen levels reach their natural peak. Thus, the comparison with the reference values is more accurate.
Preparation for the analytical
So that the result is reliable:
- Go on fasting if it is possible.
- Avoid intense exercise the previous 24 hours.
- No drink coffee just before the extraction.
- Try sleep well the night before.
In the event that you are taking the medication (corticosteroids, birth control pills, hormone supplements), coméntalo, since it can affect the result.
If you suspect that stress may be affecting your well-being, assess your cortisol levels using a specific analysis you can be a first step to understand what is happening.
