Why Cortisol Is Not Your Enemy – How To Optimise Cortisol Levels
Written by Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise
What Is Cortisol? Cortisol, infamously known as the “stress hormone”, is a steroid hormone synthesised from cholesterol in the adrenal cortex and controlled by the so-called “hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis” (see Thau, Gandhi and Sharma 2021). Similarly to other glucocorticoids, cortisol plays a vital role in regulating stress and inflammatory responses, as well as metabolic and immune functions.
While excessive cortisol production can lead to unpleasant and harmful side effects –– such as fatigue, weight gain, chronic inflammation, diabetes and hypertension ––, lower levels of cortisol can have a positive impact on your physical and mental performances, as well as on your emotional well-being.
Cortisol and Physical Performance
The sympathetic nervous system, AKA the “fight-or-flight response”, is an umbrella term referring to several functions and processes taking place in the body in response to acute stress. Generally speaking, it is characterised by an increase in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, accompanied by a release of glucose molecules and fatty acids in the bloodstream, to be used for energy production. Cortisol is highest when the sympathetic nervous system is activated.
However, do not let the phrase “acute stress” fool you: you want your sympathetic nervous system activated on several different occasions. For example, when engaging in sports or physical activities (both in practice and competitions), or when high levels of focus are required. In fact, a peak in cortisol levels during performance has been associated with improved sports performance, although prolonged periods of constant stress (such as intensive training without deload phases) might induce too high levels of cortisol at rest, which, in the long term, might lead to the aforementioned side effects.
Cortisol and Mental Performance
A study from 2008 (Schwabe et al. 2008) evidenced the impact of “stress-induced cortisol elevations” on short-term memory in regard to recalling negative words. As it emerged from the study, negative words were more easily recalled by the subjects that had been exposed to stress-induced cortisol spikes, compared to the control group, within one hour from exposure. However, no significant differences were detected within 24 hours, suggesting that acute response to stress might have effects on mental performance and that such effects might gradually disappear as stress levels decrease.
To put it more simply, in situations that require us to stay “cool under pressure”, cortisol helps us perform at our best. Ideally, once the pressure is over, stress levels return to their original baseline, and the sympathetic system gives way to the parasympathetic one, AKA the “rest-and-digest-response”. However, when stressful situations occur back to back, the parasympathetic system does not activate, cortisol keeps spiking, and the first side effects come about –– such as fatigue and weight gain. If no action is taken, more serious consequences might then start to happen, such as chronic inflammation, hypertension, diabetes and autoimmune responses.
Cortisol and Emotional Well-Being
While short cortisol spikes are vital in goal-achieving, and goal-achieving is vital in oneʼs sense of purpose, meaning and emotional well-being, excessive cortisol production can impact emotional well-being negatively. Indeed, several studies have shown an inverse correlation between cortisol secretion and well-being: lower cortisol production has been associated with an increased sense of well-being. Moreover, a study conducted in Hong Kong found that “positive psychological resources including optimism and generalized positive affect had higher impact on cortisol secretion than their negative counterparts” (Lai et. Al 2011). What this suggests, is that positive thinking might have a higher impact on reducing stress than negative thinking has on raising stress. Therefore, while cortisol is functional in performing highly challenging mental and physical tasks, its production can be normalised quickly by adopting a more optimistic mindset. This will activate the parasympathetic nervous system and prevent the harmful side effects of cortisol buildup.
Here are some well-researched and proven practices that regulate cortisol production and restore emotional well-being:
Mindfulness, reiki and self-care routines. Both mindfulness and reiki have been associated with lower stress perception, a higher sense of well-being and lower cortisol production (Zimmaro et al. 2016, Bowden, Goddard and Gruzelier 2010).
Yoga, dance and moderate exercise. Both yoga and dance have been proven to lower cortisol production (West et al. 2004).
Hugs and pet therapy. Interpersonal touch has been shown to decrease cortisol levels and increase the sense of well-being (Sumioka et al. 2013), just as much as petting a dog or a cat (the number of studies on pets is so high that citing literature would be pointless). Indeed, both hugging other humans and cuddling pets boost oxytocin production. Oxytocin, AKA the “happiness” hormone, is a hormone that acts as a buffer to decrease cortisol levels.
To Conclude
Just like anything else in life, the key to dealing with cortisol is balance. While cortisol helps us perform at our best, an excess of it can decrease our sense of emotional well-being, cause weight gain and fatigue, and, in the long run, severely undermine our health. Fortunately, low-impact activities, mindfulness meditation and social relationships are simple remedies that will lower your cortisol within minutes.
If stress is caused by an excessively sedentary lifestyle and accompanied by back pain, here you can find some more simple lifestyle strategies that you can implement to ease the pain and reduce stress.
Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Gaia Domenici, also known as 'The Strongest Shield-Maiden', is a certified Nutrition and Health Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, and published author, with a Ph.D. in Philosophy.
After spending a decade juggling between gym and academia, Gaia realized that body, mind, and spirit are a whole, and, as such, they need to be trained together. So she founded 'Fitnosophy: Build Your Body Realise Your Self', a platform to share the spiritual meaning of fitness, and the impact of a strong body on a meaningful life. Following the sense of void and uncertainty left by the 2020 pandemic, Gaia founded the 'Shield-Maiden Tribe', a community in which women from across the world can share their inner and outer strengths, and nourish their Inner Warrior, empower each other, and grow stronger together.
Since 2018, Gaia has coached countless clients and athletes worldwide, helping them get in tune with their Inner Warrior, and achieve physical, mental, and spiritual goals.
