Cortisol

Question 1

What is cortisol?

Answer 1

stress hormone

Question 2

What are the stages of stress?

Answer 2

immediate stress, intermediate stress and prolonged stress

Question 3

What happens during immediate cortisol release?

Answer 3

NE and E are released quickly at synapses

Question 4

What are the side effects of short term high cortisol?

Answer 4

GOOD

• increases glucose production
• break down fatty acids
• increase motivation and attention
• retrieves important memories
• increased risk taking

Question 5

What two ways does cortisol increase glucose production?

Answer 5

glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis

Question 6

Glycogenolysis

Answer 6

breakdown of glycogen (glucose chain) into glucose

Question 7

Gluconeogenesis

Answer 7

makes new glucose from pyruvic acid

Question 8

What happens during intermediated cortisol release?

Answer 8

NE and E released from adrenal medulla

Question 9

What are the side effects of intermediate cortisol levels?

Answer 9

immune system is enhanced as more immune cells are recruited into circulation and they become more responsive

Question 10

What happens during prolonged cortisol release?

Answer 10

cortisol released from adrenal cortex

Question 11

What are the side effects of prolonged cortisol release?

Answer 11

• immune system is suppressed
• abdominal fat deposition
• cholesterol deposits
• hyperglycemia
• impaired memory

Question 12

Describe how high chronic cortisol levels suppresses the immune system

Answer 12

• cortisol causes apoptosis of lymphocytes which normally trigger mitogen to spark cell division (so no more cell division)
• antibody response decreases
• NK cell activity decreases

Question 13

Describe how chronic cortisol levels triggers hyperglycemia (high glucose)

Answer 13

Less insulin receptors inhibit more glucose from coming into the cell so the body produces more thinking there isn’t any

• extra glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen

Question 14

Describe how chronic cortisol levels increases abdominal fat deposition

Answer 14

• When the liver has stored too much extra glucose as glycogen, the liver converts glucose to fatty acids
• fatty acids and glycerol bind to form triglycerides
• cortisol moves triglycerides from liver to fat cells in the abdomen
• enzymes and IL-1/6 in fat cells trigger the production of more cortisol

Question 15

How does chronic cortisol levels impair memory?

Answer 15

high cortisol shrinks the hippocampus (memory hotspot)

Question 16

What type of exercise decreases cortisol?

Answer 16

• slow (yoga or walking)

- high intensity intervals with rest