Consuming carbohydrates lowers the increase in cortisol levels that occurs during short-term psychological stress, through a reduction in cortisol production driven by gluconeogenesis.
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Eating carbs during stress tells your body it doesn't need to make sugar from scratch, so it stops triggering the stress hormone system as hard. This means less cortisol is released, leading to a calmer physiological response.
Most probable mechanism
When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises, which tells your brain that you're not in a state of energy shortage. This reduces the signal to produce stress hormones like cortisol, because your body doesn't need to make new sugar from scratch anymore. Less cortisol means a weaker stress response.
Oral ingestion of carbohydrates increases circulating glucose levels, which suppresses the need for endogenous glucose production via gluconeogenesis
Reduced gluconeogenic demand decreases hypothalamic activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) release in response to metabolic stress signals
Lower CRH secretion reduces pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release, leading to decreased adrenal cortisol synthesis and secretion
Less supported by current evidence, but not ruled out
Eating carbohydrates reduces the body's perception of metabolic threat, which lowers the activity of the fight-or-flight system. This reduces signals that stimulate the adrenal glands to release cortisol.
Carbohydrate intake stabilizes energy availability, reducing hypothalamic and hepatic signals of metabolic stress
Decreased sympathetic outflow reduces noradrenaline release from nerve terminals and adrenal medulla
Lower noradrenaline levels diminish stimulation of adrenal cortisol production via beta-adrenergic receptors
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Contradicting (0)
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