Stress is part of the body's physiological response to certain situations of demand. It can arise in many different circumstances, and its intensity and manifestations may vary from one person to another.

It is not always easy to identify how our body is responding based solely on the sensations or symptoms we experience. Therefore, knowing certain physiological parameters can provide complementary information about the hormonal response associated with stress.

These parameters include cortisol and DHEA-S, two hormones involved in different physiological processes whose relationship can provide information about the body's response to stressful situations.

What factors can influence the stress response?

The stress response is not the same for everyone. Different factors can influence how the body responds to situations of demand, including:

• Physical or mental demands: periods of high physical activity, cognitive load or intellectual demands.
• Situations of pressure or demand: personal, work-related or other circumstances that require an adaptive response.
• Sleep disturbances: changes in the amount or quality of sleep can influence different physiological processes.
• Changes in habits and schedules: changes to usual patterns of rest, eating or activity can affect biological rhythms.

These factors do not, by themselves, determine a hormonal alteration, but they form part of the context that can influence each person's physiological response.

Cortisol and its role in the body

Cortisol is an essential hormone for the normal functioning of the body and is involved in numerous physiological processes.

Its main functions include:

• Participating in the regulation of energy throughout the day.
• Contributing to the body's response to situations of demand.
• Participating in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.
• Being involved in different metabolic and immune processes.

Therefore, cortisol should not be considered a “good” or “bad” hormone. It is necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

In addition to its concentration, it is important to understand how its levels vary throughout the day, as cortisol follows a characteristic physiological rhythm.

It is not only about how much cortisol you produce, but when you
produce it

Cortisol does not remain constant throughout the day. Under physiological conditions, it follows a circadian rhythm, with variations that are part of the body's normal functioning.

In general:

• Levels are higher in the morning.
• They progressively decrease throughout the day.
• They reach their lowest levels at night.

This daily pattern helps explain why, when cortisol is measured, the time at which the test is performed is relevant.

Stressful situations can influence this physiological rhythm. Therefore, measuring cortisol at different times of the day can provide information about how it behaves throughout the day.

Why also analyse DHEA-S?

Cortisol is not the only marker related to the physiological response to situations of demand.

DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) is a hormone involved in different functions in the body and, like cortisol, can provide information when studied in the context of the stress response.

For this reason, the combined analysis of cortisol and DHEA-S can provide complementary information to that obtained by analysing a single hormone.

In addition, assessing their levels at different times of the day makes it possible to observe their behaviour within the body's daily physiological rhythm.

How can the physiological response to stress be assessed?

Stress is an experience that can manifest itself in different ways and is not always easy to assess solely based on each person's sensations.

In this context, certain laboratory tests can provide objective and complementary information about some of the physiological mechanisms related to the stress response.

The Laboratorio Echevarne Stress Test analyses cortisol and DHEA-S at different times of the day, making it possible to understand how these parameters behave throughout the day.

Results should be interpreted taking each person's individual context into account and, where appropriate, together with an assessment by a healthcare professional.

Discover the Stress Test and how to take it at Laboratorio Echevarne.

Understanding how our body works can help us better understand certain physiological processes.

The Laboratorio Echevarne Stress Test analyses cortisol and DHEA-S through different measurements throughout the day, providing information about the body's hormonal response to stressful situations.

Discover the Stress Test and how to take it at Laboratorio Echevarne.