How long do stress hormones stay in your system

[Shogun1]

I suffer from an anxiety disorder and i know how the bodies stress system works (body senses stress physical or mental, releases adrenaline and cortisol to deal with stress, parasympathetic system kicks in and settles down the stress response and our bodies return to homeostasis) and anxiety is characterized by an amplifying of the stress response plus the stress response remaining switched on.

I know that there is always a certain amount of cortisol and adrenaline in the system but what i want to know is, say there is a stressor, for simplicity of discussion says it's a weight lifting session, your body dumps a certain amount of cortisol and adrenaline, how long does that adrenaline and cortisol stay circulating in the body for? I've read some things about half lifes but i'm not well learned in that area so it's just double dutch to me.

Cheers for any help guys

[biohazard]

Unfortunately I'm not aware of exact half-times, but all hormone levels get lower quickly if there is no production. So instead of asking what the half-life of a hormone is I think the important question is, how long does their production last in the event of stress?

If I am correct, temporary, "healthy" stress does not elevate the stress hormone production for a long time and the normal levels of hormone production (and hormones in the blood) are reached within a day or two, and probably much faster than than in case of many hormones.

In chronic stress, however, the stress hormone production can be elevated for prolonged times, which then causes harmful effects. So quickly after the stress reaction is removed or ends, the hormone levels also start to get lower.

After a wight lifting session I'd assume the hormone levels are elevated for several hours, but less than a day.

[Shogun1]

Cheers mate

Makes perfect sense aswell about how long the production lasts for as opposed to the half life of a hormone.

I guess a constant stressor like a low calorie diet, constant work pressure etc would lead more to an over production of these hormones and a developing of an anxiety problem as opposed to a one of stressor like over exertion in the weight room or a car crash.

[biohazard]

I guess a constant stressor like a low calorie diet, constant work pressure etc would lead more to an over production of these hormones and a developing of an anxiety problem as opposed to a one of stressor like over exertion in the weight room or a car crash.

Exactly. Prolonged stress has an association in several diseases and problems, whilst short-term stress can actually be for the good of the body. Human body can withstand heavy stress and get used to it as long as it also has sufficient time to fully recover in between. But prolonged stress, even if it is not near as intense as the short-term one, can be much more harmful, because the body has no time to recover due to the constantly elevated stress hormone levels.

[Mickey56]

Time of stress hormone (cortisol in medical terms) staying varies among individuals, sincep people are biologically ‘wired’ to react differently to stress. One person may secrete higher levels of cortisol than another in the same situation.