Uncover the health benefits of good stress or hormesis, the delicate balance between healthy stress and harmful stress, and how to optimise your stress levels for better metabolic health.

Key takeaways

• Stress isn't always bad; a little stress can stimulate beneficial cellular processes, a phenomenon known as hormesis.
• Different activities like exercise, cold water immersion, sauna therapy, and intermittent fasting can act as hormetic stressors.
• The optimal stress level varies for each individual, and excessive stress can cause health issues.
• Monitoring your glucose levels with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can provide real-time insights into how your body responds to stress and other stimuli.

We often view stress as an uninvited guest causing mayhem in our lives, but it's not all negative. In fact, there's such a thing as 'good stress', or hormetic stress, which has the potential to enhance our health. So, can stress be a good thing? Absolutely, if it's the right type and quantity.

The concept of hormesis defines a scenario where exposure to low levels of a stressor, that would be harmful at high levels, can lead to a positive impact on health. This article will delve into the complex relationship between good stress and bad stress, providing evidence-based research and examples of good stress, and demonstrating how good stress can improve your metabolic health.

Hormesis: the sweet spot of stress

Not all stress is bad. In fact, a certain level of stress in your life can actually be health-promoting. It all comes down to your stress tolerance and how well your body adapts. The difference between good stress and bad stress lies in the balance and our body's ability to manage the stressor effectively.

This beneficial stress response is called hormesis. When life is too calm (a rare scenario, for most), it can lower an individual's tolerance to stress. On the other hand, small levels of toxins or chemicals in the body can stimulate cell defence, making cells more resilient to stress.

But take care, if a person or group of cells are exposed to excessive levels of a toxin or stressor, it could cause more harm than good. This is when the effects of chronic stress come into fruition, which is detrimental to long-term health and wellbeing.

Real-world examples of good stress

Harnessing the good type of stress, or hormesis, in our everyday life has metabolic benefits. There are numerous activities and practices which function as hormetic stressors, conditioning our body to better handle stress, improve resilience, and enhance our overall health.

Exercise

Exercise is a prime example of how stress can be beneficial. During a workout, your body is under short-term physical stress. This stress prompts an adaptive response, leading to improved strength, stamina, and resilience.

For example, during resistance training, pushing your boundaries and increasing your load puts stress on your muscles. This stress is beneficial as it instigates cellular repair processes which lead to increased muscle strength, size, and tone.

Even at the molecular level, exercise sparks interesting changes. If you've worn a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) during an intense workout, you may have noticed your glucose levels rise and then rapidly decrease in the recovery period. This is a normal, healthy response, as your body taps into its glucose reserves for energy and then replenishes them post-workout. This process not only boosts metabolic flexibility but also strengthens your body's ability to manage glucose levels, a key aspect of metabolic health.

Cold water immersion

Cold water immersion serves as a hormetic stressor, shocking your body into an adaptive stress response. Research suggests that this sudden drop in body temperature stimulates the nervous system, increasing blood flow and releasing a rush of endorphins. This not only sharpens the mind but also reduces inflammation and can potentially decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.

Keep in mind that more research is needed to fully understand all the potential effects. Always start gradually and consult with a healthcare provider to ensure this practice is safe for you.

Sauna therapy

In contrast to cold water immersion, sauna therapy applies heat as a form of good stress. Saunas mimic the physiological response to exercise: they induce sweating, increase heart rate and core temperature, and boost blood circulation.

The heat stress from the sauna triggers heat shock proteins, molecules that help other proteins maintain their structure and function under stressful conditions. This may lead to various health benefits, such as improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, reduced inflammation, and enhanced immunity.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is another increasingly popular way to induce hormetic stress. By restricting the eating window, the body experiences periods of energy deprivation. This prompts the body to adapt by improving its metabolic flexibility — the capacity to switch between burning fats and carbs for fuel.

Intermittent fasting can have positive metabolic effects such as reduced body fat, improved lipid profiles, increased insulin sensitivity, and other cardiovascular benefits. However, it's not for everyone. Always consult with a healthcare or nutrition professional before to ensure it aligns with your individual health needs and goals.

Finding your stress balance

The level of stress beneficial for an individual varies from person to person. It's crucial to monitor your body's reactions to stress and stay within the zone of healthy stress.

A 1960s stress researcher, Hans Selye, developed a model that can help us to understand stress and how much is too much. His model was called General Adaptation Syndrome, and described three phases of stress:

• Raising the alarm: awareness of the threat
• Resistance: adapting, responding and changing behaviour based on the stress
• Exhaustion: when body has exhausted all reserves and can no longer cope

The bell-curve model considers a small, calculated amount of stress as ideal for growth, learning, adaptation and challenge. When the stress becomes excessive, prolonged or the body fails in its reserves, the stressors become a source of poor health.

Signs of being over-stressed may include:

• Persistent anxious thoughts
• Mood changes such as irritability
• Poor immunity
• Changes in appetite and/or weight
• Sleep problems
• Breathlessness
• High blood pressure

If you're unsure if you're experiencing a healthy level of stress or wish to experiment with inducing hormesis, consult a trusted health professional. Remember, excessive stress can harm your long-term health, so it's important to have stress management strategies in place.

For those curious about how their body responds to stress and other stimuli, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are an excellent tool. These devices can track how your glucose levels change in real time, providing valuable insights. The Vively app offers a CGM integration, metabolic health education, optional dietitian support and more, offering a comprehensive solution for improving lifestyle habits and achieving better metabolic health.