Allostatic load

The concern isn't that the stress response turns on, it's what can happen when it has to turn on repeatedly without enough opportunity for recovery.

Researchers use a term called allostatic load, which describes the cumulative burden that can develop when the body has to repeatedly adapt to stress.

The term itself isn't important.

What's important is the idea behind it.

full-time career, the stress is very high.

You talk about something called allostatic load or allostatic stress.

Can you explain? I think a lot of people will have felt this

but may not know the term for it.

So allostatic load is a normal wear and tear in your nervous system.

And so the nervous system has a capacity.

And I like to use the analogy of a spring.

And so we now are seeing burnout because you're trying to do it all and you can do it all to a certain extent until you hit perimenopause.

And when that happens repeatedly, it really starts to affect our health.

There's actually a scientific concept for this called allostatic load.

Think of allostasis as your body's ability to make adjustments to keep you functioning when life changes.

That's a good thing.

But constantly making those adjustments has a cost.

Allostatic load is essentially the cumulative wear and tear associated with repeated or chronic activation of the body's stress response systems.

Imagine revving your car engine every once in a while.

No big deal.

There's a nagging feeling you've forgotten something or that something is about to go wrong.

Today we're looking at all of this through the lens of something called allostatic load.

So what? Well you may have heard of homeostasis which is the body's tendency to maintain a relatively stable internal environment.

And when I was trying to get my head around this, the way in for me was through body temperature.

So let's say it's 21 degrees Celsius in the That could be temperature homeostasis.

But then you do a high-powered yoga class, you're in the sun and the temperature is rising.

allostasis is the process of your body adapting bringing your blood vessels closer to your skin you starting to sweat to cool the body down but then let's say you just feel too flipping hot you just you can't get the energy to move anymore and that is moving towards allostatic loads The end of the ability to adapt and now something big needs to change.

You rest, you move out the sun, you go get a fan, etc.

That's easy to fix.

But what happens is you get allostatic load buildup.

What is allostatic load? I want you to think about you come into this world as a kid, okay? You come into this world as a kid.

I'm almost done.

I don't want to get all this shade.

And literally, that's why when you wake up in the morning and your life is the way it is, it's why the way it is.

But you can change it.

But you have this thing called allostatic load.

In our final episode of this series, episode 38, strategic synthesis, we're going to put it all together.

We're converting all the knowledge, the power moves and the brain science into long-term impact and finalize your transition into the strategic trailblazer.

If you've been pulling that sled for too long, remember you're only one reconstructed thought away from the breakthrough you deserve.

Drop that rope, start the engine and lead the way.

Yeah.

is this concept that I know you and I talk about a lot, which is allostatic load, right? Like, what is, you know, allostasis? What does it mean to have an allostatic load? What is weathering? What are these principles that we think are contributing to, you know, some of these healthcare disparities?

Correct.

I mean, my understanding of weathering is this load of chronic stress that is held by specific ethnic groups.

matters.

So this is where the term we've heard it before on the show, allostatic load enters the picture.

Right.

And the basic idea is that adaptation has a cost.