Adrenaline

We find out exactly what is coursing through your veins

Back to school
Have you ever wished you’d listened more in biology classes? Chances are the answer is a firm no, given that at the time it seemed more fun to scribble obscenities on your neighbour’s desk, but I bet that all those poor souls who have wasted years pondering on the source of the philosopher’s stone will be kicking themselves when they find out that the secret of life has been swimming in our blood since time began.

You see, the unsung hero that kept every single one of your ancestors alive long enough to procreate, is a little hormone called adrenaline.


This hormone, which threw many a lifeline to hunter-gatherers, was responsible for our family trees, but our increasingly stressful and sedentary lives means that instead of fighting lions we are battling with our email demons and building up levels of adrenaline that could be harmful to our sometimes lazy bodies.


What is adrenaline?




Adrenaline, known as the fight or flight hormone, is an early evolutionary adaptation allowing us to cope with dangerous and unexpected situations. Naturally produced in high-stress or physically exhilarating situations, adrenaline is released from the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) into the bloodstream, and rapidly prepares the body for action.
What causes it?
Several factors such as life-endangering situations, high-intensity exercise and fatigue, can precipitate the release of adrenaline. And although the hormone increases energy and productivity, excessive amounts in the bloodstream can also have a detrimental effect on the body, such as fat build-up and insomnia. Not ideal for health-conscious workaholics.
What happens when it’s released?
When released into the bloodstream, the hormone boosts the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles, while suppressing other non-emergency bodily processes (digestion in particular). With dilated blood vessels and air passages, the body is able to pass more blood to the muscles and get more oxygen into the lungs, thereby increasing physical performance for short bursts of time.

In addition to this, the muscles of the iris contract to allow the pupils to expand, so not only can you think more clearly, but you can see more clearly too. All of these effects prepare the body for the surge of energy needed to flee from dangers of the wild, namely starving lions and bitter exes.
How much is too much?
Scientists have shown that because of the dangers of too much adrenaline, it is vital to 'work off' some of the hormone that has been released into your system.

While our ancestors handled this naturally through fighting or other physical exertion, in our world, high-stress situations often arise that involve little more physical activity than pressing ‘send’ on an email, so we must resort to exercise to dissipate adrenaline tensions.
How can we work it off?
Dr Matthew Watt, Honorary Senior Fellow at St Vincent’s Hospital, Australia has shown that regular physical exercise effectively gets rid of the adrenaline accumulated during stress by metabolising any excess in the bloodstream, which means, we’ll have to take a leaf out of our ancestor’s book and exert ourselves just a little harder in order to add another branch to our family trees.