Busting Myths about Cortisol with Beth Skwarecki

In this episode, Greg and Lyndsey sit down for a discussion about cortisol with Beth Skwarecki, the senior health editor at Lifehacker. The dangers of high cortisol are a persistent topic of content on social media content, so the discussion focuses on the types of claims that are being made, the dubious methods of self-diagnosis and “treatment” being recommended, and the potential risks and dangers associated with letting social media convince you that you’re basically an endocrinologist.

You can read Beth’s article on this topic here: TikTok Myth of the Week: All Your Problems Are Due to High Cortisol

TIME STAMPS

What is cortisol? (00:02:52)

Epinephrine vs. AdrenalineBasic cortisol physiologyLow cortisol and adrenal crisis 'Normal' cortisol levels (00:18:44)

Reference range for normal cortisolVariability in cortisol awakening responseCortisol awakening response poorly associated with total daily cortisol AUCEarly childhood stress (with family income as a proxy) associated with either elevated or depressed cortisol awakening response Cortisol discourse on TikTok (00:33:56)

Representative examples of TikTok cortisol content:

https://www.tiktok.com/@brittwd/video/7263934911432707374?_r=1&_t=8gQo2Q04An4https://www.tiktok.com/@mallorymh/video/7242431357446556970https://www.tiktok.com/@xomgitsbunnie/video/7272557452095376686https://www.tiktok.com/@liv.ingwell/video/7263106370696695083 Cortisol vs other social media trends (00:47:48)

The Endocrine Society on adrenal fatigue • Representative examples of TikTok adrenal fatigue content: https://www.tiktok.com/@clairethenutritionist/video/6964559576985308421?_r=1&_t=8gY2Pf0iBPnhttps://www.tiktok.com/@begreatwithnate/video/7191220532862356778?_r=1&_t=8gY2YIPYDDGhttps://www.tiktok.com/@ambitiousandcaffeinated/video/7201977016571202821?_r=1&_t=8gY2fS0vaRPhttps://www.tiktok.com/@ghallfitness/video/7190694428586151170?_r=1&_t=8gY2uaAaGvShttps://www.tiktok.com/@thewellnesswaylargo/video/7254966223329398058?_t=8gY34NUrjRO&_r=1 Cortisol and menstruation (01:07:41)

Cortisol and trauma (01:11:32)

Representative example of movements claimed to reduce cortisol associated with trauma • Tapping: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/ Cortisol and exercise (01:15:55)

Cortisol and overtraining • (most notably, Figure 3 • ) Impact of exercise intensity on cortisol responseCortisol levels return to normal very soon after exercise endsHackney review on exercise and cortisol Specific claims about high cortisol (01:38:30)

Cortisol, caffeine and sleep (01:45:39)

Plenty of things cause you to wake up at nightSpiritual meaning of waking up at 3AMCaffeine and cortisolCaffeine’s effects on cortisol are attenuated within 5 days of consumptionCoffee intake is associated with plenty of positive health outcomes (hard to square with the idea that caffeine spikes cortisol in a manner that’s deleterious to your health) Real ways to regulate cortisol (01:55:49)

Self-diagnosis (02:03:08)

Cortisol disorders can cause real disease (story Beth referenced about woman with tumor)Other things that can cause Cushing-like symptoms Takeaways (02:08:13)

Where to find Beth

Check out Beth’s writing on LifehackerBeth’s 510 Dinnie Deadlift • Beth’s books: Outbreak! • and Genetics 101Follow Beth on Twitter

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