What Social Media Gets Wrong About Cortisol

Cortisol is often labeled the “stress hormone,” and while it plays a critical role in your body’s response to stress, there’s a lot of misinformation circulating—especially on social media.

Cortisol and stress hormones are uniquely confusing because of how involved they are in nearly every body system we have. The effects of cortisol are also not age, medical condition, or sex-specific, because producing cortisol a natural part of the human stress response.

When discussing stress at any time with patients, I have noticed the same confusion points come up over and over. Here what I consider the top 5:

MYTH: Cortisol is the driver of most stress-related weight gain.

Cortisol can contribute to weight gain—especially around the midsection. But there are really only specific scenarios where it is the primary driver of weight gain.

A "high cortisol problem" is typically easy to identify on a simple blood test, and can lead to weight gain and loss of muscle mass if left untreated for a long period of time, alongside many other health problems. While stress can impact these levels, is actually not very common that stress on its own will create this obvious and sustained of a change in cortisol- we are more likely to see it in specific endocrine conditions.

MYTH: Cortisol spikes are bad, and our efforts should be focused on preventing "spiking".

Contrary to what most social media says about chronic "spiking", it is natural, and advantageous, to have cortisol and adrenaline levels change as a response to the things we do and interact with on a daily basis. Even in someone with perfect habits and no stress, you will still see cortisol rise and fall numerous times throughout the day. More stress as a whole is more likely to lead to behaviours that change the timing of these spikes. These daily patterns can can be measured (via saliva or urine over 24 hours), which can be useful in certain circumstances.

MYTH: Fasting Spikes Cortisol and Damages Health

Cortisol will spike temporarily during any fasting effort, but this is still a normal, physiological response to help mobilize energy. This typically peaks at the beginning of your fast and will decrease as the body recalibrates in the fasted state. We are more likely to see a high cortisol problem with prolonged fasting, caloric restriction, or sleep deprivation. Missing a meal or prolonging your fast will create a spike, but we need significant exposures in order for this to actually create a cortisol problem.

MYTH: Coffee Wrecks Your Cortisol Levels

Coffee does increase cortisol levels briefly, especially if consumed on an empty stomach. However, in moderate amounts and as part of a balanced routine, coffee isn’t inherently harmful. Studies also show that we develop a tolerance to coffee and consequential cortisol effects once we habitually drink it. Additional concerns arise when caffeine is used to compensate for sleep deprivation or chronic stress, creating a cycle of fatigue and over-stimulation.

MYTH: Cardio increases cortisol and should inherently be avoided, especially for women

Any appropriate response to exercise will involve a small spike in adrenaline and cortisol, and aerobic exercise is no exception. But again, our bodies rely on this stress response for any physical adaptation and growth. This is also highly individualized- overdoing it with intensity relative to your own fitness level is the most likely to create issues, regardless of age or sex. We get into trouble when we are inconsistent with habits and with fuelling, or do not have enough rest time in between workouts. We also see better cortisol control over time as we get physically fit, because it becomes less stressful on our bodies.

Final Thoughts

I know Instagram and TikTok reels do a great job at making it seem like cortisol is THE problem that you want to solve, when in reality, it is only one hormone involved in a very complex process. Supplements, nutrition, and lifestyle efforts may target cortisol, but they tend to improve our stress response as a whole.

And in almost every scenario, improving stress, not just cortisol, is ultimately more important.

Want to learn more? I discuss the effects of cortisol and the stress response through THIS interactive webinar coming July 9th:

Event Details Here