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When you’re feeling fatigued, irritable and sleepless, what’s going on inside your body? Or what about joy, relaxation, calm? Believe it or not, the way you feel doesn’t just happen – there are a whole host of processes going on in your brain and body that contribute to that feeling of satisfaction after a run or those feelings of anxiety before a big presentation. And one of the main control centers that deals with those reactions is the HPA axis.
HPA stands for hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal, and is so named as an “axis” because they work in tandem and reciprocally. Their signaling processes are inextricable, and the systems they affect are also interconnected, which is why mood, stress and energy levels often go hand-in-hand – until you intervene with something like coffee or energy drinks.
So, how is the HPA axis supposed to work? And what’s happening when you add a stimulant to the mix? Let’s discuss:
Perhaps the most well-known function of the HPA axis is stress response. This axis was vital to human evolution, as it’s required for stress adaptation. So, what happens when you perceive a stressor? Say you’ve run into an ex unexpectedly on the street. There’s no time to get away – they saw you:
Now, what happens when this stressor stays for more than this initial danger moment the amygdala signaled? Say your ex has the audacity to walk up to you and start a conversation, instead of just waving and going away. This is where the HPA axis takes over:
Wondering what happens when this system tries to deal with chronic, long-term stress? Check out our article: Understanding the Dangers and Mechanisms of Chronic Stress.
Under normal circumstances, the CRH and cortisol signaling by the HPA axis plays a role in serotonin and dopamine regulation. But this relationship is also reciprocal. Low levels of serotonin and dopamine, associated with low mood, let cortisol run wild, further contributing to an irritable exhaustion. On the other hand, overactivity of the HPA axis can reduce serotoninergic and dopaminergic activity, contributing to feeling crappy.
HPA overactivity is associated with several major mood and affect disorders, and is a main treatment target in modern psychiatry. The key is often to support serotoninergic and dopaminergic activity, and support GABA activity in tandem. GABA is the body’s calm-down chemical, and is associated with feelings of physical and mental calm.
Why is HPA overactivity relevant to mood in general? Because everyone is stressed on a chronic level. What a time to be alive.
In theory, cortisol isn’t the absolute wrecker that it has come to be in our modern lives. Cortisol is actually a key neurochemical in your daily energy levels; the HPA axis uses it to support our sleep/wake cycle by releasing the most in the mornings and gradually lowering them throughout the day. This supports alertness in the daytime hours and calmness at night.
You probably know where this is going. In reality, cortisol is messing our energy levels up. Unless you’re lucky enough to live alone in the woods, you’re likely stressed and tired on a chronic basis like the rest of us. That’s because the HPA axis feels like it can’t shut down, because your amygdala is saying there’s something there that’s distressing and won’t go away.
The result? Too much cortisol all the time, which, among a host of other things, leads to sleep disturbances and an anxious fatigue. Everyone knows what it’s like to get up after a long night of tossing, turning and reliving that awful interaction with your ex, and getting through the day solely through mainlining coffee the whole time.
Does it work? Technically. Is it really solving anything? Temporarily, maybe.
So now that we know how the HPA axis works, let’s touch on what happens when you interfere with those neurochemical processes in an unbalanced way. When you consume a bunch of caffeine, you’re affecting three main neurotransmitters:
Here’s what we’re missing with caffeine’s abilities: we’ve ignored the dopamine and serotonin of it all. Yet we’ve almost overactivated the adrenal system. That’s why an energy drink or quad-shot latte gets you the temporary energy boost you need, but often at the price of feeling even more stressed and more irritable. And when the caffeine runs out, you crash, because what it does is unbalanced and a little extreme.
Effective, sustainable energy boosts that come with a calm, balanced mood need to be just that: balanced. Feeling great is about giving your body the resources it needs to function at its best so it’s able to modulate all those neurochemicals correctly in the first place. Energy shouldn’t come with a price.
Every part of our physical and mental health is interconnected – stress and sleep affect your mood, energy, immunity, focus. And those all-important neurochemicals are the signalers that set states of mind in motion. And when we’re feeling tired, mad and stressed, we reach for energy drinks and coffee, even though we know caffeine is really just covering up the problem.
But there is a better alternative to energy drinks that can replace excessive caffeine and sugar with real support for those chemical processes driven by the HPA. MTE is a greens powder supplement comprised of 13 powerful adaptogens, nootropics and superfoods. Meant as a replacement for energy drinks and excessive caffeine, our formulation promotes good feelings, healthy energy, quality sleep, focus, and more. Free of artificial ingredients and other crappy additives, we rely on clean, scientifically-supported, plant-sourced compounds to hack your brain and body back into homeostasis. Because what good is an energy boost if you’re jittery, irritable and exhausted? Check out our Ingredients page for more on our formulation, and order your first bag of your new go-to natural energy drink.