Allostatic load is "the strain on the body produced by repeated ups and downs" of its response to stress early in life which can include increased blood pressure and cortisol.
"We have young people now being exposed to circumstances in their formative years that, the evidence would suggest, is going to increase their likelihood of
allostatic load and therefore have consequences for their long-term health outcomes."
"Re-Employment, Job Quality, Health and
Allostatic Load Biomarkers: Prospective Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study," International Journal of Epidemiology 47(1): 47-57.
(13, 14) Nonetheless, all would agree that a reduction in
allostatic load, or repeated exposure to stress, is desirable.
who proposed that yoga may reduce
allostatic load in stress response systems, thus restoring homeostasis.
Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Disruption: Stress, Allostasis, and
Allostatic Load. Sleep Med Clin.
(5,6) The
allostatic load theory has been proposed to explain the neuroprogression and division in stages of the disease.
When a person's
allostatic load reaches a level that the brain and body can no longer tolerate, primitive defense mechanisms take over to protect these sensitive systems.
Recent research has focused on
allostatic load, the physiological process through which long-term physical and mental health problems develop as a result of ACEs.
2015) and maintains persistently elevated levels of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol causing
allostatic load (Ranbir and Reetu 2011).
For example, poverty exerts a chronic psychological stress on individuals and populations that has important implications for disease risk both by contributing to
allostatic load and by predisposing populations to alcohol abuse and other risky behaviors [60].
However, during stress allostatic responses, if the physiological adjustments are ineffective or inadequate and/or if the stressor(s) actions are long-lasting, the adaptation process is not achieved and the organism will then be facing an
allostatic load [52].