Male adrenal fatigue and stress go hand in hand. The adrenal glands, which are two triangle-shaped glands found above the kidneys, are responsible for regulating a man's reaction to stress. The chief adrenal hormone used to manage stress is cortisol. The adrenal glands emit cortisol in response to stress, low blood sugar, excitement, and during exercise. Under normal circumstances, the adrenal glands emit the highest amount of cortisol within the first hours of waking and slowly decrease production as the day progresses. When stress is not properly managed or when it becomes extreme, the ability for the adrenal glands to function optimally is compromised.
WHAT IS MALE ADRENAL FATIGUE?
If a man's stress level remains excessive for a prolonged length of time, the adrenal glands respond by producing the adrenal hormone cortisol continually. This over-exertion taxes the adrenal glands to the point where the glands are unable to produce the necessary levels of cortisol to keep up with the demand; and subsequently these drastically diminished levels of cortisol eventually lead to adrenal fatigue in men. This hormone imbalance induced fatigue affects all the other hormones in the body, producing a chain-like reaction.
While attempting to maintain high cortisol production to manage the chronic stress levels, the adrenal glands are unable to maintain the production of other necessary hormones. One such hormone, referred to as DHEA or dehydroepiandrosterone, is developed from progesterone. DHEA is vital to maintaining the balance of hormones in your body and low amounts of this important hormone contribute to male adrenal fatigue symptoms.
