How does hydration affect your stress response?

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This research article investigating the link between habitual fluid intake, hydration status, and the body’s cortisol reactivity to acute psychological stress, specifically using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).

• The study compared individuals with habitually low fluid intake (LOW) to those with high fluid intake (HIGH), finding that LOW fluid intake and corresponding suboptimal hydration were associated with a significantly greater magnitude of cortisol response to the stressor.
• This novel finding suggests a potential mechanism for why chronic low fluid intake may be related to poor long-term health outcomes, emphasizing the need for future stress research to account for hydration status.
• The article details the study’s methodology, including participant recruitment based on fluid intake quartiles and the physiological measures used to assess hydration and stress response.

​Link to the study: Habitual fluid intake and hydration status influence cortisol reactivity to acute psychosocial stress