What is the effect of glucocorticoids during stress?

• A. Elevates blood glucose.
• B. Lowers blood glucose.
• C. Increases insulin sensitivity.
• D. Decreases cortisol production.

Answer: (A)

When the body is stressed, the adrenal cortex releases glucocorticoids like cortisol, and their main metabolic action is to raise blood glucose to fuel quickly needed tissues. They do this by boosting hepatic gluconeogenesis, increasing glucose output from the liver using substrates such as amino acids and glycerol, and by promoting proteolysis and lipolysis to supply those substrates. Cortisol also reduces glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue and blunts insulin signaling, which further raises circulating glucose by creating a state of relative insulin resistance. The net result is higher blood glucose to keep energy available for tissues like the brain and muscles during stress. Lowering blood glucose or increasing insulin sensitivity would oppose this energy‑mobilizing response, and cortisol production is actually increased during stress, not decreased.