We all know stress can make us feel tired, anxious, or overwhelmed—but it also changes the way our bodies burn fuel. In The Metabolic Classroom episode “Ketones and Stress,” Dr. Ben Bikman breaks down how stress hormones impact our ability to produce and use ketones, and why managing stress is essential for restoring metabolic health.
The Stress Response and Insulin
When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones tell your liver to release sugar into the bloodstream—giving you quick energy. In the short term, that’s helpful. But when stress is constant, blood sugar and insulin levels stay elevated, which can make your body more insulin resistant over time.
High insulin means your body is focused on storing fat instead of burning it, which is the opposite of what happens during ketosis.
Stress and Ketone Production
Under the right conditions, stress can actually help trigger fat-burning. Epinephrine (adrenaline) promotes fat breakdown, sending fatty acids to the liver where ketones are made. That’s why exercise—a healthy form of stress—often enhances ketosis.
But when cortisol stays high for too long, it drives insulin up too, and that stops ketone production in its tracks. Chronic stress literally turns off your body’s ability to stay in a fat-burning state.
Why This Matters for Metabolic Health
Insulin resistance and chronic stress often go hand in hand. You can’t fix one without addressing the other. Learning to manage stress through movement, better sleep, time outdoors, and nutrient-dense, low-carb meals helps your metabolism return to balance.
At Insulin IQ, we teach that reversing insulin resistance isn’t just about what you eat—it’s also about how your body reacts to stress. Supporting healthy stress responses helps unlock fat-burning, improve energy, and stabilize blood sugar.
As Dr. Bikman reminds us, “The right kind of stress can make us stronger, but too much of it keeps our metabolism stuck.”
10-Day Free Trial!
Start your journey toward better health today by taking control of your metabolic future, with the support you need for success.