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Cortisol Gonadal Antagonism

Meaning

Cortisol Gonadal Antagonism describes the powerful, reciprocal inhibitory relationship that exists between the glucocorticoid stress hormone cortisol and the sex hormones, specifically testosterone and estrogen, which are produced by the gonads. Clinically, a sustained or chronic elevation of cortisol, typically associated with prolonged psychological or physiological stress, can profoundly suppress the entire Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis, leading directly to a measurable reduction in the production of sex steroids. This specific physiological trade-off serves to prioritize immediate survival and allostatic functions over the energetically expensive reproductive and anabolic processes.