The effect of laboratory stressors on glycemic control and gastrointestinal transit time.

This study compared effects of an active coping task (computerized stressors involving arithmetic, anagrams, and Atari games) and a passive coping task (cold pressor) on gastrointestinal transit time and glycemic response to an oral glucose load. Eleven normal weight males were studied; subjects participated in three counterbalanced sessions, each including a 45-minute baseline, 20-minute experimental period (active coping, passive coping, or nonstress control) and 2.5-hour recovery period. The stressors produced different cardiovascular and catecholamine responses; systolic and diastolic blood pressure were highest during cold pressor (p less than 0.001), heart rate was highest during computer stressor (p less than 0.001), and norepinephrine excretion was greatest during cold pressor (p less than 0.002). However, both stressors delayed gastrointestinal transit time compared with the control condition (p less than 0.009 and p less than 0.026 for cold pressor and computerized stressor, respectively) and both delayed the time of peak glucose response (p less than 0.002 and p less than 0.05, respectively). Implications of these findings for patients with diabetes and for effects of stress on eating behavior are discussed.