Psychologic stress and blood glucose levels in nondiabetic subjects.

This study analyzed the effect of a standardized psychologic stressor on blood glucose levels in nondiabetic subjects. Subjects participated in a stress and nonstress session, presented in counterbalanced order. At each session, subjects were fed a carbohydrate load and blood glucose responses were measured 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after the load. On nonstress days, subjects relaxed after drinking the load, while on stress days subjects participated in 30 min of competitive tasks immediately after the drink. The stress impaired the subjects' ability to handle the carbohydrate load; whereas on nonstress days, blood glucose levels peaked at 30 min after the load, on stress days the peak blood glucose response was delayed until 60 min after the drink.