What are the three stages of GAS?

What are the three stages of GAS?

• A. Alarm, Exhaustion, Resistance
• B. Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion
• C. Resistance, Alarm, Exhaustion
• D. Exhaustion, Alarm, Resistance

Answer: (B)

General Adaptation Syndrome unfolds in a sequence: alarm, resistance, then exhaustion. The alarm stage is the immediate reaction to a stressor, when the body activates the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis, releasing adrenaline and cortisol to mobilize energy for a fight-or-flight response. If the stress continues, the body moves into the resistance stage, using available resources to cope, maintain heightened alertness, and keep systems functioning while trying to adapt to the ongoing demand. When stress persists beyond the body's ability to cope, energy reserves become depleted, leading to exhaustion, where resilience drops, fatigue increases, and vulnerability to illness or burnout rises. In practice, this order matters because exhaustion without the preceding alarm and sustained resistance wouldn’t accurately reflect the physiological process of how the body handles prolonged stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome unfolds in a sequence: alarm, resistance, then exhaustion. The alarm stage is the immediate reaction to a stressor, when the body activates the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis, releasing adrenaline and cortisol to mobilize energy for a fight-or-flight response. If the stress continues, the body moves into the resistance stage, using available resources to cope, maintain heightened alertness, and keep systems functioning while trying to adapt to the ongoing demand. When stress persists beyond the body's ability to cope, energy reserves become depleted, leading to exhaustion, where resilience drops, fatigue increases, and vulnerability to illness or burnout rises. In practice, this order matters because exhaustion without the preceding alarm and sustained resistance wouldn’t accurately reflect the physiological process of how the body handles prolonged stress.