The information on this page is educational. It describes how Reforge Health thinks about metabolic health. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.
Stress and burnout
Stress and burnout. The metabolic cost of running on empty.
Cortisol is designed for short bursts. The modern environment keeps it elevated for years. The metabolic cost is measurable: insulin resistance increases under chronic cortisol exposure, visceral fat accumulates, sleep architecture degrades, thyroid function downregulates, and sex hormone production is suppressed as the body prioritises survival chemistry over reproductive chemistry.
Burnout is not a psychological weakness. It is a metabolic state. The HPA axis has been running in overdrive and the downstream systems are showing the damage.
We assess cortisol patterns (ideally via four-point salivary testing), DHEA-S as the counter-regulatory marker, thyroid function, sex hormones, and the behavioural architecture that keeps the stress loop running. The framework redesigns the environment, not just the coping strategy.
The spectrum does not wait for a diagnosis.
If you recognise yourself in any of these conditions, or in the spaces between them, the Metabolic Questionnaire is a good starting point. It is not a diagnosis. It is a structured way to map your symptoms and history so that the right conversation can follow.
