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Psychoneuroendocrinology

Volume 146, December 2022, 105951
Psychoneuroendocrinology

The energetic cost of allostasis and allostatic load

Author links open overlay panelNatalia Bobba-Alves ^a, Robert-Paul 
Juster ^b ^c, Martin Picard ^a ^d ^e
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105951Get rights and content
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Highlights

  * *
    Allostasis and allostatic load cost energy
  * *
    The organism's energy consumption capacity is biologically
    limited
  * *
    The transition from allostasis to allostatic load is defined by
    an energetic tradeoff where allostasis and stress-related energy
    costs compete with growth, maintenance, and repair
  * *
    The energetic model of allostatic load (EMAL) makes testable
    predictions requiring further research

Abstract

Chronic psychosocial stress increases disease risk and mortality, but
the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here we outline an
energy-based model for the transduction of chronic stress into
disease over time. The energetic model of allostatic load (EMAL)
emphasizes the energetic cost of allostasis and allostatic load,
where the "load" is the additional energetic burden required to
support allostasis and stress-induced energy needs. Living organisms
have a limited capacity to consume energy. Overconsumption of energy
by allostatic brain-body processes leads to hypermetabolism, defined
as excess energy expenditure above the organism's optimum. In turn,
hypermetabolism accelerates physiological decline in cells,
laboratory animals, and humans, and may drive biological aging.
Therefore, we propose that the transition from adaptive allostasis to
maladaptive allostatic states, allostatic load, and allostatic
overload arises when the added energetic cost of stress competes with
longevity-promoting growth, maintenance, and repair. Mechanistically,
the energetic restriction of growth, maintenance and repair processes
leads to the progressive wear-and-tear of molecular and organ
systems. The proposed model makes testable predictions around the
physiological, cellular, and sub-cellular energetic mechanisms that
transduce chronic stress into disease risk and mortality. We also
highlight new avenues to quantify allostatic load and its link to
health across the lifespan, via the integration of systemic and
cellular energy expenditure measurements together with classic
allostatic load biomarkers.

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Keywords

Allostatic load
Energy
Hypermetabolism
Coping resources
Energetic model of allostatic load (EMAL)
Allostasis and stress-induced energy expenditure (ASEE)
Brain
Mitochondria
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