Which hormone has the primary role of increasing blood sugar levels during stress?

Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, plays a critical role in the body's response to stress. During stress, whether it's due to physical threat or emotional pressure, epinephrine is released from the adrenal medulla. One of its key physiological effects is the promotion of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, which are processes that increase the availability of glucose in the bloodstream.

By stimulating the liver to break down glycogen into glucose and encouraging glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources, epinephrine effectively raises blood sugar levels, providing immediate energy to muscles and other tissues that require it in stressful situations. This rapid release of energy supports the body's "fight or flight" response, ensuring that accelerated physical activity can be sustained.

While glucagon also acts to increase blood sugar levels through similar mechanisms, it primarily works in the absence of insulin during fasting states rather than in response to acute stress. Cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone released during stress, also contributes to elevated blood sugar levels but does so over a longer period and as part of a more systemic stress response. Insulin, on the other hand, works to lower blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into cells, counteracting the effects of epinephrine and gluc