Adrenal response

[jinasphinx]

I'm on this mailing list for women swordfighters in the SCA. And on it someone recently asserted that when the fight-or-flight reaction is triggered, men "freak out" and take a while to calm down. Whereas women start calm (or maybe it was get calm very quickly), but then after the event is over, we have the freakout (crying). I haven't heard this before; is this from a study, or widely known in sports?

([Edit:] I thought everyone, male or female, felt like crap when they come down off the adrenaline, because you've just used up your entire supply of adrenaline for the day.)

I tried doing a web search but all I keep finding is that damn tend-and-befriend study.

Comments

Re: *scratches head*

[jinasphinx.livejournal.com]

Interesting! Thanks for posting. I didn't know you'd done SCA fighting! And you're the closest to an endocrinologist on my friends list. :) My one experience with a big adrenaline rush was when I took one of those self-defense classes where the guy comes out in a giant padded suit. After the class, when the jitters had gone away, I felt very sad. I went home and cried for a while. I also feel sad when my blood sugar's low so your point about burning up sugar stores sounds spot-on to me.

Re: *scratches head*

[flinx.livejournal.com]

Ja, I was a proto-stick-jock whilst in Chicago. Needed something to do to vent frustration. I never got cleared by the marshals for real combat, but I had a lot of fun at practices. Depending on whether or not I get into grad school, I may once again resume activity in the lists... as Lydia's certainly dragging me back into the Society, anyway. Heh. (Incidentally, if you ever see the name 'Pan' Cieszimir Brygant z Obrona, or just 'polish Sasha', that's me. ;-) )

And, yeah, I'm not an endocrinologist, and I certainly recognize that there's a whole biological network in there that I'm not going to even try and touch. There's enough to keep track of in immunology. =-)

But, yeah, most of my info is anecdotal. As waterfaery said below, individuals vary. I know that I've trained myself towards a very calm response, as, for example, it tends to make me a very good driver under crappy conditions (not uncommon in MI winters). Same thing in tight spots in melee or when biking or skiing. I come off as composed, and I really use the heightened awareness to good effect, but when I'm done, I'll be totally drained. Blood-sugar crash, muscle strain, the works.

One of the reasons that I'm not much of a thrill-seeker--I don't get that rush of emotion, as I've trained myself to get it out of the way.