Master Your T: The Definitive Guide to Raising Your Testosterone Naturally

by Christopher Walker

The HPA Axis is the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. It is the line of action between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands. The hypothalamus sits at the ‘top’ of the axis. It is the brain substrate that serves a primary purpose of linking the nervous system to the endocrine system via your pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is roughly the size of an almond and you can find it in all vertebrate nervous systems. It sits just below the thalamus (hence, the hypo- ) and above the brainstem. The direct aim of the hypothalamus when it releases neurohormones is to either stimulate or inhibit the actions of the pituitary gland. A few functions that are more commonly attributed to its control are hunger, sleep functioning, fatigue, thirst, & circadian cycles. As you can probably assume from the magnitude of regulation that it’s responsible for, the hypothalamus is extremely important in terms of creating a homeostasis (balance) within your endocrine system - and therefore entire body. Symptoms of an unhealthy hypothalamus include inexplicable hunger, insomnia, weight problems, dehydration/hyponatremia, excessive fatigue, etc... The pituitary gland is next in line. It is shaped like a pea and sits right below the hypothalamus, basically at the center, near the base of your brain.