Carlos faces ongoing job insecurity, caregiving responsibilities, and frequent financial worries. Which of the following best defines the term allostatic load?

A transient surge of stress hormones and physiological arousal triggered by a single, short-lived stressful event.

The cumulative physiological “wear and tear” on the body from repeated or chronic activation of stress-regulatory systems.

An adaptive strengthening of stress responses that improves performance and resilience after repeated exposure.

A gradual accumulation of physiological strain across multiple body systems due to repeated stress exposure, often reflected in combined biomarkers.