During the alarm phase of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), there is:

• A. Depletion of the body's energy reserves
• B. Long-term adaptation to chronic stressors
• C. A return to baseline physiological functioning
• D. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system and release of stress hormones such as adrenaline

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) describes the body's short-term and long-term reactions to stress, consisting of three phases: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
2. Identify that the alarm phase is the initial reaction to a stressor, where the body prepares to respond to the threat.
3. Recognize that during the alarm phase, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, leading to the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol.
4. Note that this activation results in physiological changes like increased heart rate, heightened alertness, and energy mobilization to handle the stressor.
5. Distinguish this phase from the resistance phase (long-term adaptation) and exhaustion phase (depletion of energy reserves), which occur later in the GAS process.