# How strong does adrenaline make me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2002, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509 "2002-09-08T05:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/1 "2002-09-08T05:33:32Z")
Whenever the subject of “amazing abilities of normal folk” comes up, you hear about the mother/grandmother who lifts a car off of her child. Has this type of thing really happened? If so, does it mean that anytime I (or anyone) get really angry or afraid we could just Hulk out? You’d think if the effects were that spectacular the military would have devised some sort of instant injection that would mimic the effects. (Cue X-Files music). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/2 "2002-09-08T12:45:56Z")
Adrenaline doesn’t make you “Hulk out”. It just quickly mobilizes your metabolism to maximize physical effort for a minute or two at most. It won’t help you do any physical feat you’re not inherently capable of doing otherwise. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![psychotropic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@psychotropic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychotropic)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/3 "2002-09-08T13:53:56Z")
Adrenaline (epinephrine) has widespread effects on circulation, the muscles, and sugar metabolism. The action of the heart is increased, the rate and depth of breathing are increased and the metabolic rate is raised; the force of muscular contraction improves (hence the “superhuman” displays of strength we hear about) and the onset of muscular fatigue is delayed. Basically, your body is working at an incredible optimum, so even though you shouldn’t turn into the Hulk, you certainly could be capable of great feats that under normal circumstances, would not be possible. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/4 "2002-09-08T16:40:37Z")
Doesn’t adrenaline stimulate the release of stored energy in the muscles? I think I heard that somewhere. For me, it just makes my right leg twitch uncontrollably (restless leg syndrome?) ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/5 "2002-09-08T19:54:59Z")
I think adrenaline also heightens your senses. An example of a situation where this has happened to me: I’ve been alone in the house at night and I’ve heard a noise downstairs. The adrenaline kicked in, my sleepiness dropped away almost instantly, and I could actually feel my heartbeat increase in my chest. I also seemed to have sharper hearing, as if it was my body’s way of being on “red alart” for a possible attack. Of course it turned out to be the cat, but the example still serves to make the point. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/6 "2002-09-08T20:25:58Z")
It dilates your pupils, too. I think most of the stories are UL. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/7 "2002-09-09T00:29:24Z")
Come to think of it, I don’t believe I’ve ever actually heard one of those stories. I only hear _about_ them, as in, “You know those stories you hear about the mother who lifts a car to save her child…” ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/8 "2002-09-09T00:34:53Z")
More than likely it happened one time, the lady ruined her spine, damaged muscles and tore ligaments, and was in a hospital for months. After that it became “you always hear of women…”. For some reason when something happens once, it gets turned into a regular occurance. LOL ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/9 "2002-09-09T04:49:35Z")
I don’t know how strong you can get but under the influence of adrenaline I did something there was not way I could normally do. When I was about 65 years old I was walking my dog out on the desert early one morning. I stopped to watch the dog dive into a greasewood bush after something, glanced down and saw a coiled up rattlesnake right by my ankle. Instantly, and I mean instantly, I was about 6 ft away looking back at the snake. It was as if I had been shoved into a matter transporter that sent things off at the speed of light. That adrenaline is wonderful stuff. Fortunately it had been a cold night and the snake was sluggish or even adrenaline wouldn’t have done the job. Of course an alert snake wouldn’t have let me get that close either. ---
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/10 "2002-09-09T06:47:50Z")
I damn near stepped on a sleeping and coiled big rattler once when I was a kid. I got back to camp and the rest of my Dad’s geology class was gathered around a little rattler hissing at them. They weren’t interested in my story. I wasn’t interested in theirs. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/11 "2002-09-09T23:06:05Z")
**David Simmons** recalls; > [@](#): > > Instantly, and I mean instantly, Adrenaline also distort’s one’s sense of time. 😛 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/12 "2002-09-10T00:29:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\ ***David Simmons** recalls; > > ## quote: > > ## Instantly, and I mean instantly, > > Adrenaline also distort’s one’s sense of time. 😛 > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* Oh sure, that was just hyperbole. I suspect that what happened was that I simply didn’t register any outside stimuli during that time. And I’m quite sure that my muscles were always capable of doing that. It’s just that I hadn’t used them that way in a long time and also don’t have the ability to get all my reactions, heart rate, blood pressure etc. up to the task of using that capability on demand. If I could I might have been an olympic athlete. ---
**Author:** ![cdhostage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@cdhostage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdhostage)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/13 "2002-09-10T02:09:22Z")
Well, I don’t know about superhuman feats of strenghhj, but I do not that I’m absolutely worthless as a wrestler until I get angry. My strength roughly triples and I don’t seem to miss any moves when I am pissed off at my opponent. Of course 🙂 now I’ve given up team sports to be a musician anyway… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/14 "2002-09-10T02:40:19Z")
**David** , I _live_ for hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/15 "2002-09-10T05:56:31Z")
{slight hijack} What about the story in _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ about adenochrome(sp?)? Scary-sounding stuff… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/16 "2002-09-10T09:52:32Z")
What they usually don’t mention in those stories of Amazing Feats Under the Influence of Adrenalin is that while doing said feats you can cause great bodily harm (broken bones, torn ligaments, etc.) which then take months to recover from, if not surgery. Adrenalin puts the whole body into crisis mode. Which is fine if you’re escaping from lions and tiger and bears (oh my!) or a burning building or out from under a debris pile. But you can’t exist in that mode for any prolonged period of time, you’d wear out your body. I would think that a “hulk-out” injection would run the risk of not only heart attack or stroke from elevated blood pressure and heart beat (both of which can jump quite high in a crisis), but highly sustained phsycial effort could actually destroy muscle cells, the parts of which can get into your bloodstream and clog up your kidneys. Your body just isn’t designed to run at full steam for any length of time. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/17 "2002-09-10T10:13:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emolson \* > \*\*{slight hijack} What about the story in _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ about adenochrome(sp?)? > > Scary-sounding stuff… \*\* “adrenochrome” as presented in the book is a myth. It is an easily obtained, though unstable chemical with very small if any psycotropic activity. I am not sure why Thompson fell for it. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/18 "2002-09-11T07:09:01Z")
For nature’s own experiment with adrenaline excess, read up on[pheochromocytoma.](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pheochromocytoma.html) This is a tumor of the adrenal medulla that elaborates lots of adrenaline (to be fair, many of them secrete noradrenaline as well). Affected individuals have extremely high blood pressure spikes, headaches, jitteryness, and sweating. No mention of super human strength in the clinical literature, though. I’m with **Mangeorge** on the UL theory for the amazing feats of human strength stuff. In any case, the stress response is vastly more complex than a single hormone. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/19 "2002-09-11T08:07:59Z")
…Does an “Adrenaline Rush” have any effect on the human pain threshold? That might for instances of seemingly super-human strength. (A la PCPs) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509/20 "2002-09-11T09:47:33Z")
I don’t know if it’s adrenalin or if the human body releases its natural opiates under extreme stress (as someone pointed out, more than one chemical is involved), but in “crisis mode” the pain threshold tends to go way up, to the point that people can be severely hurt and not realize it until after the fact. I don’t think the “superhuman strength” stories are all urban legend (although some are no doubt exaggerated). In part, it’s a matter than people are often stronger than they are assumed to be, and if you’re in a situation where you are not considering damage to your own self (as where a parent is trying to save a child’s life) you won’t hold back with thoughts of “oh, I might hurt my back”. I routinely shove objects weighing ten times what I do around an airport ramp (yes, these objects have wheels, which helps considerably). Given that I’m not a particularly strong woman, it doesn’t seem at all improbable that a randomly chosen woman, desperate to save an injured child, could shove or even partially lift part of a compact car weighing about the same off said child. She’s not bench-pressing the vehicle, but she is moving it. After all, these stories seldom say _how big_ the car is, [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-does-adrenaline-make-me/127509.md?page=2)