In the General Adaptation Syndrome, which stage is the initial response to a new exercise stimulus?

• A. Adaptation
• B. Alarm
• C. Exhaustion
• D. Recovery

Answer: (B)

The Alarm stage is the initial response to a new exercise stimulus. When the body encounters a novel workout, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, triggering a fight-or-flight response. Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol surge, heart rate and respiration rise, and glucose is released to fuel muscles, priming you to act. This immediate reaction is temporary and sets the stage for subsequent adaptation if the stimulus continues. If stress persists without proper recovery, resources can become depleted, leading toward exhaustion. Recovery itself isn’t a separate stage of GAS, but the process that helps the body return toward baseline and enables adaptation to occur.