Catabolism is exactly opposite. Catabolism refers to the process whereby larger molecules are broken down into smaller ones. Stress represents a period of economic hardship. Energy resources to the body increase. Now the energy is distributed to the tissues needing it.
Heart rate is increased, as are blood volume and blood pressure.
Pulmonary tone is also increased, leading to greater performance of the heart and lungs. The difficulty lies in the fact that what stresses us has changed greatly in such a short time frame that our bodies have not yet adapted to that change. In other words, being attacked by another tribe or hungry predator creates a very different need than sitting in traffic and knowing that you are going to be late for a meeting. The energy that the stress created has no outlet but to create an unnatural state within the body. We spoke of catabolism earlier in this web page.