Identifying the most effective acute stress induction methods for producing SAM- and HPA-related physiological responses: a meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: Laboratory-based stress inductions are commonly used to elicit acute stress but vary widely in their procedures and effectiveness. We compared the effects of stress induction techniques on measures of two major biological stress systems: the early sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) and the delayed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response.

Design: A review and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between stress induction techniques on cardiorespiratory and salivary measures of SAM and HPA system activity.