Adrenal fatigue has been in the news as a new catch phrase for many months. Endocrinologists may not consider the effects of prolonged stress to be of significance if cortisol [the body's natural steroid] levels are within the accepted laboratory range for normal.  Prolonged stress may be in the form of physical, emotional, or spiritual stress. Whatever the source of concern, the body translates this stress into a language tat activates an increase in cortisol secretion from the adrenal glands. Over a long period of time the adrenal glands cannot keep up with the consistently high requirements and they fatigue resulting in lower secretions of hormones.