38. How does hormesis work and can it slow aging?

Hormesis is a biphasic response in which a mild, time-limited stress triggers adaptive programs that over-compensate and leave the system more resilient, whereas higher or chronic doses are harmful. Hormesis works when a short pulse of stress induces protective remodeling, so that the long-term deleteriome burden rises more slowly or its consequences are better buffered. Exercise is a canonical example: it can transiently increase stress markers yet reduce longer-term burden by strengthening maintenance capacity and functional reserve. Hormesis may contribute to slowing aging (or to improving healthspan without large changes in maximum lifespan), but it is not automatically anti-aging: the dose, timing, recovery, and organismal context determine whether the net effect is reduced burden and improved resilience, or simply added damage and tradeoffs.