If you’re curious about dry fasting and have heard terms like cortisol and ACTH tossed around, you’re not alone. These two hormones play an essential role in how your body manages stress and adapts to fasting, especially when you’re going without water. Some would argue that these are the MOST important hormones to keep in mind when dry fasting. But what are they really, and why should anyone dry fasting be interested in these stress hormones? Let’s dig in and see how they help—or hinder—the body when there’s no water intake involved.