Runner’s High Revisited

Posted October 1, 2007 at 09:00 AM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: In The News, His Fitness, His Health, Mental Health, Physical Health

He’s Fit recently reported that runner’s high was largely caused by the presence and production of endorphins in the human body.  Interestingly enough, it turns out this issue isn’t as cut and dry as it may seem.  Recent research questions the role of endorphins in the onset of runner’s high and turns instead to other factors to explain this state of temporary euphoria.

Endorphins are hormones, recognized for their morphine-like qualities, that are produced in your body during exercise.  As Dr. Owen Anderson in Runner’s World magazine was quoted as saying, it is “[s]tress, either emotional or physical [that] triggers the release of endorphins into the bloodstream.” Intense physical activity, an undeniable cause of stress on the body, is widely recognized as the main trigger in this release of hormones.  Consequently, many scientists have come to believe that there is a significant link between the release of endorphins and the elevated moods athletes are in after long, hard workouts.

However, not all researchers have jumped on the endorphin bandwagon. Some scientists claim that endorphins are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier - and if something can’t get into your brain you can pretty much guarantee it can’t make you high either. So if it’s not endorphins that give you that happy feeling inside after exercise, what is the underlying factor?

One possibility is the production of anandamide, a messenger molecule naturally produced in our bodies that plays a role in pain, depression, appetite, memory, and fertility.  As reported by CNN, anandamide is known to produce sensations similar to those of THC, which is the psychoactive property in marijuana.  And according to a study published in the journal NeuroReport, high levels of these molecules were found in young men who ran or cycled for about an hour at a moderate pace.  Like endorphins, it appears that anandamides are released when the body is under prolonged stress, such as in instances of strenuous exercise.  Dr. Arne Dietrich from University of Beirut has also determined that anandamides also dilate your blood vessels and bronchial tubes, which are effects that should allow individuals to run longer and harder.

However, some scientists promote the idea that it is not one specific hormone or molecule that is responsible for runner’s high.  Rather, as Dr. John Ratey, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, has explained on MSNBC.com, the mood-altering affect of exercise may be produced through a combination of factors such as endorphins and such other naturally-produced chemicals as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Of course there’s always the chance that the underlying cause of runner’s high is simply psychology.  The journal Health Psychology published a study from researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that indicates at least part of the reason behind elated moods after exercise may have to do with increased levels of perceived efficacy.  In other words, the study suggests that feeling happy after a long run may be partly because you feel confident, competent, and in control after hard work in the form of exercise.

With such contradicting research in place, what exactly should we believe when it comes to the phenomenon of runner’s high?  In short, until more conclusive research is done, it’s hard to tell which theory is more accurate.  So in the meantime, keep pushing yourself during those long runs and enjoy any giddy feelings you may experience.

Research sources and for more information: [Runner’s World], [CNN], [MSNBC], [IowaStateDaily.com], [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center], [Men’s Fitness][picture]