• Email Us: [email protected]
  • Contact Us: +1 718 874 1545
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Medical Market Report

  • Home
  • All Reports
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

The Runner’s High: What Happens In The Brain And Why It Feels Good

April 19, 2024 by Deborah Bloomfield

When it comes to the legendary “runner’s high”, people often fall into one of two camps: the true believers, and the staunch deniers. While it’s true that not everyone feels fabulous after a long run, runner’s high is a real phenomenon. But what causes it? And if you’ve never felt it yet, is there still hope?

What is runner’s high?

Runner’s high is the term given to a feeling of euphoria brought on by a period of exercise. While runners speak about this particularly often, other cardio workouts can have the same effect, such as cycling or rowing.

Advertisement

For those who experience it, the euphoria typically starts about 30 minutes to 1 hour into a run, but this can vary depending on individual levels of fitness, according to Medical News Today. Some research has even suggested that this feeling is so rewarding, it’s why humans evolved to exercise in the first place.

However, it’s important to say that this is not at all a universal phenomenon, even among very experienced runners. “Indeed, many distance runners feel merely drained or even nauseated at the end of a long race, not blissful,” said professor of neuroscience David J. Linden, speaking to Johns Hopkins Medicine. They also poop themselves surprisingly often, which probably doesn’t help matters (if we must be burdened with this knowledge, so must you).

This sentiment was also echoed by competitive trail runner Lou Clifton in an interview with the Guardian. “I guess generally when I’m running, there’ll be a point where I settle into a bit of a groove and it’s quite comfortable,” she said, but stopped short of calling this feeling a “high”.

What causes runner’s high?

It’s possible that not every Runner™ in your life is being entirely truthful when they extol the rush of a quick 10K before work, but some people really do get “high” off exercise. So, what’s behind this effect?

Advertisement

Many will confidently declare at this point that it’s “something to do with endorphins” – but Linden explained that this is likely a misconception, as endorphins can’t pass the blood-brain barrier. While these so-called “happy chemicals” certainly are released in response to exercise, neuroscientists have known for a while that they’re unlikely to be the real drivers of exercise-induced euphoria.

Instead, more recent research is pointing to a different system altogether: the endocannabinoids. These are the body’s own versions of compounds like CBD and THC from the cannabis plant, which research suggests are good at chilling us out and helping us destress.

A study in 2021 demonstrated that blocking opioid receptors – the receptors that endorphins bind to – using the drug naltrexone didn’t stop people feeling a post-workout high. That indicated that something other than endorphins must have been at work, and the authors suggested that endocannabinoids could be the answer.

Further work has collected together what we know about endocannabinoid release in response to different types of exercise. A 2022 meta-analysis concluded that acute exercise consistently boosts levels of endocannabinoids, and that moderate activity is more effective than lower intensity workouts.

Advertisement

The consensus seems to be that endocannabinoids are a far more promising candidate than endorphins, but that lots more studies are needed to tease out exactly what’s happening there.

How do you achieve runner’s high?

If you’re looking for a more sophisticated answer than “get your trainers on and go for a run”, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Speaking to Runner’s World, professor of biological sciences David Raichlen suggested that setting your workout intensity to keep you at 70-85 percent of your maximum heart rate is best if you want to boost your endocannabinoid production. You can calculate this based on your age.

From their research into why the runner’s high seems so elusive for some people, Steven Hicks, an associate professor at Penn State, added that it can be worth switching things up. Try running different distances, or intervals of sprinting, to stop things from feeling too routine.

Advertisement

But some people will simply never get to experience the runner’s high, and that’s okay. You’ll still be reaping all the benefits of regular exercise, even if at the time it feels like a slog.

“Voluntary exercise is the single best thing one can do to slow the cognitive decline that accompanies normal aging,” Linden said, which can only be good news. You’ll also be helping your heart and lowering your risk of various diseases.

If you’re thinking of taking up regular exercise after a long break, it’s best to start slow and consult your doctor first. But otherwise, get fuelled up, get out there, and chase that high.

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.  

Advertisement

All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Bolivian president calls for global debt relief for poor countries
  2. Soccer-Barca boss Koeman grateful for vote of confidence
  3. The Dark Reason Why You Never See Narwhals In An Aquarium
  4. This Seabird Makes The Longest Migration Each Year From Antarctica To The Arctic

Source Link: The Runner’s High: What Happens In The Brain And Why It Feels Good

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • Project Hail Mary Trailer First Look: What Would Happen If The Sun Got Darker?
  • Newly Discovered Cell Structure Might Hold Key To Understanding Devastating Genetic Disorders
  • What Is Kakeya’s Needle Problem, And Why Do We Want To Solve It?
  • “I Wasn’t Prepared For The Sheer Number Of Them”: Cave Of Mummified Never-Before-Seen Eyeless Invertebrates Amazes Scientists
  • Asteroid Day At 10: How The World Is More Prepared Than Ever To Face Celestial Threats
  • What Happened When A New Zealand Man Fell Butt-First Onto A Powerful Air Hose
  • Ancient DNA Confirms Women’s Unexpected Status In One Of The Oldest Known Neolithic Settlements
  • Earth’s Weather Satellites Catch Cloud Changes… On Venus
  • Scientists Find Common Factors In People Who Have “Out-Of-Body” Experiences
  • Shocking Photos Reveal Extent Of Overfishing’s Impact On “Shrinking” Cod
  • Direct Fusion Drive Could Take Us To Sedna During Its Closest Approach In 11,000 Years
  • Earth’s Energy Imbalance Is More Than Double What It Should Be – And We Don’t Know Why
  • We May Have Misjudged A Fundamental Fact About The Cambrian Explosion
  • The Shoebill Is A Bird So Bizarre That Some People Don’t Even Believe It’s Real
  • Colossal’s “Dire Wolves” Are Now 6 Months Old – And They’ve Doubled In Size
  • How To Fake A Fossil: Find Out More In Issue 36 Of CURIOUS – Out Now
  • Is It True Earth Used To Take 420 Days To Orbit The Sun?
  • One Of The Ocean’s “Most Valuable Habitats” Grows The Only Flowers Known To Bloom In Seawater
  • World’s Largest Digital Camera Snaps 2,104 New Asteroids In 10 Hours, Mice With 2 Dads Father Their Own Offspring, And Much More This Week
  • Simplest Explanation For “Anomalous” Signals Coming From Underneath Antarctica Ruled Out
  • Business
  • Health
  • News
  • Science
  • Technology
  • +1 718 874 1545
  • +91 78878 22626
  • [email protected]
Office Address
Prudour Pvt. Ltd. 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300 New York City, NY 10170.

Powered by Prudour Network

Copyrights © 2025 · Medical Market Report. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version