Contents
- What is runner / athlete euphoria and what causes it?
- Happiness hormones during sport are not endorphins, but endocannabinoids!
- Some scientists call endocannabinoids “don’t worry, be happy”
- What physical activity causes the production of endocannabinoids?
- Does only running cause the release of endocannabinoids?
- Ultramarathoner Amit Sheth wrote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. You have to feel them with your heart. One of those things is running euphoria. “
What is runner / athlete euphoria and what causes it?
From the English word “runner’s high”, the euphoria of a runner (or athlete) is a very positive phenomenon accompanying practicing sport, thanks to which people involved in regular physical activity feel happiness and joy from being active. Runner’s euphoria is a wave of unearthly positive feelings that flood the body during or after training. Thanks to this, we can also significantly lower the pain threshold and the level of stress.
Everyone who practices or practiced sports has experienced the high of a runner / athlete more than once, which puts a person in a blissful mood. Until now, endorphins were thought to be responsible for these positive feelings. The latest research on this phenomenon by German scientists has shown something completely different. Experts from the University Medical Center Hamburg – Eppendorf have proven that all the beneficial processes and feelings that occur during exercise are due to endocannabinoids!
| How is the endocannabinoid system built? |
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| The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is made up of CB1 and CB2 receptors spread throughout the body that regulate a myriad of processes in our body. Research on this system was carried out by Professor Raphael Mechoulam’s team and in 1992 led scientists to discover the first endocannabinoid produced by our body, called anandamide, which means “bliss” (ananda) in Sanskrit. Another known endocannabinoid is 2-arachidonoyl glycerol. These are the two best-known and researched endocannabinoids, but our body produces many more. CB1 receptors are distributed throughout the brain, adipose tissue, muscles, liver, stomach and intestines and other organs of the body, and CB2 receptors – mainly on cells of the immune system and in the gastrointestinal tract. Another element of the endocannabinoid system are the FAAH and MYGL enzymes, the function of which is the synthesis and breakdown of endocannabinoids. The overall task of the endocannabinoid system is to ensure homeostasis – a state of equilibrium in our body. The ECS is involved in numerous physiological processes in our body. Among other things, its role is to regulate: neuroimmune processes, cellular immunity, pain sensation, improving memory and learning abilities, the functioning of the cardiovascular system, control of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, motor activity, bone formation and much more. |
Happiness hormones during sport are not endorphins, but endocannabinoids!
German scientists, led by Johaness Fuss from the University Medical Center in Hamburg-Eppendorf, conducted research on athletes who were told to run and walk on a treadmill. Additionally, their opioid receptors were blocked, which meant that endorphins had no effect on their brains. Despite this, some participants still felt the runner / athlete high, i.e. euphoria during exercise. It turned out that the endocannabinoids produced by the body during training were responsible for the feeling of contentment. Endorphins had nothing to do with it.
Some scientists call endocannabinoids “don’t worry, be happy”
In addition, the areas of the brain that regulate the stress response (the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex) have been found to contain multiple endocannabinoid receptors, so combining these substances released during exercise with receptors in the brain can alleviate perceived stress and anxiety levels, making you feel soothed. Endocannabinoids also increase dopamine levels in the brain, which fuels optimism.
Perhaps some of you have tested this way of relieving the stresses of life and everyday life by practicing your favorite activity. Let me know if this works for you. If you believe these scientific reports – here we have a reliable pill for anxiety, sadness and stress – and that is training!
More interesting facts about endocannabinoids
In an analysis of the endocannabinoid system in the brain, published in 2017, researchers identified three factors that reliably stimulate it: cannabis intoxication, training and socializing. What psychological conditions are associated with low endocannabinoid levels? Hangover after marijuana, anxiety and loneliness. It has been proven, therefore, that endocannabinoids are not only related to the feeling of happiness and euphoria, but also to the feeling of closeness with people.
The high level of these compounds enhances the pleasure of being in company. In addition, they alleviate social anxiety. Blocking endocannabinoids in rats has reduced their interest in being with other companions. The rats preferred to isolate themselves and were loners. Giving people endocannabinoid inhibitors prevents you from getting high, but it also deprives you of the desire and ability to relate to other people.
The enthusiastic endocannabinoids produced during training also make you less sensitive to pain, which is felt at a lower intensity than normal. This can lead to the fact that if you strain a muscle during satisfying physical activity, you may not feel it at all. Professional athletes are known for successfully completing their contests despite an injury. It wasn’t until a few hours after exercise that the pain intensity increased as the levels of endocannabinoids in the body decreased.
What physical activity causes the production of endocannabinoids?
University of Arizona anthropologist David Raichlen invited regular runners to join his experiment. Their task was to perform trainings of varying intensity on a mechanical treadmill. Before and after the run, the participants’ blood was drawn in order to measure the level of endocannabinoids. The slow walk for half an hour had no effect. The most intense and exhausting runs that required maximum effort also proved fruitless. However, endocannabinoid levels tripled after jogging at a normal pace. Additionally, the increase in the concentration of these bliss molecules was correlated with the increase in euphoria felt by the participants of the experiment.
Why did jogging increase endocannabinoid levels, and why not very quiet walking and running at an exhausting pace? Scientists explain that the human brain rewards us for exercise of an intensity similar to that which it helped us hunt for game and harvest tubers, nuts and fruit two million years ago. People were not hunters and gatherers from the beginning. As a result of climate change, the temperature on earth dropped two million years ago, transforming the African landscape from densely forested areas to open forests and meadows. Food availability decreased, and primitive humans were forced to travel long distances in search of food.
Anthropologists say this was a turning point in the evolution of our species – when natural selection began to favor physical traits that made it easier for our ancestors to run and collect food for days on end. Why were primates willing to make so much effort when man seems to be made to conserve energy? All-day walking and running after the game caused huge caloric losses and was certainly painful, tiring and tiring. Was an empty stomach motivated enough to chase food from morning to night?
Scientist David Reichlen believes that nature rewarded the long distances with a feeling of euphoria and satisfaction, which today is called the runner’s high. Thanks to this, humans as a species did not die of starvation, having the motivation to search for food, which was an extremely difficult occupation in ancient times. The scientist theorizes that this kind of neurotransmission for exercise had two effects: it relieved pain and induced pleasure.
Does only running cause the release of endocannabinoids?
No, it turns out that the key to unlocking a runner’s high is not the physical act of running itself, but its continuous, moderate intensity. Researchers have found a similar increase in endocannabinoids when cycling, dancing, walking on an inclined treadmill, and walking outdoors. Some researchers also prove that even 15 minutes of strength training 6 times a week has a positive effect on the production of endocannabinoids, which improves the condition of the intestinal microbiome and thus reduces inflammation in the body.
Ultramarathoner Amit Sheth wrote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. You have to feel them with your heart. One of those things is running euphoria. “
I don’t know if you’ve ever felt the phenomenon described in this article. If so, please let us know and tell us about your experiences. For me, the greatest fun of all time, which sometimes put me in a heavenly mood – was riding a bicycle. Nowadays, I like walking in nature and surely my body produces endocannabinoids because sometimes I feel unearthly bliss and happiness that are hard to describe in words. For those who have never experienced an athlete’s high and would love to experience it, there is also hope. Regular exercise and physical activity change the brain in many ways. One of them is increasing the density of endocannabinoid receptors.
As you implement movement into your life, your brain becomes more sensitive to any pleasure that activates the endocannabinoid system, so that over time, even the most skeptical and exercise-resistant people can enjoy activity more. It may turn out that sofa sloths that have started to move regularly will feel joy and satisfaction over time. Perhaps someone has managed to do this, we would love to hear your story, which may motivate the undecided or negative to move.
People like to exercise the more the more they do it. Getting started can be difficult, but if your brain shifts and adapts, you may find that physical activity and exercise become a permanent part of your life, and by producing endocannabinoids, you’ll be happier, more relaxed and happier. So how? Do you get up from this comfortable couch and go for your dose of euphoria?