Tag: runners high

The vast majority of runners have at some time encountered what has become referred to as the ‘Runners High‘. This feeling is a sense of well-being as well as euphoria that runners may feel when running that temporarily assists them to really feel much more peaceful and also calmer when on a run. Athletes believe that it is linked to lessened anxiety, an increased feeling of calm as well as a reduced capability to experience pain. It's not something that is mainly due to running and could occur in any kind of cardiovascular activity for example cycling or swimming. There is, however, quite a bit of variation between runners in how they experience the runners high but not all runners feel it or experience it on every single run. Those athletes who've been running for longer are inclined to feel it more regularly and it's in most cases only on the longer runs. Running can also have long term psychological health improvements as do other types of regular aerobic exercise which might be associated with the experience of this runners high.

The existence of the runners high may well be an evolutionary factor. The theory suggests that when the body generate chemical compounds to relieve the discomfort that accompanies higher physical exercise when that physical exercise was essential for hunting for food and running from possible predators, then this would most likely increase an individuals probability of survival. This experience of the modern-day runners high that makes running more satisfying could have been a thing that developed to serve as a compensation that kept early humans hunting wildlife and also accumulating food for their survival.

The actual mechanism underpinning what could cause the runners high is certainly not clear. There are a variety of substances that are higher when you exercise that would be the cause of the physiology. The favourite idea is that the high was that its caused by increased release of endorphins which act in a similar way to morphine, nevertheless there isn't as much back up for this theory currently as these hormones do not go through the blood-brain barrier to have an effect on the brain. Endorphins still do have an impact on the muscles to regulate pain sensations. Newer research has advocated the mechanism may be through the increased discharge of substances referred to as endocannabinoids which are a lot like cannabis or marijuana that can relieve pain as well as improve feelings. In contrast to the endorphins, endocannabinoids do cross the blood-brain barrier. You can find a bit of new interest in the role of the hormone, leptin, which handles the feelings of food cravings. Research has revealed that mice with a lot less leptin will run considerably more than mice with average amounts. The authors of that research suggest that this can be because the mice which may have a lot less leptin ended up more prone to experience the experience of the ‘runners high’. They correlated this finding to the evolutionary theory by saying that a drop in leptin amounts raises motivation for exercise using the pay back of the ‘runners high’ as a means to improve the willingness for the search for foods in order to survive.

The best way to have a runners high is to run more regularly and run over one hour every day. It can come along with experience.