Runner's High
On the Chase for that Exquisite Feeling
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ endorphins boost? The amazing feeling you get after a workout or a run is another of the countless benefits of living an active lifestyle. Well, let us spill the tea on the newest neighbor around the block - a runner’s high.
“A runner’s high is a brief, deeply relaxing state of euphoria. Euphoria is a sense of extreme joy or delight. In this case, it occurs after intense or lengthy exercise. Often, people who experience a runner’s high also report feeling less anxiety and pain immediately after their run” (Healthline.com, 2020)1
Surprisingly, recent research (John Hopkins Medicine, 2022)2 shows that endorphins are not responsible for a runner’s high. One of the studies (Sciencedirect.com, 2021) showed how runners who were given a drug to stop endorphins, still felt a runner’s high proving how endorphins don’t cause it. So, what does? Endocannabinoids - biochemical substances similar to cannabis but naturally produced by your body. Yes, you can get on a high naturally without the drug. However, research on how the brain and body react to endocannabinoids is quite limited and still ongoing.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets to experience it, if that’s your case running will still do you a lot of good (psst… it’s popular for a reason). Be ready to improve your heart’s health, sleep better, improve knee and back problems, have better memory, fewer colds, better mood, and energy (Webmd.org, 2021)3.
Being healthy makes you happy and who knows, you might get that runner’s high after all!
Holland, Kimberly. “Runner’s High: What It Is, How You Get It, and Other Benefits.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 13 Oct. 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/runners-high.
The Truth Behind ‘Runner’s High’ and Other Mental Benefits of Running | Johns Hopkins Medicine.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, Based in Baltimore, Maryland, 29 Dec. 2021, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-truth-behind-runners-high-and-other-mental-benefits-of-running
“How Does Running Improve Your Health?” WebMD, WebMD, 4AD, https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/health-benefits-running.
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