I was born into a family of runners. My dad ran track here at Penn State and my brother was a state competitor in track and field, so it was only natural that I would take the same track (lol) as them. I started running at a young age, and eventually competed on both the track and field and cross country teams in high school and now the club track team here at Penn State. It has been an activity that I can always rely on to improve my mood no matter the circumstances and I love that. Many people talk about the “runner’s high” that comes with the exercise, and I’m writing here today to find out whether this high is actually a thing or a pigment of our imagination.
Many things happen to your body during something as simple as a thirty minute jog. Your heart beats faster, directing blood towards your muscles. Your body releases chemicals called endorphins, triggering a positive feeling in your body. You start to breathe heavier because your body needs to create added supplies of ATP. The list goes on and on. The reason that many have hypothesized about the “runner’s high” is because of this release of endorphins.
One hypothesis proposed that there were real biochemical effects of exercise on the brain and that these endorphins released acted as the brain’s “naturally occurring opiates”. This was accepted by leading endorphin researchers not associated with the study. I find this hypothesis reasonable and accurate. As a runner, I can say that running has not only impacted my body in a positive way, but has certainly also improved my mentality and mood. However, I’m not so sure I would associate this with a “high”.
Yes, running has been proven to release endorphins. Yes, it has also been proven to improve a state of mind. However, the connection between these two is lacking. I believe the connection is a mental game. Running improves your mood because who wouldn’t feel better after working out?! You just burned those calories and are feeling great about it! I don’t think this feeling of euphoria is simply because of the endorphins rel
eased, but the other factors that researchers and people in general are overlooking. This “runner’s high” isn’t a pigment of our imagination; it’s a feeling of satisfaction that any type of exercise should produce.
So, if you are looking for a way to improve your mood or feel better about yourself, go for a run. Release those endorphins and see where it takes you. Although I don’t believe it is actually a “high”, you will feel better afterwards, and that’s what matters.
I agree with the hypothesis involving the endorphins, but there is a factor that hasn’t been touched upon yet. Endorphins may be released while running but will this necessarily make runners feel happier or more positive? I have run races in which I have had nerves before and after and perhaps this conflicts with the idea of a “runner’s high”, but I think it’s fair to point out that running may not always make people feel better afterwards. Personally I have felt sick and sometimes that high is not quite there. I cannot speak for everyone of course, but there may be others out there that do not experience this high when working out or running so I am wondering if the hypothesis encompasses all people or those who experience the “high”?
Myself and my mom love working out and exercising and definitely find it to be an “escape” from reality, essentially a stress reliever. I have always wondered why I always feel much happier and overall have a more positive outlook on my day after I exercise, and your article did help me understand a little more why this could be the case.
Alexandra,
I enjoyed reading your article, as I am a former long distance runner and soccer player. From firsthand experience, I can back up the hypothesis that running improves both mood and mentality. In terms of classifying our bodily reaction to cardiovascular activity, I would argue that such action DOES create a “high.” While such a claim may seem exaggerate, one must objectively view the bodily effects of cardiovascular activity ; increased heart rate, blood flow towards muscles, and the release of endorphins.
The New York Times Health and Nutrition section featured an interesting article entitled “Yes, Running Can Make You High” by Gina Kolata. Kolata uses a variety of personal examples in order to support her argument, including a marathon runner who often cries of happiness after finishing marathons. The problem with such personal examples is they bare no scientific evidence. Prior to this study, there was no way of measuring, or identifying endorphins within a brain scan. However, the recent creation of chemicals that reveal endorphin action within the brain has enabled doctors to scientifically prove the correlation between exercise and an increase in mood. Recently, PET scans were used in order to compare the brains of runners’, before and after their exercise. The findings proved their is a runners high; in all ten of the runners, endorphins attached themselves to areas directly associated with emotions (prefrontal, limbic areas). While many refute the possibility of running creating a “high,” conceptually, such activity generates similar changes in the brain to that of certain drugs. Obviously, running is a healthy “high,” and produces positive physical results.
Before PET scans were readily available, we had no way to prove any correlation between exercise and mood change. I am extremely impressed at the sophistication of modern day science, and I will definitely think of this article next time I am running.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/health/nutrition/27best.html?_r=0
First of all. congrats on doing track here that’s awesome! I did cross country and track throughout high school and used the phrase “runner’s high” way too much. This was an interesting thing to write about because although I said it numerous amounts of times I never thought of the meaning behind it. This made me think more about it. I agree that running (or working out in general) can give you that adrenaline and help you to feel so much better after. I’m happy to learn that it is not just in my imagination and that this is an actual thing. Good post!!
This a really cool blog. I recently wrote a blog on the effect the music has on runners, you can check it out here if your interested. I found this very useful because running is not easy. It is nice to know that the ‘runner’s high’ is a real thing. For example, I ran yesterday and I felt absolutely awesome after I recovered from my run. Running is something that is important to me and it is nice to know that their our scientific benefits other than it being a way to stay healthy.