Something weird kept happening during my senior year in high school. In my high school lacrosse season, I had this really bad shin splints that I even had a hard time walking. However, every time the actual game started, the pain disappeared and I could run as fast as I can on the field. After the game the pain would come back again. I thought that this magical situation was caused by the Ibuprofen I took, until the nurse told me it might be the hormone.

What is really working in people’s body during intensive sports activities? The most popular answer will be adrenaline. Adrenaline is a kind of hormone that generates under “fight or take flight” situation. This situation usually refers to chasing by a lion or fighting with a chicken (or with anything else). Intensive sports can be counted as one “fight or take flight” situation as well, and that is when adrenaline starts working. The function of adrenaline includes increasing heart rate and blood pressure, releasing glucose and fats, and increasing alertness. All these actions done by adrenaline can increase body’s ability to act. It seems that adrenaline is the answer to the release of pain.

However, adrenaline does not serve as a natural painkiller. Every athletes know that shin splints are caused by micro tears in muscle tissues, and increasing heart rates and blood flow can not deal with the pain caused by those tears. Under “fight or take flight” situation, a person will have enough energy and excitement coming from the body, and that effect may temporarily, at most, make the person forget about the pain as he focuses on the situation in front of him.

It must be something else that kills the pain during sports. I find another substance in body called endorphin, and endorphin is natural painkiller in human bodies. Endorphin is a kind neurotransmitter. It can be released under a lot of situations, including eating good food, tasting a hot pepper, and exercise. High level of endorphin makes people feel less pain and this effect a lot times is used by runners to prolong their exercise. Endorphin seems to be the thing that I am looking for to solve the myth I encountered during my lacrosse season.

In conclusion, with the combination of adrenaline and endorphin, the pain we are feeling during exercise can be released and we can perform better in sports and other intensive activities. Thanks to our magical body system, we are able to run from bears, fight a dog, and be a good athlete on the field.

Sources:

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a30333/ways-to-boost-your-endorphins/

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55001

http://altered-states.net/barry/newsletter260/

http://sportsandpain.co.nz/painclinic/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Advice-sheet-adrenaline.pdf

http://www.livestrong.com/article/536924-does-exercise-cause-an-adrenaline-rush/