By: The Mizuno Shoe Guy
The Runner’s High? Undoubtedly, you’ve heard about it, but is it real? Or, is just another urban legend with no basis in fact?
The answer may surprise you: A runner’s high is a very real, tangible by-product of running and not just some illusionary, mythical condition.
So, unquestionably, the runner’s high is genuine. Even though it’s proven in numerous studies, it’s still hard to define exactly what it is because it differs from runner to runner. But here goes my definition: The runner’s high is an elusive, but feel good fix which many runners experience (but not all) either near the end of or after hard, long runs or races. Most often, it’s a simple feeling of bliss and contentment.
What gets in the way of this feeling is simply the term. Many beginners anticipate this feeling from their first run and are often disappointed because either they don’t notice anything at all or if they do, it feels nothing like some drug-induced feeling of euphoria. Instead, it’s usually a mild, post-run buzz that has more to do with a relaxed mental state and deep satisfaction than anything else.
Here’s the inside dope (sorry). More than 40 years ago, researchers discovered that the brain produces its own mood-elevating drugs. Because these drugs act in a similar way that morphine does, they were tagged with the name endogenous morphines. Today, these brain chemicals are just called endorphins and are the naturally occurring drugs—if you will—that can lead to the runner’s high.
The other important brain chemical connected with the runner’s high is called endocannabinoids which is a naturally produced version of THC. If that sounds familiar, that’s the same chemical which produces the “high” when marijuana is used. This doesn’t produce a similar high to marijuana, but it’s believed to create a feeling of well-being or calmness after running.
Endorphins are a little different and can have many effects on the brain, but mainly they control pain and elevated moods. What triggers these naturally occurring drugs is stress, be it physical or emotional.
So a physical stressor like running can flood the brain with these endorphins that then block the transmission of pain messages—tired legs—to your consciousness.
Thus, after a certain length of time or distance running, you feel reduced or no pain. Not bad stuff. It gets even better.
With the endorphins carousing through your system during or after a hard run, you may experience a sensation of being able to run as long as you want without great effort.
The condition suffers from the description of being “high”. You’re not high (in the drug sense), but the post-run feeling is usually described as a feeling of being very enjoyable, mildly euphoric and highly relaxed. Some even find themselves exceptionally chatty and at peace.
Nice. Where can I get me some of those endorphins?
First off, research indicates that you have a better chance of triggering the endorphin rush by running hard and fast. You can still trigger them on a long, slow run, but your chances increase as the effort increases since endorphins are related to the amount of stress you’re encountering.
To quantify the effort, researchers say you need to run at least 75 percent of your maximum heart rate to stimulate the release of endorphins into your system. If you’re jogging slowly for 30 minutes, you probably won’t get an endorphin rush because you haven’t push yourself enough. Without stimulating max heart rate, you usually don’t gain any endorphins.
Interestingly, research into the distance you need to run to have an effect on the endorphins is inconclusive. Some studies show that six miles is far enough, while another indicates that an hour isn’t long enough.
Clearly, it depends on the individual runner. Some runners can trigger a major endorphin rush in only 30 minutes of running—if they are running hard enough. While others, can run for more than two hours with no discernible effect. But most runners ordinarily stimulate the endorphins on relatively hard, long efforts, often after a good race or a long run.
Armed with this knowledge, it is entirely possible to trigger your endorphins on a regular basis. For example, if you only run two or three very easy miles at a time, and wonder what the big deal is about the runner’s high, wonder no more. Instead of very easy running for two or three miles, step up to the plate and run harder—much harder for five or six miles—and you should be able to trigger them.
That’s the trick to getting an endorphin rush. You need to run at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. It can be hills, a race, a long run or even a speed workout, but that 75 percent of maximum heart rate is generally the sweet spot. Again, that’s why hard workouts (or races) seem to trigger the endorphins much more than a relaxed, casual run.
This might also explain why veteran runners seem to experience endorphin rushes on a more regular basis than beginners. Veteran runners are fit enough to push themselves and typically running harder and longer more often than beginners. Consciously or not, experienced runners know how to go to the well to activate the pleasant flood of endorphins on practically a daily basis. Typically, new runners aren’t in good enough shape to run hard enough or long enough to experience this.
But it isn’t just running that triggers endorphins. The brain doesn’t know the difference between aerobic sports. Swimming and cycling seem to work just fine, provided you can push enough to get your heart rate up to 75 percent of its max. For the same reason, bowling, darts, pool or sailing doesn’t work.
Not every runner experiences the endorphin rush. Some just don’t for reasons we don’t fully understand. Older runners, for example, have fewer endorphin episodes than younger runners because endorphin production drops as you age—regardless of your speed or intensity. Fortunately though, your endorphins never just disappear completely.
So endorphins are real. So is the strangely great feeling you can experience after a hard, fast run or race.
Bottom line: You can get high on running.