Runners Say Their Pastime is Like No Other for Chasing Natural High
Athletes describe runner's high as euphoria, a loss of pain, heightened awareness.
Â
The cause: our bodies produce narcotic-like chemicals during continuous aerobic exercise, said George J. Trachte, Ph.D., interim department chair of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus.
Â
What happens during strenuous exercise is the brain secretes endorphins — "similar to morphine, but we make it ourselves," he said — and a marijuana-like chemical, anandamide, a type of endocannabinoid.
Â
It doesn't happen immediately, but if you feel discomfort or pain, this makes it easier to continue, and it could contribute to runner's high feelings, he said.
Â