You are on your morning routine run, experiencing the usual discomfort and pain. Suddenly, it’s gone. Instead, your breathing and cadence is in rhythm, your every step seems effortless, and you glide across the road. You feel as if you can go on forever.
In the running world, you have just hit the jackpot known as “runner’s high”. While it’s common to experience a general feeling of satisfaction from a run, a runner’s high creates a distinct euphoric state that seems to numb all sense of pain. When it occurs, it usually hits after at least 30-45 minutes of rhythmic, aerobic exercise, according to a Medical News Today article (Runner’s High: Definition and Causes, 2020). Generally speaking, it may appear towards the middle or end of a longer, moderate-high intensity run. Because of its out–of-the-world experience and elusive nature, this phenomenon is perceived to be almost mythical. What causes it exactly and is there a way to consistently reach this state?
Your body releases many feel-good neurotransmitters while running, such as endorphins, adrenaline, and dopamine. Endorphins, which help reduce pain and stress, were commonly thought for a long time to be the hormone behind runner’s highs. However, a recent study published in Neuroscientist suggests the release of endocannabinoids (eCBs) to be the cause of a runner’s high (Siebers et al., 2022). Endocannabinoids, a natural version of the drug cannabis, can move between the barrier separating the bloodstream and brain due to its small and hydrophobic structure (Dietrich and McDaniel 2004). This enables it to influence the mood elevation that is characteristic of a runner’s high. In contrast, endorphins are unable to pass through the bloodstream-brain barrier and would not directly cause mood changes, further substantiating endocannabinoids to be responsible for the natural phenomenon.
While the mechanism behind runner’s high is well-supported, it isn’t clear how runners can methodically obtain it or if there even is a formula to do so. In fact, not every runner has been able to reach this state, with only 69% to 77% of endurance runners experiencing it at least once before, according to a Psychoneuroendocrinology study and several others (Siebers et al., 2021; Hinton and Taylor 1986). Even so, some experts have suggested possible ways to increase your likelihood of achieving a runner’s high. Dr. Hillard, director of the Neuroscience Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, finds that optimal endocannabinoid production occurs after at least eight hours of sleep a day and endocannabinoid levels are three times greater when waking up (Fetters, 2018). Therefore, sufficient sleep and running early can be important factors to consider. Other potential variables include running in a nature-rich or new setting and having no distractions (Feuerecker et al., 2012). Lastly, runners are more likely to experience a runner’s high when they have greater running experience and during a long, moderate to high level run. Overall though, reaching a runner’s high varies from runner to runner.
So next time you experience a sense of euphoria on your run, be grateful for it. After all, you have struck gold and achieved the pinnacle of running. And if you’re feeling it, do run the extra mile – or ten.
Siebers, M., Biedermann, S. V., & Fuss, J. (2022). Do Endocannabinoids Cause the Runner’s High? Evidence and Open Questions. The Neuroscientist, 29(3), 107385842110699. https://doi.org/10.1177/107385842
Siebers, M., Biedermann, S. V., Bindila, L., Lutz, B., & Fuss, J. (2021). Exercise-induced euphoria and anxiolysis do not depend on endogenous opioids in humans. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 126, 105173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105173
Hinton, E. R., & Taylor, S. (1986). Does placebo response mediate runner’s high?. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 62(3), 789-790.
K Aleisha Fetters. (2018, May 21). How to Achieve a Runner’s High. Runner’s World; Runner’s World. https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20851505/how-to-achieve-a-runners-high/
Dietrich, A. (2004). Endocannabinoids and exercise. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 38(5), 536–541. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2004.011718
Runner’s high: Definition and causes. (2020, September 3). Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/runners-high#definition
Feuerecker, M., Hauer, D., Toth, R., Demetz, F., Hölzl, J., Thiel, M., Kaufmann, I., Schelling, G., & Choukèr, A. (2012). Effects of exercise stress on the endocannabinoid system in humans under field conditions. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(7), 2777–2781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2237-0