Getting High on Exercise

By Sueann Allen

Do you find that your moods vary according to your exercise intensity? Is your workout your first priority, even at the expense of other events in your life? Do you work out more than once daily, even if injured?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you are one of many addicted to exercise.

Is exercise an addiction? According to most research the answer is a resounding yes! Research suggests that those who pursue intense, high-endurance sports, such as running, cycling and swimming, exert intensive stress on their bodies. In response to this stress they produce addictive substances called Beta-endorphins.

Endorphins are hormones secreted by the pituitary gland in response to physical stress. These hormones are known to block pain, decrease appetite, decrease anxiety and induce feelings of euphoria.

Does this sound familiar? It should. Endorphins are chemically related to the drug morphine. Morphine is extremely addicting. Morphine is a drug that relieves pain and produces euphoric feelings. "Endorphin" actually means "endogenous morphine." Endorphins and morphine both bind to the same chemical receptors in the brain and produce similar responses.

During a long run, some runners gradually lose the ability to feel pain and experience a thrill as their bodies are filled with exhilarating energy. This is called a "runner's high." Some believe "runner's high" is caused by the surge of endorphins distance runners feel during a difficult workout.

Research shows that the better physically fit an athlete, the more receptive the athlete is to endorphins. And as intensity and duration of exercise increase, the concentration of endorphins released also increases ¹ . This has two side effects; the athlete experiences increased exposure to endorphins and becomes more addicted, and the athlete can train harder because of the higher pain tolerance and the increased energy granted by the endorphins.

Apart from athletic research, is there any other supporting evidence for this theory? Yes. Researchers found that when Beta-endorphins are injected into depressed patients, their moods improve ¹ . This indicates that endorphins enhance mood may be responsible for an athlete's elevated mood during and after a workout.

There are those unconvinced of the theory linking endorphin release to the feelings of pleasure from exercise. These people argue that many people experience the same feelings of euphoria from exercises such as meditation and yoga. Neither of these exercises physically stresses the body enough to produce an endorphin release. This leads many to believe that the endorphin theory is false.

Those who have participated in intense physically exerting sports will admit to the feelings of euphoria, increased pain tolerance and decreased appetite that accompany this exercise. They will usually admit to feeling addicted to their sport. Most of these athletes readily accept the addiction theory because they have experienced its effects first-hand. Although more research is in order to confirm that endorphins are responsible for these effects, there is strong evidence to suggest that exercise addicts are truly, physically addicted to their exercise.

References

Biddle, S. & Mutrie, N. Psychology of Physical Activity and Exercise: A Health-Related Perspective. Springer Verlag London Ltd. (1991).

Bird, Patrick, (1995).  Running Addiction.  Retrieved on October 14, 2004 from:

Running Addiction

Endorphins: Weight-Trainers Miss Out on the Runner's High.  (n.d.).  Retrieved on October 14, 2004 from: Endorphins: Weight trainers miss out on the "runner's high"

Goldfarb, A.H. & Jamurtas, A.Z.  b-Endorphin Response to Exercise: An Update.  Sports Medicine 24(1):8-16 (1997).

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