The Runner's High - What is it? When does it happen?

While there’s no one profound definition of what exactly is a Runner’s High, that hasn’t stopped a number of avid runners from trying to relate their experiences with it. They’ve described it as everything from a "mental state of relaxation," and "a second wind," to a "mythical point where the mind and body separate."

It happens out on the road after running a number of repetitive miles when you cross an invisible mental barrier and get in touch with your inner, most powerful resources. In this lofty state, a sense of peace and timeliness floods over you. Pain is dulled, and negative thoughts flee. The beat of your heart, tightness in the lungs, and heaviness in the thighs suddenly disappear. Your stride pattern and breathing become fluid and your legs feel like pistons pushing you down the road. The euphoria you feel is a rush - one that you recognize as being present but don’t want to stop to admire. Indeed, you keep running to stay in the high. That’s one general description of what happens; it’s a nice buzz. While running provides the best form of exercise for the body, the phenomena known as runner’s high suggests that the sport can also be a spiritual experience for runners who can push beyond the limit.

When euphoria cancels out pain

What causes Runner’s High? And does it even exist? Is it a myth? The old Meriam-Webster dictionary defines it as "a feeling of euphoria that is experienced by some individuals engaged in strenuous running, and that is held to be associated with the release of endorphins by the brain." But modern researchers have set about to rewrite that definition.

Two 2004 studies, one from UC Irvine and another done by the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that runner's high is caused, not by endorphins, but by anandamide which is a natural chemical that stimulates the brain in the same way that THC does. This THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is the active ingredient in cannabis which produces pleasant feelings and pain cessation for pot smokers.

Named after the Sanskrit word for "bliss," anandamide is produced by the body as a response to stress and as a means to control pain. Furthermore, it’s not just associated with runner’s high; researchers have found that anandamide is a key communicator between a pregnant woman and her embryonic child. In fact, it’s believed to be one of the first chemical communications a mother’s gives to her baby in utero.

When does it happen?

Once you are able to run 3 to 5 miles without stopping you’ll be on your way to the prestige of calling yourself a runner. Then, before you know it, you too will be able to run 7 to 10 miles several times a week and perhaps find yourself training in the zone.

Experienced runners believe that the best place to acquire a runner’s high is in the tempo pace which is just a little slower than a race pace. You don’t want to be walking since that speed won’t generate enough stress on your body to produce the anandamide; and you don’t want to go too fast or you’ll burn up all your reserves and struggle to even make it half the distance. Pick out a tempo pace and let the rhythm guide you. Once you are in this zone, you are not only at the optimum pace for fitness training and weight loss, but you might get to experience a runner’s high.

Running for complete fitness and pleasure

If you want to begin on the life-long path of well-being and have the determination to succeed, then the hours you spend running on the trails and roads are never wasted. You’ll improve your health and heart strength, increase your stamina and poise, and gain a wealth of mental and fitness benefits. Even if you don’t reach the "buzz", you’ll nevertheless achieve that state of well-being that lasts for hours after a workout thanks to the chemical processes that occur within the brain. But there’s always the hope that someday you’ll have the pleasure of having the transcendent and ecstatic experience known as the runner’s high.

About the Author: Kevin Urban is the editor at TreadmillTalk.com, a site with a focus on treadmill reviews. Find the best treadmill in your price range with our treadmill comparison and rating guide.

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