need to pound the pavements day after day after day ? There is no definitive explanation as to why committed runners feel the need to pound the pavements day after day after day. There are several theories however which abound as to why one would willingly and enthusiastically traverse long expanses of road when going the distance is evidently a choice and not a necessity.
There are the psychological theories which focus for example on the feeling of accomplishment on completion of a goal and then there are the physiological explanations which delve a little deeper into the neurochemical changes which occur during distance running and are believed to be responsible for sporadic and intangible feelings of euphoria, often referred to as ‘runners high’. The reality, most probably, is that many of the psychological musings and neurochemical explanations potentially have a place in the unravelling of what it is that motivates one to repeatedly run long distances despite the often customary physiological and psychological feedback indicators that the body is in pain…..
Ongoing investigations into the cerebral neurochemical markers of long distance running are uncovering more and more about the physiological indicators of runners high. This psycho-physiological response to intensive, prolonged exercise is a much sought after and frequently elusive state. For some athletes runners high is the reward which keeps one coming back for more gruelling workouts. For others it is a pleasant side effect which occurs, unexpectedly and gratuitously when the body is demonstrating all signs of intense physical and emotional pain.
To date the majority of research investigating runners high has focused on the role of endorphins. These natural pain killers are produced in the hypothalmus and pituitary gland and are generally released when the body has pushed the boundaries of logical physical capability as sometimes it is during a high intensity run. For those who have experienced the altered mood state that is runners high they may well be aware of their own employ of psychological intervention to keep going at this moment in time. A threshold of pain is bypassed and the individual somehow finds the reserves to continue. While the endorphin explanation sheds light on the ability to surpass ones perceived physiological boundaries by masking the perception of pain it is an insufficient explanation nevertheless for the high which runners frequently cite. Several other neurochemicals including dopamine, serotonin and endocannabinoids have also been investigated as to their role into the altered mood states which drive runners to pursue long distances. A recent contribution to the literature illustrated that, in rodents at least, endocannabinoids make a significant contribution to the motivational aspects of voluntary running and exert an influence on the total distance covered (Fuss and Gass 2010).
We can now accept that this promise of euphoria is a relatively infrequent accompanying response to selective intensive training sessions. It is a consequence of nature and personality traits which would appear to produce an interesting cocktail of neurotransmitters and opioidergic workings in the brain. We also know that the extent to which mood change occurs varies from individual to individual (Dietrich and McDaniel 2004). When it is experienced, the psychological explanation of achievement motivation in its purest form is one element which can keep one coming back for more. Whatever the reasons the euphoric runners high is an interesting state, revered to the point where a percentage of runners will persist with training even in the presence of injury (Chapman and De Castro 1990). For those who experience this runners high from time to time the chemical and psychological mix is powerful enough that very few factors would appear to quell the quest for this elusive euphoric state…..
© Bodywatch Ltd 2010
There are the psychological theories which focus for example on the feeling of accomplishment on completion of a goal and then there are the physiological explanations which delve a little deeper into the neurochemical changes which occur during distance running and are believed to be responsible for sporadic and intangible feelings of euphoria, often referred to as ‘runners high’. The reality, most probably, is that many of the psychological musings and neurochemical explanations potentially have a place in the unravelling of what it is that motivates one to repeatedly run long distances despite the often customary physiological and psychological feedback indicators that the body is in pain…..
Ongoing investigations into the cerebral neurochemical markers of long distance running are uncovering more and more about the physiological indicators of runners high. This psycho-physiological response to intensive, prolonged exercise is a much sought after and frequently elusive state. For some athletes runners high is the reward which keeps one coming back for more gruelling workouts. For others it is a pleasant side effect which occurs, unexpectedly and gratuitously when the body is demonstrating all signs of intense physical and emotional pain.
To date the majority of research investigating runners high has focused on the role of endorphins. These natural pain killers are produced in the hypothalmus and pituitary gland and are generally released when the body has pushed the boundaries of logical physical capability as sometimes it is during a high intensity run. For those who have experienced the altered mood state that is runners high they may well be aware of their own employ of psychological intervention to keep going at this moment in time. A threshold of pain is bypassed and the individual somehow finds the reserves to continue. While the endorphin explanation sheds light on the ability to surpass ones perceived physiological boundaries by masking the perception of pain it is an insufficient explanation nevertheless for the high which runners frequently cite. Several other neurochemicals including dopamine, serotonin and endocannabinoids have also been investigated as to their role into the altered mood states which drive runners to pursue long distances. A recent contribution to the literature illustrated that, in rodents at least, endocannabinoids make a significant contribution to the motivational aspects of voluntary running and exert an influence on the total distance covered (Fuss and Gass 2010).
We can now accept that this promise of euphoria is a relatively infrequent accompanying response to selective intensive training sessions. It is a consequence of nature and personality traits which would appear to produce an interesting cocktail of neurotransmitters and opioidergic workings in the brain. We also know that the extent to which mood change occurs varies from individual to individual (Dietrich and McDaniel 2004). When it is experienced, the psychological explanation of achievement motivation in its purest form is one element which can keep one coming back for more. Whatever the reasons the euphoric runners high is an interesting state, revered to the point where a percentage of runners will persist with training even in the presence of injury (Chapman and De Castro 1990). For those who experience this runners high from time to time the chemical and psychological mix is powerful enough that very few factors would appear to quell the quest for this elusive euphoric state…..
© Bodywatch Ltd 2010
