When you start out … your body goes through a transition: Your breathing may become heavy, and you might notice your pulse quicken as the heart pumps harder to move oxygenated blood to your muscles and brain. Sex seems a lot like exercise. Oh wait, it is exercise. That’s what happens when you start out on a run. It’s probably what happens during sex too but I’m not a sexologist. (Paging Dr. Q.)

As you hit your stride, your body releases hormones called endorphins. Popular culture identifies these as the chemicals behind “runner’s high,” a short-lasting, deeply euphoric state following intense exercise. Surveys have revealed runner’s high to be rather rare, however, with a majority of athletes never experiencing it.

And though endorphins help prevent muscles from feeling pain, it is unlikely that endorphins in the blood contribute to a euphoric feeling, or any mood change at all. Research shows that endorphins do not pass the blood-brain barrier.

That relaxed post-run feeling may instead be due to endocannabinoids — biochemical substances similar to cannabis but naturally produced by the body.

Exercise increases the levels of endocannabinoids in the bloodstream. Unlike endorphins, endocannabinoids can move easily through the cellular barrier separating the bloodstream from the brain, where these mood-improving neuromodulators promote short-term psychoactive effects such as reduced anxiety and feelings of calm.

Hippocampus literally means “horse sea monster.” Left: the part of the human brain called the hippocampus. Right: the saltwater fish called seahorse (genus Hippocampus).

 

The research suggests that a wide variety of activities can produce this effect. The key to the high is repetition. Exercises you can perform in a repetitive rhythmic fashion seem to produce the same effect,

The mental benefits don’t stop with getting high — regular cardiovascular exercise can spark growth of new blood vessels to nourish the brain. Exercise may also produce new brain cells in certain locations through a process called neurogenesis, which may lead to an overall improvement in brain performance and prevent cognitive decline.

What’s more, the hippocampus — the part of the brain associated with memory and learning — has been found to increase in volume in the brains of regular exercisers. Other mental benefits include:

      • Improved working memory and focus
      • Better task-switching ability
      • Elevated mood

 

 

This week’s music. (Definitely NSFW and on point)