Researchers at the CHUM have made a connection between runners’ high and the levels of a ‘satiety hormone’ in the body.
It’s long been known that the brain chemical dopamine contributes to that sense of wellbeing that comes from a good run.
“I don't think I've ever seen an unhappy runner,” said Chris Ochair of the Running Room in Westmount.
Now, researchers are looking at the link with leptin, a hormone made of adipose cells that helps control the feeling of satiety and lessen hunger.
This study, explained CHUM on its website, suggests that leptin plays a critical role both in regulating energy balance and encouraging behaviours that are rewarding for the person’s metabolism, such as engaging in physical activity to find food.
“We became interested in understanding the rewarding effects of running, also known as the runners’ high. It's well known that animals, including humans, find running rewarding,” said Stephanie Fulton a researcher in CHUM’s nutrition department.
"The more fat there is, the more leptin there is and the less we feel like eating. Our findings now show that this hormone also plays a vital role in motivation to run, which may be related to searching for food", explained Fulton.
Fulton and her team at the CHUM removed or lowered the lepton levels in mice, leading to interesting discoveries.
“These mice were actually more motivated to get access to running wheels. They showed increased motivation to run, and we can extrapolate that to humans, because humans, in experiencing the euphoria with running, are associated with motivated behaviour,” said Fulton.
To read more about the CHUM study, click here.
