I don’t understand what the endorphin rush is. Everyone talks about it as if it’s a known thing but they never explain it. I’ve been going to the gym for around three months now and all I ever get is exhausted and weak, like my body is made of overcooked spaghetti, afterwards. What should I do to get this rush?
In: Biology
It’s something marathon runners and other endurance athletes get after very long periods of exercise. If you run a marathon, your body starts to break down. Your brain senses this as stress and pain. So it releases opioids to act as a painkiller. The name endorphin is short for endogenous morphine. Endogenous means it comes from inside your body, and morphine is a well known opioid.
Sprinters, weightlifters, and other athletes that get breaks don’t really experience it. It needs to be a prolonged period of sustained exercise. Think marathons, triathlons, etc.
People love this feeling. It really is a high. Runners often become addicted to it and decide to run regularly. That’s a good thing, but many people skip the exercise and just use exogenous (external) opioids directly. Similarly, nicotine happens to fit the same receptors as an important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. That’s why smoking is so addictive. You can get it from outside the body in enormous quantities instead of waiting for your body to release a tiny amount of it.
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