There is a biological system within our bodies that few people have heard of, let alone understand well enough to appreciate its health-giving functions. This system is known as the Endogenous Cannabinoid System or ECS for short.
If you think the word cannabinoid sounds close to cannabis, you’re right. Cannabinoids are classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant as well as most animal organisms (except insects). They are naturally occurring, lipid-based produced the body, including ours. They act as neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in the body that transmit signals between nerve systems to regulate a huge variety of physiological functions.
Anandamide is one of the most important endocannbinoids most people have never heard of. Produced naturally by the body, it binds itself to cannabinoid receptors and incites feelings of bliss and delight; hence its name, which is derived from a word in Sanskrit meaning joy.
For decades, scientists have suspected that endocannabinoids, and not endorphins are the key to experiencing the exercise-induced euphoria and anxiety reduction we refer to as “runners high.” Recent studies have confirmed their conjectures.
In a peer-reviewed paper published in the April 2021 issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Professor Michael Siebers and his co-authors found that “endorphins do not play a significant role in the underlying mechanism of a runner’s high” and that the “core features of a runner’s high depend on cannabinoid receptors but not opioid receptors.” Importantly, their study was conducted on human subjects, rather than mice as is often the case.
In their recent double-blind, randomized, placebo -controlled human study, the German researchers recruited 63 healthy participants and had them run at “moderate-intensity” exertion levels on a laboratory treadmill for 45 minutes. During a separate treadmill session in an exercise lab, the same participants walked at a casual pace for 45 minutes. On average, the researchers found that study participants “exhibited increased euphoria and decreased anxiety after 45 minutes of running on a treadmill in a moderate-intensity range compared to walking.” They also found that running vs. walking led to higher plasma levels of the Anandamide and another endocannabinoid neurotransmitter known as 2-arachidonoglycerol (2-AG).
To ensure that their results do not confound the effects of endorphins (an endogenous ophoid), the researchers randomly used an opioid-receptor blocker to inhibit endorphins. They found that runners who were given the opioid-receptor blocking substance still experienced exercise-induced euphoria and anxiolysis. “This means endorphins don’t seem to play a major role [in runner’s high],” said a co-author of the study. “We found, instead, that running stimulates endocannabinoid release, and based on our present and earlier findings, we conclude that endocannabinoids are responsible for a ‘runner’s high.”
Although Anandamide is produced naturally, some people are genetically predisposed to produce more of it than others – which may explain why these folks deal with stressful situations in life much better than others. Also, even when we do produce anandamide, it is quickly broken down; thus we quickly lose our ‘runners high’. That being said, a combination of regular exercise, maintaining an “Ananadmide-rich” diet and adopting a positive and care-free lifestyle are things we can do on to help to stay as blissful as we can.
Nutrition-wise, foods which are rich in Vitamin C and Omega-3 help to stimulate the production of Anandamide. These include hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and flax seeds as well as anchovies, sardines and eggs. Vegetables with high vitamin C sources, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, and spinach, also help maintain your ECS as are occasional helpings of dark chocolate and truffles. Food aside, exercising regularly not only helps to tone our muscles (who becomes more important as we age), but as the above study indicates, helps boost the production of Anandamide. Finally, looking after one’s mental health by staying positive in the face of life’s challenges is also important as no amount of nutrition and exercise will help us unless we learn how to spark joy in our lives and stay resilient despite everything.
Reference:
Siebers M, Biedermann SV, Bindila L, Lutz B, Fuss J., “Exercise-induced euphoria and anxiolysis do not depend on endogenous endorphins in humans,” Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2021 April: doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105173. Epub 2021 Feb 10.