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The neuroscience behind a ‘runner’s high’

Health · August 9, 2026 · The Conversation · 5 min

For many people, the mental benefits of a runner’s high even outlast the run itself.

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <figure> <img alt="A couple goes for a run outdoors in the woods. They're both smiling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/751977/original/file-20260804-50-pmpc5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C0%2C6015%2C3383&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" /> <figcaption> Many describe a runner’s high as a feeling of ‘euphoria.’ <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/jogging-couple-happy-black-guy-girl-2609626385?trackingId=eb796e7e-9aa0-46b2-84a8-3fba8a21a121&listId=searchResults">Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock</a> </figcaption> </figure>

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-elin-pigott-2243983">Laura Elin Pigott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/london-south-bank-university-909">London South Bank University</a>

While most runners are chasing after a new goal or a personal best, some are chasing after something slightly more elusive: a runner’s high.

Some describe it as euphoria. Others as calm, clarity or even a sense of being completely absorbed in the moment. Many people experience some version of it after a <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/running-2650">long run</a> or a spin class.

For years, scientists believed the phenomenon was caused by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0024320581903192">endorphins</a>, the body’s natural opioids. But <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1349477/full">more recent neuroscientific research</a> now indicates that this might not wholly be the case.

Instead, a runner’s high appears to emerge from several brain systems working together. This explains why a runner’s high has so many far-reaching effects – and why these effects can often persist long after the initial experience of euphoria.

<h2>The brain’s own cannabis system</h2>

Endorphins are naturally-occurring brain chemicals which are released during periods of physical stress <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn013">help to reduce pain</a>.

Aerobic exercise increases circulating endorphins. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9257407/">Numerous studies</a> have demonstrated higher levels of the endorphin beta-endorphin following prolonged aerobic exercise, such as running. This is why endorphins were long believed to be the sole cause of a runner’s high.

But there’s a key problem with the endorphin theory. This is because endorphins circulating in the blood struggle to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9257407/">cross the blood-brain barrier</a> – the tightly regulated system that protects the brain from substances in the bloodstream.

So while endorphins may well contribute to pain relief elsewhere in the body, they cannot fully explain the feelings of euphoria and emotional wellbeing generated by a runner’s high <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105173">within the brain itself</a>.

So scientists began searching for another explanation.

The breakthrough came with the discovery that exercise also <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418357/">activates the endocannabinoid system</a>.

<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418357/">Endocannabinoids</a> are naturally produced by our bodies. They help with functions such as pleasure, memory and stress regulation.

One of the most important chemicals produced by the endocannabinoid system is <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418357/">anandamide</a>, one of the brain’s natural “feel-good” chemicals. It helps to reduce anxiety, ease pain and create feelings of calm and wellbeing. And, unlike endorphins, anandamide <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4620874/">crosses the blood-brain barrier with ease</a>.

After a long bout of aerobic exercise, blood concentrations of anandamide <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418357/">rise substantially</a>. Once inside the brain, it activates cannabinoid receptors in regions involved in emotion, motivation, reward and pain perception.

The resulting effects are remarkably similar to many features of the runner’s high – including reduced anxiety, better movement, less pain and feelings of calm.

This isn’t to suggest that endorphins play no role in a runner’s high. Modern neuroscience suggests endorphins and endocannabinoids <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9257407">work together</a> – with endocannabinoids probably playing the larger role in producing the emotional aspects of the experience.

<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10910469/">Several other neurotransmitters</a> also play a part in a runner’s high.

<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38165254/">Dopamine</a>, which is central to motivation and reward, helps reinforce actions that are beneficial for survival. Rather than simply producing pleasure, dopamine encourages us to repeat a behaviour that the brain considers valuable.

<figure class="align-center "> <img alt="A group of marathon runners wearing race bibs attached to their shirts. A women, who is in the foreground, raises her hands in triumph while smiling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/751980/original/file-20260804-50-4o0r6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"> <figcaption> A runner’s high appears to emerge from several brain systems working together. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-happy-female-runner-participating-marathon-2408776291?trackingId=eb796e7e-9aa0-46b2-84a8-3fba8a21a121&listId=searchResults">Gorodenkoff/ Shutterstock</a> </figcaption> </figure>

Serotonin contributes to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/chapter/handbook/abs/pii/S1569733910700904">emotional stability</a> and wellbeing, while noradrenaline enhances <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neural-circuits/articles/10.3389/fncir.2017.00108/full">alertness and focus</a>.

Exercise also stimulates the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2024.0003">production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor</a> (BDNF), which supports the growth of new and existing brain connections and plays a vital role in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2821174/">learning and memory</a>

Although BDNF probably doesn’t produce the immediate euphoria associated with runner’s high, it may help explain why regular running can improve various aspects of wellbeing.

<h2>The benefits of a runner’s high</h2>

A runner’s high is about far more than pleasure chemicals.

Running changes <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418357/">how different brain networks communicate</a>. During prolonged, rhythmic exercise (such as running), activity within the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0611-3">default mode network</a> – the collection of brain regions associated with self-reflection, worry and thinking – appears to decrease.

At the same time, brain regions involved in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418357/">attention, movement and sensory processing</a> become more coordinated. This shift may help explain why running often produces feelings of mental clarity or being completely immersed in the present moment.

For many people, the mental benefits of a runner’s high even <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0291845">outlast the run itself</a>.

Exercise influences stress regulation, inflammation, neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt and change), sleep quality and emotional processing. This combination of benefits is something which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2024.0003">few medical interventions achieve</a>.

Importantly, scientists are increasingly recognising that the <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/60/8/590">mental health benefits of exercise</a> extend well beyond the runner’s high itself. Even people who never experience the euphoria of a runner’s high still show meaningful improvements in mood, cognition and resilience with regular physical activity.

But for those who still want to chase after a runner’s high, research suggests there’s a sweet spot to achieving it – and it doesn’t require long-distance, extreme endurance.

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