What causes a runner’s high and how to increase your chances

The runner’s high is an elusive state: some people encounter it on most runs, others rarely or never, and a few beginners even report it in their first sessions. Part of that variation comes down to individual brain chemistry, and part to how you train. It’s real, and there are ways to improve the odds of experiencing it.

Researchers now point to an “orchestra of neurochemical changes” across brain systems, with the endocannabinoid (eCB) system playing a central role. “While endorphins are certainly involved, they don’t seem to be the main drivers of the runner’s high; that central role belongs to the eCB system,” says Dr Daya Grant.

Endocannabinoids, the body’s internal equivalents of compounds found in cannabis, can cross the blood–brain barrier and help with euphoria, reduced anxiety and pain modulation. “Endocannabinoid levels increase during moderate to vigorous running efforts and stay elevated for approximately 30-45 minutes post run,” Grant adds.

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