Runner's high similar to effects of marijuana: study

BEIJING. KAZINFORM - A new study has found running provides a similar effect to smoking marijuana by triggering the brain's cannabinoid receptors to relieve pain.

The research team led by Dr. Johannes Fuss conducted a study at the University of Heidelberg in Mannheim using mice and running wheels, Xinhua reports. The paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that endocannabinoids are responsible for the emotional boost and resistance to pain that comes from running. Previous research has suggested that runner's high is caused by raised levels of beta-endorphins, which triggers the same effects as morphine. But according to this study, beta-endorphins are too big to get through the blood-brain barrier. However, endocannabinoids can pass directly from blood to brain, which more accurately represents what people feel when they're running.