Thrill of the gym 'like smoking pot'

13 April 2012

The sensation enjoyed by exercise fanatics may be produced by a mechanism similar to that which gives cannabis smokers their high.

Psychologists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S. have found evidence that the satisfaction experienced by some after an intense workout is produced by anandamide.

The chemical is from the same family as tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana. The finding contradicts the belief that the 'runner's high' is produced by endorphins.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in