The Runner's High

I had an awesome run today, and I wondered to myself is the runner's high real? Below is a summary of a 2008 study done in Germany using PET scans in 10 runners before and after 2 hours of running.

The Runner's High: Opioidergic Mechanisms in the Human BrainHenning Boecker1,2, Till Sprenger3, Mary E. Spilker1, Gjermund Henriksen1, Marcus Koppenhoefer1, Klaus J. Wagner4, Michael Valet3, Achim Berthele3 and Thomas R. Tolle3



The runner's high describes a euphoric state resulting from long-distance running. The cerebral neurochemical correlates of exercise-induced mood changes have been barely investigated so far. We aimed to unravel the opioidergic mechanisms of the runner's high in the human brain and to identify the relationship to perceived euphoria. We performed a positron emission tomography "ligand activation" study with the nonselective opioidergic ligand 6-O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-6-O-desmethyldiprenorphine ([18F]FDPN). Ten athletes were scanned at 2 separate occasions in random order, at rest and after 2 h of endurance running (21.5 ± 4.7 km). Binding kinetics of [18F]FDPN were quantified by basis pursuit denoising (DEPICT software). Statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) was used for voxelwise analyses to determine relative changes in ligand binding after running and correlations of opioid binding with euphoria ratings. Reductions in opioid receptor availability were identified preferentially in prefrontal and limbic/paralimbic brain structures. The level of euphoria was significantly increased after running and was inversely correlated with opioid binding in prefrontal/orbitofrontal cortices, the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral insula, parainsular cortex, and temporoparietal regions. These findings support the "opioid theory" of the runner's high and suggest region-specific effects in frontolimbic brain areas that are involved in the processing of affective states and mood.


HAPPY RUNNING!

Try Distraction for a More Enjoyable Run

As a runner, have you ever had the experience of focusing on how your body feels and getting discouraged because you are focusing on your side stitch or how your legs feel tired or similar unpleasant sensations?
If you find yourself doing this one way to change this is dissociation. Really it is distraction from bodily sensations and thinking of something else. Some suggestions are below:

Music – This can generate positive thoughts, improve your mood, and distract you from the physical demands of your sport. It's important not to get too distracted especially if you are in a busy area with traffic.
Counting game – Count the number of red cars you see, or the number of cyclists that pass you. You can be inventive, I have a friend who grew up in a rural area and counted utility poles. Try whatever works for you.
Alphabet game – Work through from A to Z for a chosen category, such as men's names or TV shows.
Rainbow game – Try to notice as many colors as possible while you run. See if you can get ROYGBIV.
Active fantasy – Imagine yourself as a lottery winner and decide how to spend your winnings.

Avoid thoughts relating to your work, jobs you have to do and anything problematic or stressful, as this can increase tension.

You oviously can be inventive on this. The ultimate goal is to make your run more enjoyable.

The Long Run- Ugh!

Anyone who has trained for a race knows that Saturday or Sunday is your long run day. I titled this post ending with an UGH to point out that your mindset going into a long run is crucial. If I think of my long run with an UGH or similar negative I find that it is hard to even motivate to get started. And if I manage to actually start, I am less likely to do the mileage I set out to do and those miles I do finish are painful.

In psychology cognitive behavioral therapy is well known and often used to change one's thinking from the negative to the positive. We all at times have what we call thinking errors. And usually each individual is more prone to think a certain way. For example, overgeneralization is a common thinking error. If something bad has happened once we may say it will happen again. So in running if you had a day that you were tired and could only run 3 instead of your planned 5, you may say to yourself, "I couldn't even run 5 on Tuesday, I'm not going to be able to run more on the weekend." If you go into the weekend with this mindset of course you won't run more.
Another common thinking error is all-or-nothing thinking (black and white thinking). You think of things in absolute terms, such as never, always, every. So you might say to yourself, "I'll never be able to do this.", when you think of running a certain distance whether that be 1 mile or 26.2 miles.
If you tend to think like this or have these thoughts before or during a run one strategy is to challenge these thoughts. Ask yourself is it really true that you cannot do this, do you have proof? Most likely the answer is no you don't have proof. Replacing your negative thoughts with a more positive thought will change how you think and ultimately how you feel. So saying something like, "I am up to this challenge." or, "I'm going to do my best." will help you finish or move you towards your goal.
So really I should title this post The Long Run-Yes!

Minor Setback- What To Do When You Are Sick?

So I'm 7 weeks before my 1st half-marathon and I've come down with a nasty cold that turned into sinusitis and bronchitis. Do I continue with my schedule or would it be better to take a few days off?
As a physician, I know that I should listen to my body. The chest congestion and bodily fatigue made me take a whole week off. I think in the long run I'll benefit from letting my body rest. I didn't have a long run planned this past Sunday anyways, so I think I'm still good with my training schedule. Here is a link from the Mayo Clinic on advice on exercising when you are sick:

www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/AN01097

Why start another blog? I’ve seen so many blogs recently on topics ranging from politics to what someone’s doing while they are unemployed to a blog actually on anti-blogging. The one thing I note often when reading these blogs is that the author has no expertise on what they are writing, or at least often they don’t tell the reader what their expertise is.
I find for me the best blogs are written on the topic of exercise, specifically running for me. They are written by all levels of runners but they all give good advice and are very motivating. These people to me are experts because they are doing it. They are out of the road or on the treadmill training for their next race or just trying to get or stay in shape.
I have often read from runner’s that running is mostly psychological. I agree with this wholeheartedly. I am training for my 1st half-marathon currently and the psychological aspect is what gets in the way for me more than the physical. And here is where the expertise comes in, I’m a psychiatrist. Many people think of psychiatrists as those who prescribe medication, but psychiatrists are trained to do therapy with their patients as well. Some choose not to use this aspect of their training but I find it to be the most enjoyable and the most challenging part of treatment. I often use techniques that I use on patients on myself while running to change my frame of mind, challenge my negative thinking, and motivate myself to keep going.
I hope to give you a glimpse of some of the techniques I use, and if one person finds this helpful or motivating to them to reach their goals then I have accomplished the purpose of this blog.