New research: Endorphins may not explain ‘exercise high’

John Raglin

Feeling better from exercise may not be directly related to endorphins. Professor John Raglin at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington says the release of those feel-good chemicals only comes after extreme exercise, such as running a marathon, not the kind of everyday gym sessions most people are used to. Fortunately, Raglin says they’ve seen that it doesn’t take a marathon – or the endorphins it produces – to feel good. People who exercise moderately – 20 to 45 minutes a day – likely aren’t experiencing the effects of endorphins. 

However, Raglin says even low-impact exercise can give them a mood boost. “We found in our own studies that low doses of exercise which are insufficient to produce endorphin make you feel just as good as high doses,” he says. Raglin says a few things are at play when it comes to experiencing a “gym high.” “Very likely, it’s a cascade of hormones that are involved in mood changes that contribute to this feeling-better sensation,” says Raglin. “That’s most likely dopamine and serotonin.”

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