It’s also responsible for other processes in your body, such as regulating heart rate, sleep cycles, mood, attention, motivation, working memory, learning, and pain processing ( 4, 5).ĭata is limited on which type of exercise best stimulates dopamine release, so more research is necessary. DopamineĪnother impactful exercise-related neurotransmitter is dopamine.ĭopamine plays an important role in how you feel pleasure. But lesser known neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids also play an important role in your brain when you’re working out.Įndorphins block pain and increase sensations of pleasure, and exercise certainly increases your endorphin levels ( 2).īut recent research suggests that the euphoric feeling you get after a hard workout may result from endorphins and endocannabinoids working in tandem.Įndocannabinoids, in particular, are a group of neurotransmitters that are thought to be responsible for that “ runner’s high” - the feeling of calm euphoria that occurs after a strenuous workout ( 3). Perhaps the most common neurotransmitters people think of in relation to exercise are endorphins. Releases neurotransmittersĪs you begin exercising, depending on the intensity, a number of important chemical messengers called neurotransmitters are released throughout your nervous system. This chemical cascade is responsible for several positive effects on your brain ( 1).

While exercising may seem fairly simple on the surface, a complex chemical cascade occurs inside your body each time you go for a run, hit the gym, or participate in any other physical activity.

Mental health and physical activity