Does aerobic exercise release dopamine or endorphins?

Both dopamine and endorphins are secreted during aerobic exercise. Their triggering mechanisms, occurrence times, and feelings are completely different. There is no such thing as "only secreting one kind".

Let’s talk about dopamine, which is more familiar to everyone. Many people think that it is the “happy hormone”, but in fact it is more like a little nudge that keeps drawing pictures for you – it is not about “the happiness after receiving the reward”, but “the driving force that pushes you to get the reward”. For example, you set the alarm for a morning run the night before, touched the quick-drying clothes you just bought before going to bed, and thought that after running, you can go to the alley to buy the salty soy milk and refueling bars that you have been craving for a long time. That little bit of uncontrollable anticipation means that dopamine is already being secreted in advance. In the first 20 minutes of running, when your breathing is like a broken bellows, your legs are as heavy as lead, and your mind is full of thoughts of stopping and finding a step to sit on, dopamine is constantly sending you signals: "Hold on for a while, and the reward will be there soon." ”If you really grit your teeth and persevere, the satisfaction of achieving your goal will also have its merits.

But if you run for 10 minutes and then turn around and go home, you will most likely feel tired and not feel that light and refreshing feeling of "getting high from running" - that's because the endorphins haven't kicked in yet.

Endorphins are essentially the body's own painkillers. They are similar in effect to morphine but not addictive at all. They are more like a big brother who waits for you to finish your suffering before giving you sugar. You have to endure a certain degree of muscle soreness and shortness of breath "the pain of breaking through the comfort zone" before it comes out to help you offset your fatigue, and also gives you a little sense of pleasure without impurities as compensation. I also encountered this situation when I was running last Wednesday night: I was annoyed by the boss’s WeChat message when I was going out and wanted to go home. I ran for 25 minutes. The moment the wind blew my ears, I suddenly felt that the trouble was nothing. Even the aroma of the barbecue stall that I ran past felt very healing. After thinking about it later, I guess it was because the endorphins went online just at that point.

Nowadays, many popular sciences will say that "endorphins can only be secreted by moderate-intensity exercise for more than 30 minutes." In fact, there is no unified conclusion on this statement in the sports field, and there are even two completely different views. One group of researchers insists that 60%-70% of the maximum heart rate (usually calculated as 220 minus age) must be reached and maintained for more than 30 minutes to effectively stimulate endorphin secretion. ； Another school of thought believes that what triggers the core is not the absolute intensity of exercise at all, but "you overcome the idea of ​​giving up and endure the slight pain of adapting to your current level" - people who have not exercised all year round are exhausted from walking briskly for 20 minutes, novices practice yoga until their muscles are slightly sore, or even you climbed 10 floors without taking the elevator, which may trigger the secretion of endorphins.

I have been running for three years and feel that the latter is more realistic. My friend who could not even pass the 800-meter run before started to exercise. When he first started exercising, he had to take two breaks even after walking 3 kilometers. After walking, he told me that "my whole body felt relaxed, and even my chest, which was previously congested, became smoother." That feeling of relaxation must not be caused by willpower, but by the effect of endorphins.

Some people always say, "I'm not happy at all after exercising. Is it because I have a special constitution?" ”It’s really not a big problem. Either you haven’t reached your threshold yet. You might be pleasantly surprised if you hold on for 5 more minutes next time you’re tired. ； Or when you exercise, your mind is filled with thoughts about the unfinished PPT or the quarrel you just had with your partner, and your attention is not focused on your breathing and muscle feelings. Hormone secretion will naturally be affected.

In fact, there is no need to worry about whether dopamine or endorphins are at work every time you exercise. Even if you go out for a 15-minute walk today and get the small satisfaction of "completing today's small goal" given by dopamine, you will definitely make money. If you are lucky enough to catch up with the endorphins, the pleasant feeling of making even the trees on the roadside look better than usual is really better than drinking half a glass of iced Americano.

The benefits of moving cannot be calculated by calculating hormone secretion, right?