Exercise activates the endocannabinoid system.

Sparling PB, Giuffrida A, Piomelli D, Rosskopf L, Dietrich A.

Source

School of Applied Physiology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.

Abstract

Extensive documentation exists showing that exercise induces analgesia and sedation. Despite decades of research attempting to explicate a neurochemical basis for these phenomena, the mechanism underlying these changes is unknown. Using trained male college students running on a treadmill or cycling on a stationary bike for 50 min at 70-80% of maximum heart rate, we report here the first evidence that exercise of moderate intensity activates the endocannabinoid system, suggesting a new mechanism for exercise-induced analgesia and possibly other physiological and psychological adaptations to exercise.