A new scientific review article in The Neuroscientist highlights the endocannabinoid system as a central explanation for what is often called the “runner’s high” – the feeling of well-being, reduced stress and pain relief that some people experience after endurance exercise.
The article was published online on May 7, 2026, and summarizes research on how the body’s own cannabinoid-like signaling substances interact with endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and other neurotransmitter systems.
Not just endorphins
The runner’s high has long been explained by endorphins. The new review instead describes a more complex biological interaction in which several signaling systems are activated at the same time. The researchers argue that the endocannabinoid system appears to play a particularly important coordinating role.
This is not about cannabis use, but about the body’s own endocannabinoids. These substances resemble cannabinoids in the way they affect certain receptors in the body, but they are produced naturally by humans. Two key substances are anandamide, often abbreviated AEA, and 2-AG.
According to the article, circulating endocannabinoids increase relatively reliably during moderate-intensity endurance exercise. This increase is linked to several typical features of runner’s high: improved mood, reduced anxiety, pain relief and a sense of flow.
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The body’s own cannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system includes signaling substances such as anandamide and 2-AG, as well as receptors such as CB1 and CB2. The system is involved in regulating mood, appetite, memory, pain, immune function and stress responses.
That makes the system especially interesting in the context of exercise. During endurance activity, the body does not only respond with classic stress and reward signals, but also with lipid-based signaling molecules that can affect both the brain and the body.
The researchers describe anandamide as particularly linked to the subjective experiences of running, such as well-being and motivation. 2-AG may be more closely connected to recovery, inflammation and tissue repair after physical exertion.
Why running appears to stand out
The review suggests that running often produces a stronger endocannabinoid response than activities such as cycling. One possible explanation is that the system may have evolved to support endurance movement in species such as humans and dogs.
Several factors appear to influence the effect. Moderate intensity, at least 20 minutes of activity and some familiarity with the type of exercise may increase the likelihood of experiencing a runner’s high. In laboratory studies, mood effects often seem to become clear after around 30 to 35 minutes, while endocannabinoid levels may peak immediately after the session.
This does not mean that everyone gets the same effect. Runner’s high is subjective and varies between individuals. Some experience clear euphoria and flow, while others feel only a milder calm or no particular change at all.
Endorphins still have a role
The article does not dismiss endorphins. Instead, it places them in a broader biological context. Endorphins appear to contribute mainly to pain relief and stress regulation, especially during harder or longer exercise sessions.
However, the researchers emphasize that endorphins alone do not seem able to explain the runner’s high. One important objection is that peripheral endorphins do not easily cross the blood-brain barrier, making it more difficult to link them directly to mood changes in the brain. Earlier studies in which the opioid system was blocked have also shown that participants can still experience euphoria and reduced anxiety after running.
A neurochemical orchestra
The researchers describe the runner’s high as a “neurochemical orchestra”. Endocannabinoids play a prominent role, but they act together with several other systems.
Dopamine is linked to reward and motivation. Serotonin influences mood. Noradrenaline and adrenaline contribute to alertness and activation. BDNF, a growth factor in the brain, is linked to neuroplasticity and the cognitive effects of exercise. Leptin connects energy balance, movement and motivation.
The point is that no single substance appears to carry the whole effect. The runner’s high seems to emerge when several systems interact at the right intensity, duration and biological state.
Relevance for cannabis research
For the cannabis field, the study is interesting because it shows how central the endocannabinoid system is even without external cannabinoids. The body has its own system for cannabinoid-like signaling, and this system is affected by everyday behaviors such as exercise.
This may contribute to a broader understanding of why cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids are important in research on pain, stress, mood and recovery. At the same time, it is important to distinguish between the body’s own endocannabinoids and substances from the cannabis plant, such as THC and CBD.
The study is therefore not about cannabis producing the same effect as running. It is about the same biological system being involved in several different processes in the body.
Cannabis and the runner’s high?
An interesting follow-up question is whether phytocannabinoids, meaning cannabinoids from the cannabis plant, can strengthen or change the experience of runner’s high. The hypothesis is biologically plausible because both exercise and cannabinoids affect the endocannabinoid system, but the research should be interpreted cautiously: the studies mainly show a changed exercise experience, not necessarily improved performance.
In a 2019 survey study of 605 adult cannabis users in U.S. states with legal markets, 81.7 percent reported using cannabis in connection with exercise. Those who did so also reported more physical activity per week, and many said that use increased exercise enjoyment, recovery and motivation. Because the study was based on self-reporting, it cannot show causation, but it did identify a clear pattern among active users.
In a later crossover study in a real-world setting, researchers compared 49 participants’ running sessions with and without cannabis. During the cannabis sessions, participants reported more positive feelings, more calm, greater exercise enjoyment, more dissociation and more runner’s high symptoms. They also reported lower pain levels after running. At the same time, product form, cannabinoid content and how “high” the participants felt did not clearly explain the exercise experience.
A controlled laboratory study with 42 regular users produced a similar but more nuanced picture. Participants exercised both without cannabis and after using either THC-dominant or CBD-dominant cannabis flower. They reported more positive affect, greater exercise enjoyment and more runner’s high symptoms after cannabis, but also higher perceived exertion. The effect on exercise enjoyment was greater in the CBD group, while THC was more strongly linked to the session feeling more demanding.
Taken together, the studies suggest that phytocannabinoids may affect how exercise is experienced, especially among people who already use cannabis. However, it is more accurate to say that they may strengthen experiences similar to runner’s high than to say they have been proven to increase the body’s natural runner’s high.
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