Perfect to nurture the body and combust good hormones to create positive chemistry. Serotonin, dopamine. As you push on through a long run, veering wildly between sensations of agony and elation. we can use running as a tool to improve the way we think and feel. And we are now learning precisely why running can return focus, vanquish stress and improve mood. Plus we know why – if you’re lucky – you might get a brief glimpse of ecstasy - the natural way. It would be crazy to believe that running is a universal solution to all of our psychological challenges. Indeed, from your brain’s perspective, you may not want to push it too hard.
When you are under stress, metabolic processes in your liver convert the amino acid tryptophan into a molecule with the mumble-inducing name of kynurenine. Some of that kynurenine finds its way into your brain, where its accumulation has been strongly associated with stress-induced depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia. When you exercise, the levels of an enzyme called kynurenine aminotransferase to build up in your muscles. This enzyme breaks down kynurenine into the related molecule kynurenic acid, which, importantly, cannot enter the brain. In this way, exercising your skeletal muscles by running clears from your bloodstream a substance that can cause mental health problems.
