The colder winter time has started. It gets dark out sooner and your outdoor runs have naturally become a less enjoyable experience. But before you put your outdoor running sneakers to the back row of your shoe-rack, did you know that you can much more easily create a runner’s high by running in cold weather! How, you ask?
Working out in the cold supports the production of a runner’s high in various ways. The cold can numb muscle pain, decrease blood acidity, as well as temporarily constrict your vasculature. This creates tolerable high-intensity states in the muscle, leading up to the experience of a runner’s high.
Introduction
It is late Tuesday evening and you are just coming home from a busy workday at the office. Yet again you took most of your stressors from work home with you, so you decide to go for a run to unwind before dinner. You are hoping to get into that mood-boosting zone of the ‘runner’s high’, which left you with amazing feelings of euphoria and deep relaxation just earlier last week. You check the outside temperature and it shows 3° Celsius (~37° F).
You ask yourself: “Is it too cold outside to go for a run now? Can running in cold weather negatively affect the production of a runner’s high?” You decide to go out for a run to see what effects the cold temperature has on you. Exactly 25 minutes later you return from your run and you feel more amazing that you ever expected. Why is that?
How Cold Weather Boosts Your Runner’s High
1) The Cold Numbs Your Pain
Following a physical injury you may have been told by your doctor or physical therapist to place some ice or a cold pack onto the injured area for about 15-20 minutes. Ever wonder why? There are two main reasons you may have been recommended this. The first reasons being to decrease tissue swelling at the site of injury. Reason number two is to numb the experience of pain by decreasing nerve conduction of your pain signals.
- Decreased Nerve Signal Conduction: By applying ice or a cold pack to a certain area of your body, you decrease the conduction of your nerve signals to the site of cold application. Decreased conduction of pain signals results in less of a pain experience.
- Decreased Tissue Swelling: When you apply cold to an area of your body, it causes your blood vessels to shrink temporarily. This decreases the amount of fluid that rushes towards the site of cold application. In medical terminology, this phenomenon is called vasoconstriction. We will talk more about the benefits of vasoconstriction in “How Cold Weather Impacts Your Runner’s High” – Way #4.
2) Regulation of your pH levels.
Your pH (potential hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity of your blood. Your body requires a certain pH level (between 7.35 – 7.45) to carry out its functions properly. Acidic foods and fluids, high temperatures, poor sleep can make your blood more acidic. This results in more muscle soreness during, as well as following your workout.
The best way to regulate your pH levels during long runs is to work out in colder temperatures. By working out in cold temperatures, you can negate the effects of high temperatures on your pH level. This can cause your workout to become more tolerable. To read more about how you can balance your body’s pH levels, check out last week’s article on “How to Achieve Your Runner’s High Using Baking Soda”
3) Your “Fight-or-Flight” Attitude makes you Work Harder
Once you have started running in the cold weather and your body is getting cooler, your hormonal glands start to pump more adrenaline into your bloodstream. In turn, this will provide you with more energy, motivation and will to push with more intensity. Higher Intensity Workouts have shown to be more reliable in producing a quality runner’s high compared to low-moderate intensity workouts.
4) Muscle’s Blood Vessels Shrink Temporarily
As eluded to earlier, cold temperatures can cause your blood vessels to vasoconstrict. Vasoconstriction refers to narrowing of your blood vessels. This results in decreased blood flow to the body parts experiencing the cold. Your body responds to cold by constricting your blood vessels to preserve its body heat and keep your core body temperature above 37 degrees Celsius. Working out on cold days can therefore result in less blood flow to the muscle.
Similar to Occlusion Training / blood flow restriction training, the temporary occlusion of blood flow to the working muscles can cause a significant increase in the working intensity. Increased intensity causes greater muscular adaptations. You will be able to get a higher quality workout without having to run faster or more difficult paths. As you can read in this article, Higher Intensity Workouts will translate into greater production of happy hormones. This will result in a potentially improved runner’s high experience.
How Cold Should Your Running Temperature be?
It is important to be aware of what temperature range is best for your run to support the production of a good runner’s high. Based on the literature, as well as personal experience, I recommend to go for a run in temperature ranging from 2 – 10 degrees celsius. Dress appropriately and take into account the wind chill. Expose your lower body to more cold and keep your upper body, as well as your hands and feet warm.
Try to avoid going out for a run below 2 degrees celsius (this includes wind chill). The reason for that is to protect your lungs from exposure to extreme cold temperatures. If you are still determined to go out for a run below the recommend temperature, wear a windproof facemask to protect yourself.
What are the Risks of Running in the Cold?
Despite the amazing benefits of running in the cold air, there are certain risks that you should be aware of when running in the cold. Use your best judgment to see if going for a run is a good idea or not. Below you can find the main risks that you should be aware of prior to the start of your run.
Hypothermia
Ensure to look at the weather prior to going on for a run. Extreme cold and wind chill can create felt temperatures of significantly below freezing. This can cause your body temperature to drop too quickly. If your core body temperature sinks below 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), you are putting your body at risk for hypothermia.
Hypothermia is a dangerous and can cause frostbite, and even cause death if you expose your body to extreme cold weather for too long.
Signs and symptoms of hypothermia are extreme shivering, memory loss, brain fog, feelings of exhaustion and slurred speech. You can prevent hypothermia during long runs in the cold winter months by wearing extra layers of clothing. An area you should pay particular attention to is your upper body.
You should add a second layer of warm clothing, including a neck gaiter and face mask if necessary. To read the full list of signs and symptoms of hypothermia and how to protect yourself from it, read the government guidelines to prevent hypothermia and frostbite.
Getting Sick
As you are working out in the cold you are at greater likelihood of getting sick. This is because being cold decreases your body’s ability to fight infection during your run, as well as shortly after. Make sure to cover your upper body with warm clothing, keep a healthy immune system and avoid working out in cold, rainy weather.
Falls and Injuries
With the weather being colder there is a higher chance of the presence of black ice. Make sure to work out during the day so that you can see where you are running and avoid more extreme temperatures.
Additionally, cold weather causes muscles to tighten up (particularly if you do not warm up and stretch your muscles before longer runs) and therefore are at greater risk of straining. Make sure you are warming up your body appropriately prior to starting your workout.
Practical Tips on Running in the Cold
- Warm up Thoroughly Indoors: Engage in moderate intensity activity followed by dynamic stretching to avoid muscle strains. Slowly increase your heart rate during your warm up to prepare your body for what is coming up. Cold weather causes muscles to temporarily stiffen up. You can counteract this by stretching before hand.
- Dress Specific Parts of Your Body Warm: Keep your hands, feet and upper body warm during your cold runs. The best clothing to wear during a cold-weather run is moisture-wicking material as your first layer of clothing. This should be followed by a thick sweater as your second layer. Cotton socks work well to keep your feet warm during your run. You may even want to wear a neck gaiter and ski mask to prevent extreme heat loss and frostbite. In addition, you should also wear gloves to keep your hands nice and warm.
- Keep your Lower Body cool: Expose your lower body to the cold. Keep a base layer over your legs if the wind chill causes your exposed skin to become too frosty. Your lower body musculature is going to be working harder than other muscle groups and will benefit from the exposure to cold in the ways discussed above.
- Hydrate Well Before: During the colder months you may forget to hydrate properly. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to drink 12 cups of water each day, including electrolytes. Dehydration can make you fatigue quicker, negatively affect your recovery. Work out the right way by taking the proper precautions and staying sufficiently hydrated.
- Plan to go for a run during the day: Avoid extreme winter weather and improve visibility by going for a run during the day. You will be more likely to detect areas of black ice (thereby reducing your risk for falls and injury). Additionally, as it turns dark outside, temperatures tend to drop significantly. Don’t get caught running during sunset and suddenly being exposed to colder weather compared to the start of your run.
- Cool down: Complete 5-10 minutes of static stretching at the end of your run to increase the extensibility of your muscles. Rehydrate and take warm shower and enjoy your runner’s high.
Running Gear Recommendations
If you are in need for some cold-weather running gear, I have accumulated a small list of high-quality items for you. All items were evaluated based on their overall performance, price, comfort, as well as style.
- Wool Hat: Smartwool Merino Sport 250 Beanie (unisex)
- Thermal Base Layer: Men’s Helly Hanson Thermal Base Layer // Women’s Mountain Warehouse Thermal Base Layer Top
- Gloves: Smartwool Merino 150 Insulated Glove (unisex)
- Wool Socks: Pembrook Merino Sports Wool Socks (unisex)
- Windproof Facemask: Balaclava Windproof Mask
- Microspikes: Kahtoola Microspikes
- Water Bottle: Hidrate Spark Pro Smart Water Bottle (+ Tracking App)
Other Benefits of Running in the Cold
- It is Good for your Skin: Moderately cold temperatures, much like a splash of cold water in the morning, can temporarily tighten your skin and prevent your pores from clogging. Additionally, cold air can decrease the local production of sebum (thereby reducing your likelihood of developing acne) and increase your blood circulation to the skin.
- Beneficial to your Immune System: Even though short-term exposure to the cold can temporarily reduce your immunity to sickness, repeatedly going out for a jog in the cold weather can actually be quite beneficial for your immunity. Your immune system detects repeat exposure to the cold and responds by increasing the production of white blood cells, thereby improving your natural immune defence.
- Better Short-Term Cognition: Being out in the cold has shown to increase your short-term cognition, working memory, critical thinking skills and overall mental clarity.
Conclusion
Going for a run in the cold can enhance your runner’s high experience by numbing exercise induced muscular discomfort, creating a higher intensity environment in your muscles, taking advantage of your “fight or flight response”, as well as by regulating your blood’s pH levels. For best results, try and go for your run before it gets dark in temperatures between 2 – 10 degrees Celsius (including wind chill).
Beware of the risks associated with running in cold weather, including hypothermia, getting sick, and being at greater risk for injury. Ensure to include a warm-up, cool-down, as well as to dress your upper body, hands and feet warm. Now you know everything there is about safely and effectively going for a run in cold weather. Are you ready to feel the rush?
*Disclaimer*
I suggest that you speak to your doctor before starting your high intensity program. If you are worried that a high-intensity program may cause a flare up or worsen a current physical injury, speak to your physical therapist prior.
I want to be 100% transparent with you, so I would like to disclose that there may be some affiliate links within my blog posts. Given this, you can assume that I would receive a small commission from any links included. That being said, I truly only promote products or services that I believe deliver great value to you and support you in your journey of becoming a happier version of yourself through exercise!