Have you ever wondered about the optimal runner’s high timing? What are the factors that control our most favorable time to be active?
The best time to go for your run is based on multiple factors. Factors include your chronotype, your biological prime time, time of least stress, and other external factors that may be out of your control.
How a Runner’s High is Created
Let us talk about the best personal runner’s high timing for you, factors that can influence your runner’s high experience, as well as the best running style to adapt to achieve the greatest levels of exercise-induced euphoria.
From a biological perspective, the experience of the runner’s high serves to purpose to mask greater levels of bodily pain experienced during an event (i.e. your workout). An important brain gland called your hypothalamus (responsible for the production of hormones, among other functions), located in the central part of your brain, recognizes that your body is in danger.
When your brain perceives danger, it attempts to temporarily mask the bodily pain in order to be able to “escape” the situation safely. In those moments, all your brain is interested in is to get you out of that environment towards safety.
One of your brain’s ways of facilitating this process is by increasing the release of a hormone called your endorphins. Endorphins are happy hormones that are released in response to pain and often stick around following the cessation of your workout.
This is why, for example, hot sauce, crying, or an intense workout can leave you feelings so great afterwards. To learn more about how endorphins are generated in the body during exercise, check out my previous article that I wrote on this topic.
Runner’s High Timing: Why Does it Matter?
You will get most out of your workout by going for a run during your biological prime time. Your biological prime time refers to the time of the day that you naturally have the most energy. Why is this important and what role does it play in the creation of a runner’s high?
- The more energy you have, the more intensity you can dedicate to your workout.
- High-intensity training creates greater levels of temporary discomfort.
- The greater levels of your temporary discomfort, the greater your endorphin release from your brain glands and the more active your endocannabinoid system (a system responsible for inducing feelings of pleasure and relaxation) will be.
- The more endorphins are released, the greater your runner’s high experience following your workout.
One way of finding out your personal biological prime time is through chronotypes. A chronotype is an individual’s internal biological clock controlling your natural wake-sleep cycles.
This cycle can vary from person to person, however, typically people fall into one of these following categories:
Wolves
- Greatest Focus and Energy: 5:00pm – 12:00am
- Sleep Time: 12:00am – 7:30am
Lions
- Greatest Focus and Energy: 8:00am – 12:00pm
- Sleep Time: 10:00pm – 6:00am
Bears
- Greatest Focus and Energy: 10:00am – 2:00pm
- Sleep Time: 11:00pm – 7:00am
Dolphins (rare)
- Greatest Focus and Energy: 15:00 – 21:00pm
- Sleep Time: 11:30pm – 6:30pm
To learn more about the topic of biological prime time and how you can properly calculate yours, please visit my thorough article on biological prime time. You can also check out this informational source on chronotypes from the Natural Sleep Foundation for more thorough information on the topic.
Factors that Can Ruin Your Runner’s High Experience
- High Levels of Stress: You will need to be able to get your head into the workout in order to take full advantage of the positive effects that physical activity can have on your mental health. If you are in a stressed out mental state, you will likely not push yourself into levels of high-intensity. Performing a short meditation, as well as writing down your thoughts and tasks before your workout can help you get into a more relaxed state of mind.
- Lack of Sleep: When your body is lacking sleep and proper recovery, you may have temporarily brought your hormonal balance out of whack. It can make it more difficult for your brain to regulate stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine. This can result in mood swings, fatigue and decreased glucose tolerance (source). This, in turn, can alter your brain’s response to physical activity and make it less enjoyable overall.
- Training at an Intensity that is too High or Low: You will want to make sure that you workout provides you with enough of an intensity to trigger the endorphin rush. If your training intensity is too low, and your brain won’t by stimulated enough to produce greater levels of endorphins and you will miss out on your runner’s high. Too high of an intensity, and you risk the level of fatigue becoming too great to enjoy the positive effects following a good run.
- Poor Diet: Did you know that you can prime your happiness levels through a proper, balanced diet? For this diet, Tom Kerridge (book author and master chef in the UK) recommends foods rich in the amino acid called tyrosine. Try your best to stay away from processed foods, sugar, alcohol and caffeinated beverages. To learn about a diet that promotes production of another happy hormone called dopamine, check out this article.
How Long Should Your Run be?
The answer to this question will depend on your level of physical conditioning. You need to add sufficient intensity to parts of your run in order to stimulate the production of endorphins and experience high levels of euphoria. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula when it comes to the length of a run.
However, there are some key-points to keep in mind when you are planning your run.
- Warm Up. Slowly get your heart rate and blood pressure up in order to get your body prepared. If you start off with an intensity that is too high, your body’s stress hormone production may surpass the production of endorphins. Warm up for a minimum of 5 minutes.
- Aim to spend approximately 3/4 of your workout running at moderate-vigorous intensity (i.e. at about 40-70% of your maximum perceived effort).
- Judge your total running time based on your physical conditioning. The length of your run may change the more experienced you start to become. You may not be able to tolerate a long run when you are just starting out. Experiment yourself by tracking your runs, including your total running time, running intensity, as well as pre- and post-exercise feelings of euphoria and relaxation. A good place to start is 15-20 minutes.
To read more about how to recreate a runner’s high, check out this article I write on Actionable Tips on How to Recreate a Runner’s High.
How to Facilitate your Runner’s High Feel
- Work out in Nature: If you decide to go on a run, trail runs can make for a nice view and make your run even more enjoyable. You could choose to go for a run during the day to get some extra mood-boosting sunlight. Or you may choose to go run at night when it is a bit colder, which also has surprising benefits on your runner’s high creation (source).
- Work out with a Friend or in Groups: You can make your run more enjoyable and get an even greater post-workout endorphin rush experience by inviting a friend or by joining a cross country meet (source). If you are looking for something more intense, you could even sign up to tackle training for a half marathon or full marathons. The choice is yours!
- Proper Clothing: What types of shoes are you wearing during your run? Are they supportive or are they leaving you sore following your runs, potentially even worsening your joint pain? Additionally, I recommend that you dress your upper body warm and check the weather prior to your run to avoid getting caught in the rain.
- Have a Cold Shower: Sudden immersion in cold water following your run can have surprisingly positive effects on your physical, as well as mental health. It can enhance your recovery, as well as promote greater levels of relaxation following the cold water immersion (source).
- Listen to Music.
- Take Mood-Enhancing Natural Supplements.
Other Ways to Stimulate an Endorphin Rush
Running is not the only way to reproduce the intoxicating feeling of euphoria following a workout. Did you know that there are other great choices available that could get you just as much, if not more of an endorphin rush from resistance training? Effective and efficient workout methods include, but are not limited to: blood flow restriction training (BFRT), high intensity resistance training (HIRT) and high intensity interval training (HIIT).
Ensure to Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter to stay informed about efficient and effective methods on how to recreate exercise-induced euphoria.
Conclusion
Proper runner’s high timing can lead to an improved ability to produce high levels of exercise-induced euphoria. To find out the best timing for you, get to know your chronotype and calculate your biological prime time (i.e. your natural highest levels of daily energy).
Additionally, train yourself at become good at controlling factors that can influence your body’s ability to produce an intense endorphin rush. Try your best to work out in nature, to maintain a healthy routine, to warm up, as well as to spend about 3/4 of your run in the moderate – vigorous intensity zone.
No matter what training program you may be following (i.e. whether you run, perform blood flow restriction training, high intensity resistance training or another type of high-intensity activity), there is a way for you to facilitate the feelings of post-exercise euphoria. Are you ready to experience your next Runner’s High? 🏃🏼♀️