Your Body Keeps Producing Cannabis-Like Chemicals Throughout a Marathon
- During a marathon, the body produces natural messengers called endocannabinoids to help manage pain, stress, mood, energy use, and recovery.
- Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring and aid the body in adapting to physical strain, though having more does not necessarily mean better effects.
- Despite their name, endocannabinoids are not related to cannabis and are not drugs; they are naturally produced by the body.
- The brain contains cannabinoid receptors that endocannabinoids bind to like keys fitting locks, and cannabis compounds like THC can also interact with these receptors.
Running a marathon is hard. Luckily, your body has its own chemical support system to help it cope.
As the kilometers pass, the body produces more natural messengers called endocannabinoids. These help regulate pain, stress, mood, energy use, and recovery.
Endocannabinoids are a normal and useful part of the body. Their rise may help it adapt to physical strain, but more is not automatically better.
Despite their name, endocannabinoids are not cannabis, and the body is not producing a drug.
The brain is packed with cannabinoid receptors – and if you think of them as locks, endocannabinoids are the body’s keys.
Cannabis compounds, including THC, can fit some of the same locks, which is why these natural chemicals are sometimes described as “cannabis-like.”