Happiness for an athlete is the relief that comes from a good session of muscular effort and to feel the sensation of tiredness, soreness, which, unlike normal people, are exciting and pleasant for them. Behind all this is the endorphin, an antidepressant hormone but also the pleasure one that gives a certain addiction to top sportsmen. To know concretely its effects and its benefits for sport here are some paragraphs detailing that.
What is endorphin in reality
First of all, endorphin or endomorphin is a hormone nicknamed the pleasure and anti-stress hormone, with a role comparable to dopamine but in the area of the nerve endings that conduct pain. It is secreted by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.
This release is triggered by stress, whether physical or mental, during intense sports, including weight training and marathons, but especially sprinting. It is an endogenous opioid that acts at the opioid receptors in the body, its purpose is to stop pain like morphine and opioid derived drugs.
Its structure is close to the opiates from which it derives its analgesic action. After release, it has beneficial effects against anxiety, depression (like dopamine) and gives a feeling of well-being to athletes. Its pathway goes from the central nervous system to the general circulation.
The effects of Endorphin on the human body
Its secretion and release leads an athlete into a euphoric state towards a feeling of well-being, causing them to repeat intense exercise to feel the same state. Physical cult followers even claim that the sensation is such that it simulates the effects of a possible orgasm, bringing them both calm and serenity because the effects of cortisol are inhibited (anxiolytic).
This hormone would be a real drug for sportsmen but it should be noted that it does not have the euphoric or addictive virtues that morphine would provide, however it does affect morale through its effects on mood.
In addition to this, endorphin has analgesic capacity in the face of intense pain by binding to opioid receptors which will prevent the transmission of the painful impulse, thus attenuating the sensation. Its effect has been proven by studies on a soldier's willingness to continue his task despite various traumatic injuries and the pressure present in the battlefield.
On the other hand, it proves its talents during childbirth where a woman would suffer unbearable trauma without its help and hence the giving of regular exercises to women during their gestation period to boost their endorphin levels in order to facilitate childbirth.
It acts on the circulatory system by adapting the heart and breathing rate to the effort in order to better withstand the pace, thus forcing the body to exceed its limits. This means that the more physical effort is made, the more the body will deliver elements adapted to this situation such as oxygen or nutrients.
What are the factors that promote the production of endorphins?
In first place is sport, which boosts its production. For this reason, psychologists often suggest to their patients suffering from depression that they do sport every day for at least 30 minutes to eliminate this sensation and replace it with states of euphoria and satisfaction.
Indeed, it is used here as an adjuvant treatment. But it is also useful for people suffering from sleep disorders, because studies have indeed shown the need to practice sport in the early afternoon preferably to adapt the body to determine exactly when to rest and thus improve its sleep time.
It should be noted that its peak could be boosted 5 times more in sportsmen practising in the categories of sport of bottom as the musculation, the races of speed i. e. the more the effort is intense the more it is in big concentration in the body.
In bodybuilding, it is necessary to practice regular cardio sessions before any exercise to maintain a good level of endorphins and avoid muscle catabolism due to cortisol. The only flaw is the need to be careful with overtraining which will on the contrary favour a drop in this hormone and regain the sensations. This could affect an athlete's morale in terms of performance.
Other factors such as the environment are also favourable to the secretion of this hormone, i. e. exposure to the sun in the morning from 8 o'clock onwards, which must be brief, but will allow at the same time a stimulation of vitamin D which is necessary for growth. But the ideal is to practice sport often in the open air. The beneficial properties of endorphins do not stop there.
Indeed, it has been proven that it has an influence on the treatment of alcoholics and smokers by alleviating the withdrawal syndrome and the psychological disorders caused by the lack of consumption. This hormone interacts with the alcohol receptors in the body, which allows the craving to be tolerated.
Endorphin is a hormone with a wide range of benefits, whether for simple well-being or even the search for an effective treatment for physical and psychological trauma, it is always present. Moreover, it is easy to use and does not dispense with the harmful effects that its counterparts such as morphine could bring. It is easy to use if you only practice intense sport regularly.
