Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 Source: Daily Camera (CO) Copyright: 2004 The Daily Camera. Contact: http://www.thedailycamera.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/103 Author: Laura Morsch, Camera Staff Writer RUNNERS WEIGH IN ON EXERCISE VERSUS MARIJUANA Jacqui Kaufman has never touched drugs, but she has an addiction. Even after her 50th birthday, she gravitates toward it, traveling as far as Alaska to get it. "Running is very addictive," she said. "I run for the high, for the feeling of satisfaction or the wonderful feeling I get." Kaufman said the energy and euphoria of a good workout have always been enough for her, and she has never been able to comprehend why people would choose drugs instead of exercise. But according to a recent study by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Irvine, she may have more in common with marijuana smokers than she thought. The study found that young men who run or cycle for more than 45 minutes release a high amount of anandamide, a naturally occurring chemical in the body that produces similar effects to that of THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Anandamide and THC - tetrahydrocannabinol - bind to the same receptors in the body and may cause similar effects, offering a new biological explanation for the feelings of sedation and exhilaration associated with the "runner's high," the study said. A news release from the Georgia Institute of Technology quoted Arne Dietrich, the study's principal investigator and a former visiting professor at Georgia Tech, as saying, "No other study has ever considered this possibility, and that's why the results are so significant." Researchers previously thought runner's high was the result of a boost in the level of endorphins in the body. Dietrich said the study's results suggest that exercise may be helpful in treating chronic pain and glaucoma - ailments sometimes treated by the THC in marijuana. "I wouldn't be surprised to hear they've found that running stimulates some powerful system in the body that alleviates pain and stimulates euphoria," said Dagny Barrios, a former competitive runner who now researches running and science. "When you're on a good run, you're not getting pain signals that you normally would." But Barrios, who still runs 40 miles a week, said she is not convinced of the connection between the effects of running and marijuana. "I've heard a lot of people say that pot makes you feel kind of dumb, but when you run everything becomes clear," she said. Buzz Burrell, an ultra runner who until recently held the record for running the entire 468-mile Colorado Trail, said a marijuana buzz can't compete with a runner's high. "The feeling of a marijuana high would be a fairly small experience compared with ... the experience of running," he said. Burrell said a runner's high is much broader and more complex than what a marijuana smoker feels. Runner's high encompasses achieving goals, the joy of watching the sunrise and the serenity that follows a run, he said. Runners must persevere through an initial six-week curve to reap their full benefit, he said. "Pot, give it six minutes." Burrell said he thinks studies like the recent one are important because they articulate the positive reinforcement that runners experience. "Nonrunners find these studies interesting," he said. "Runners don't care. We're running it, we're experiencing it and we're having a good time." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman