Hormones, Muscles, and Bones:
Important Tips for Understanding Your Body, Muscles, and Mind.
When we start running, our body releases a special hormone called Endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters produced by the pituitary gland during intense physical activities, such as running. They act directly on brain receptors linked to pleasure, reducing the perception of pain and creating a feeling of happiness and well-being known as the "runner's high."
In addition to endorphins, other important hormones are also released during a run:
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Dopamine: Associated with feelings of reward, pleasure, and motivation.
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Serotonin: Improves mood, reduces anxiety, and regulates sleep.
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Adrenaline and Noradrenaline: Increase focus, energy, and stamina during exercise.
These hormones are crucial to understanding why running can become such an enjoyable and even addictive activity for many people. However, it's essential to be cautious, as our muscles often struggle to keep pace with the enthusiastic rhythm set by our brain, driven by these hormones. This imbalance can lead to pain and potential injuries.
Therefore, combining running with strength training exercises is critical. Building muscle strength protects your body and prevents future issues. Always remember the importance of proper stretching before and after running, regardless of the distance.
Regular exercise provides another essential benefit: protecting or even increasing Bone Mineral Content (BMC), especially after age 30, when sedentary individuals typically experience gradual bone loss.
Remember, your bones are living structures capable of adapting to the healthy stress of running, provided you respect your body's limits. Regular running or other physical activities help prolong peak Bone Mineral Content (BMC) and slow down its natural decline.
A valuable tip is to focus on strengthening your Achilles tendon. Preventive measures like this can help avoid future problems such as plantar fasciitis or tendonitis, common reasons why runners stop their training.
If you experience significant pain during or after a run, don’t hesitate to take a break. Rest allows your muscles to recover properly from minor exercise-induced injuries.
It's also important to mention DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Muscles are dynamic, living tissues that adapt to exercises by increasing or decreasing their fiber size. It’s almost as if your muscles have a "mind of their own."
Whether you run just around the block or complete a 10k race, your body undergoes remarkable physiological changes. The farther or faster you run, the more stress you put on your muscle fibers, and the more likely DOMS will appear.
We’ll cover more about DOMS in a future post.
We hope your journey as a runner is fantastic, filled with vitality, speed, and health, enabling you to reach greater distances and fully enjoy strong muscles and bones!
Neusa Caron
Founder of Josefina Athletic