Researchers at Tufts University may have confirmed that exercise can be physically addictive, releasing brain chemicals that mimic the sense of euphoria experienced during opiate use.

The study suggests that moderate to heavy exercise could be a “substitute drug” for human heroin and morphine addicts.

Just as there is the endorphin rush of a “runner’s high,” there can also be the valley of despair when runners and fitness enthusiasts can’t get their daily fix.

Robin Kanarek, professor of psychology at Tufts University, hopes to use the results to design treatment programs for heroin and morphine addicts that substitute the all-natural high of exercise in place of drugs.

The study appears in the August issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological Association.

Source [National Geographic]

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