The physiology of running: Why your body learns to love every step
I didn’t like sports growing up. I never really shook the memories of trying to play netball in the pouring rain, of taking a basketball to the nose, or of my wicket-keeper father trying to convince me that cricket was exciting by making me sit through day-long matches (sorry dad, I remain unconvinced).
It wasn’t until I went to university to study Biomedical Sciences that things began to change. After a couple of months of thoroughly enjoying the nightlife, I reluctantly admitted I probably needed to do some exercise that wasn’t dancing to Rihanna with a drink in hand.
So, with the confidence of someone in their twenties who believed reading about human physiology made them an expert – even though I didn’t own trainers – I signed up for a half marathon.
Luckily, I fell in love with running. I delighted at the fact that with the right shoes, you can go anywhere; into mountains, through woodlands and along boat-lined harbours. The best thing though: no one throws a ball at you.
Before long, my new hobby began to influence my university studies. I found myself drifting towards studying exercise physiology, fascinated by the processes that kick into action the moment a runner pushes off the start line.
In many ways, running is like briefly placing your body into a controlled state of emergency. Within those first few steps, your brain signals to release adrenaline, nudging your heart to beat faster and pump oxygen-rich blood to working muscles. Your breathing quickens, allowing your lungs to pull in more oxygen, while your muscles burn through their stored glycogen for fuel.
At the same time, muscle fibres in your legs contract thousands of times, producing heat and microscopic stress that will, over time, make them stronger. Sweat glands activate to offset this rise in body temperature, and maybe most importantly, your body starts releasing mood-lifting chemicals like endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. Endorphins act as natural painkillers, binding to the same receptors in the brain as opioids, dulling the strain in your muscles.
When I am huffing and puffing up a huge hill, I like to remind myself that what feels like suffering is actually a result of a finely turned cascade of biological systems working together to help me go a little bit further and lift my mood just a little bit lighter.
Running has taken me to places I never expected: French mountain tops, Spanish beaches and along our very own rugged Devon coastline. These days, although the distances are less, running still brings such joy to my life. Weekends may not be spent up mountains but instead, involve pushing my daughter around a muddy 5K parkrun in her buggy, splashing through puddles and laughing together.
Already, she proudly tells me that she is going to be a runner when she grows up. Although I am biased and would love a running buddy, I just hope that she finds a sport that she truly loves – whatever that turns out to be.
For her, I might even watch cricket.
