From Runner’s High to Gut Health and Optimal Workout Timing

By Jamie Bussin and David Nelson

In my experience there are two times of year when couch potatoes consider exercising; the first two weeks of January aka ‘Resolution Season’ and the first two weeks of September aka ‘Back to School/Work Season’. Some need collateral motivation to get started. In that context, this is a compilation of scientifically proven exercise strategies that health and wellness researcher, David Nelson and I discussed in Episode #270 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast.

Runner’s High: Before I tore my Achilles tendon, running was an integral part of my exercise regimen. Part of the reason was that wonderful euphoric feeling at the end of the run colloquially known as “runner’s high”. I thought that the feeling was as a result of the release of endorphins. However, according to David, research suggests that those feelings are as a result of endocannabinoids. And yes, endocannabinoids are contained in cannabis, but they are also produced by our body. 

Endocannabinoid receptors are now understood to be not only in our brain cells but throughout our entire body. According to David, “the endocannabinoid system gives our body the “everything is good signal” that makes us feel more buoyant and brighter”. It is a homeostatic control system that not only impacts how we feel, but also modulates our immune response and metabolism.

The Gut Brain Axis: Our microbiome is essential for the extraction of nutrients from the food that we eat. It also plays a role in modulating inflammation and immune response. According to David, exercise serves to “tonify” our microbiome. An example of this is long distance runners. As distances are increased, the body cultivates a microbe called Veillonella – a bacteria that consumes lactic acid, which is the waste product of extended exercise. The accumulation of lactic acid is the cause of muscle pain that occurs when we exert ourselves.

In a study of mice who were specifically given Veillonella bacteria – there was a 13% increase in energy-use efficiency. This corroborates the theory that those who have more of the bacteria in their system are more efficient runners.

Aerobic Exercise and Hormones: In another mouse trial, it was found that extended higher intensity aerobic exercise increases the motivation to exercise, through the toning of gut bacteria. So, quite literally the increase in bacteria in your gut, specifically Akkermansia and Lactobacillus, resulting from exercise increases your motivation to exercise. For men, this increase in gut microbes leads to the increase of production of testosterone.

The Best Type of Exercise: Compared to not exercising, any exercise will improve your health. It’s all good. A 20-minute walk, five times a week is enough to make a difference. However, resistance training and high intensity training increase the value of exercise. 

For those who want to get more granular, lowering weights aka eccentric loading – when the muscles lengthen, consumes more energy than concentric loading – when the muscles shorten. You can achieve hypertrophy, consume more calories, tone your gut microbiome through eccentric exercises alone – theoretically cutting your exercise time in half and get 80-90% of the benefits.

The Best Time To Work Out: Perversely, I prefer to work out in the late afternoon, when my energy levels typically ebb. But everyone is different and according to David, the best time for you depends on your chronobiology.  If you’re a late sleeper you’re likely to be a late exerciser. If you’re an early riser you’ll likely benefit from an earlier workout. For those who like to work out later in the day, as long as you don’t exercise within 2 hours before sleep, the activity will not negatively impact the quality of your sleep.

Hopefully this article will give you some motivation to exercise and some ideas to maximize your results while minimizing your efforts.