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how does exercise increase serotonin in the brain?

C

C10H12N20

Bluelighter
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Jul 1, 2004
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There is a theory that exercise boost serotonin in the brain, does anybody know the mechanism, etc.?
 
It doesn't (at least not significantly) Endorphins are released, along with stimulating catecholamines like epinephrine. Serotonin can only be naturally increased through diet, and 5-htp supplements
 
I know exercise does boost serotonin, because exercise has been proven to fight depression better than ssri's. And from personal experience, I know it does.
 
exercise can help depression, but it not likely due to serotonin. Serotonin has become the "it" neurotransmitter (thanks to pfizer) but there are a lot of neurotransmitters/hormones that efffect mood via exercise. I think increased circulation (blood and oxygen) and increased endorphins ("runner's high") contribute more so than serotonin
 
C10H12N20 said:
Ecstasy sometimes feels exactly how it feels AFTER exercise...
Click to expand...

I think the "runners high" you get after exercising is closest to an opiate high.
 
I love runners high but i have to work for mine, i think opiates must be a cheat then. ;)
 
Exercising has been proven to produce endorphins and stimulate adrenal glands. Which causes a rush of mild euphoria, excitement, and confidence. Although, this combo has been has been imitated by an illegal drug commonly known as cocaine
How do you think it became so popular?
 
Excersise really hasn't been proven to release endorphins at all...
51144endorphins_and_excerise.gif

Graph A is endorphin LIKE material. Which is what is commonly measured, and is why people think endorphins cause "runners high".
Graph B shows ACTAUL endorphins. Note, most of the time, it isn't increased after exercise

That's plasma endorphins though... so thats not saying that runners high isn't caused by beta-endorphin, just that there isn't proof.

From: Schulz et al.,
Endorphin immunoreactive material and authentic beta-endorphin in the plasma of males undergoing anaerobic exercise on a rowing ergometer
Int J Sports Med. 2000 21(7):513-7
 
The bleak truthful answer to your question is honestly that no one, even neuroscientists, really knows. How the brain and human mind work are largely mysteries and are likely to remain that way for the forseeable future.
 
Bilzor,

Do you have those kind of charts for serotonin? I found some mentioning of studies online, but no documentation for it. I guess this is in blood, so it does not really matter, cause you have to measure it in the brain, but i wonder if there are metabolites that can be measured in blood...
 
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Damn science, it's hard to take any scientific data as a fact.

I think we need to face the fact that humans aren't capable of completely understanding the human brain and we probably never will be.
 
Euhm I think endorphin like material (like morphine,heroin,codeine too) stimulate the same endorphine receptors correct? That means that running/excersise does have an effect on opiate receptors.
 
No, it's "endorphin like" in the fact it is endorphin immunoreactive... if you raise antibodies to beta-endorphin they bind to this lipid which is produced after excersise..

You raised the problem C10H12N20, even if serotonin increased in the blood, it wouldn't say anything about brain serotonin...
-BUT-
I did find a microdialysis study, looking at serotonin release in the hippocampus of mice which ran at 25m/min on a treadmill. Here you can see a increase in serotonin (5-HT), and it is seemingly unrelated to glucose
excersise%20and%20serotonin.gif
 
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This chart makes a lot of sense, as I observe serotonin-like effects in myself at least an hour after i start exercise... Why did they have to inject mice with glucose in the second chart i wonder...
 
Well I wouldn't be so sure that the effects you feel are due to serotonin...

I think they injected glucose to see what effects it would have on brain glucose levels.
 
s0nic said:
Damn science, it's hard to take any scientific data as a fact.

I think we need to face the fact that humans aren't capable of completely understanding the human brain and we probably never will be.
Click to expand...

i could see this being a good movie.
 
Kevo81 said:
I know exercise does boost serotonin, because exercise has been proven to fight depression better than ssri's. And from personal experience, I know it does.
Click to expand...

Then it must be true!

Seriously, exercise has been proven to fight depression if it is done regularly and for a period of at least 45 min at max effort, but it is in no way comparable to SSRI's, since it does not increase serotonin (which is an "umbrella-word" for several NTs) directly.

SSRIs increases the level of serotonin between synapses -during the first levels of treatment-, but then it actually /decreases/ 5ht-levels, creating a steady/even flow of serotonin and thus fighting depression and anxiety. This is why patients often complain about missing "natural" highs and lows.

The theoretical reasoning for exercise fighting depression is that it "breaks the pattern of depression". This involves derivatives of endorphins, yes, but the method of action is best described using psychological terminology.
 
Um, huh?

Serotonin refers to several neurotransmitters?

And your statement that chronic SSRIs don't increase 5-HT levels any more? I've seen a couple papers that show that, but I don't know if I'd go so far as to say its accepted proof, or state its behavioural effect.
 
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