From: planetj7@bellsouth.net   
      
     High levels of anandamide were found in young men who ran or cycled at   
   a moderate rate for about an hour, according to a study made public this   
   week by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of   
   California, Irvine.   
      
   Anandamide is a cannabinoid, or lipid molecule, that is naturally   
   produced in the body. It is known to produce sensations that are similar   
   to those of THC, the psychoactive property in marijuana.   
      
   The study's findings, which were recently published in the journal   
   NeuroReport, fly in the face of those who believe that the release of   
   brain chemicals called endorphins cause the peculiar high that some   
   runners and cyclists claim to feel.   
      
   Arne Dietrich, the study's principal investigator and a former visiting   
   professor at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, believes the body releases   
   cannabinoids to help it cope with the prolonged stress and pain of   
   moderate or intense exercise.   
      
   "No other study has ever considered this possibility, which is why the   
   results are so significant," said Dietrich, who added that there were no   
   indications that cannabinoids caused any harm when naturally released   
   during intense exercise.   
      
   He added that the findings could provide sufferers of glaucoma and   
   chronic diseases an alternative to using marijuana for pain control. Use   
   of the drug for medical purposes has been approved by voters in some   
   states, but remains illegal under federal law and highly controversial   
   in the medical community.   
      
   The 24 young men who participated in Dietrich's study were asked to run,   
   cycle or sit. If they ran or cycled, participants began with a brief   
   warm-up, followed by 45 minutes of moderate exercise and then a short   
   cool-down period.   
      
   Dietrich said further studies were necessary to determine the precise   
   nature of the increase in cannabinoids during physical activity and to   
   what degree the intensity, duration and type of exercise affected their   
   release.   
      
   The "runner's high" theory emerged in the United States during the   
   running craze of the 1970s, when researchers discovered the brain's   
   opiate receptors, which are proteins located on the surface of nerve cells.   
      
   Some scientists, however, say the concept is a myth.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)