What causes your runners high? It’s not what you think according to the Huffington Post. Most people who run distances are familiar with that feeling of elation also known as the runner’s high. For years, it was thought to have been caused by endorphins, the body’s painkillers. A new study from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center suggests that the hormone Leptin may play a huge part in the sensation and the urge or addiction to continue running. Check out this new information here Runner’s High Is A Lot More Complicated Than We Thought Kate Bratskeir Food and Health Editor, The Huffington Post It turns out that the runner’s high isn’t just thanks to endorphins. The hormone leptin, which is more commonly associated with appetite, might also come into play, according to a new study in mice. The study from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center found that exercise-induced bliss is ignited by low levels of leptin, the body’s hunger hormone. When leptin dwindles, the theory goes, the body is told it has to go hunting and gathering, and the brain’s reward and motivation center lights up. “Our findings now show that this hormone also plays a vital role in motivation to run, which may be related to searching for food,” said study co-author Stephanie Fulton, a professor in the University of Montreal’s Department of Nutrition, in a statement. read more.