Adrenaline is a naturally occurring hormone. It has a number of effects on the body that generally are associated with the body’s “fight or flight” response. Many of these effects also are associated with positive sports performance. However, in extreme situations, adrenaline can lead to addiction.
What is Adrenaline?
Adrenaline is another term for the hormone epinephrine. Epinephrine is released into the bloodstream from the medulla in the adrenal glands when the body undergoes intense emotions such as fear or anger. In those elevated levels, adrenaline causes an increase in heart rate, muscle strength, blood pressure and the breaking up of sugars to release energy. These releases of adrenaline into the bloodstream are called “adrenaline bursts.”
Benefits in Sports
The effects of adrenaline can be advantageous to any athlete. For this reason, athletes work on getting “pumped up” before and during athletic contests, especially those that involve quick and intense energy outputs such as football. The increased muscle strength and energy production from a burst of adrenaline are directly related to improved performance. Adrenaline also helps use fat in exercise. When you participate in a sport and exercise, the adrenaline in your body helps ensure that fat molecules are used as a source of energy. Aerobic exercise – that is, low-intensity, high-duration exercise that takes place in the presence of oxygen – uses adrenaline’s fat mobilization more than anaerobic exercise.
Disadvantages in Sports
Not all sporting events involve lots of adrenaline, though. In fact, for some sports such as long-distance endurance contests, athletes are advised to control the outbursts of energy that adrenaline causes to pace themselves and conserve energy for later in the race. In anaerobic exercise – high-intensity, low-duration exercise that takes place in the absence of oxygen – lactic acid is produced. Lactic acid actually blocks adrenaline’s fat-mobilization properties, and less fat is used as an energy source, so less fat is burned.
Addiction
There is some danger of becoming addicted to adrenaline. You can get the effects of an adrenaline rush by putting your body in dangerous or extreme situations, such as skydiving and bungee jumping. Similar to other addictions, adrenaline addition leads people to crave it and disregard tasks unrelated to getting the next high. In addition, adrenaline addicts get adrenaline withdrawal consisting of exhaustion, irritability and restlessness.
References
- University of Deleware: Epinephrine
- Bryn Mawr College; Can It Ever Be Too Much? The Effects of Epinephrine on the Brain; Anisha Chirmule; May 2007
- University of New Mexico; Exploring the Mysteries of Exercise; Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
- “Lynx”; Adrenaline Addiction: Hormonal Rush Creates Chemical Dependancy Linked to Health Risks; Irene A. Harkleroad; April 2006
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