What does running do to your brain?

Neuroscientists have studied treadmill runners, ultramarathon athletes - and a number of lab animals - to investigate the effects of running on grey matter

It may seem obvious - as you push on through a long run, veering wildly between sensations of agony and elation - that running can have a huge effect on your state of mind. It is an intuitive idea that a growing number of neuroscientists have begun to take seriously, and in recent years they have started to show us what actually plays out on the hills and valleys of your grey matter as you run.

Their findings confirm what many runners know from their own experience: we can use running as a tool to improve the way we think and feel. And we are now learning precisely why running can return focus, vanquish stress and improve mood. Plus we know why - if you're lucky - you might get a brief glimpse of nirvana.