Health benefits of running: Junk food can hurt your mood but running can fix it, says new study

Health benefits of running; The study reveals that exercise resets key hormones and gut chemicals linked to mood and energy, offering clues to how our bodies can heal from the excesses of modern diets (Image: Pexels)

Running boosts mood, balances hormones, and protects the brain by restoring gut metabolites damaged by junk food, according to a recent research. It also strengthens the heart, sharpens memory, and eases stress for both mental and physical resilience.

A new study from University College Cork has uncovered how something as simple as a good run can undo some of the mental and hormonal chaos junk food causes. While a Western-style diet may wreak havoc on the brain and gut, researchers have discovered that regular exercise can pull the body — and the mind — back into balance.

The research, led by Professor Yvonne Nolan and published in Brain Medicine, shows that running reduces depression-like behaviour even when subjects (in this case, rats) gorge on high-fat, high-sugar foods. It’s not just about burning calories — the study reveals that exercise resets key hormones and gut chemicals linked to mood and energy, offering clues to how our bodies can heal from the excesses of modern diets.

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To understand better, scientists fed one group of rats a standard diet and another group a “cafeteria diet” of processed, sugary treats. Some had running wheels; others did not. They found that out of 175 gut metabolites studied, around 100 were affected by junk food, but running helped restore several crucial ones, including anserine, indole-3-carboxylate, and deoxyinosine, all known to support emotional stability.

Hormones on the move

Additionally, running didn’t just lift moods — it reshaped the hormones too. The junk-food rats who stayed sedentary showed spikes in insulin and leptin, hormones tied to weight gain and fatigue. But their running counterparts saw these levels drop to near-normal. Exercise even tweaked other key hormones like GLP-1 and PYY, which help regulate hunger and energy, revealing a fine-tuned balancing act between diet, metabolism, and mental health.

• Running lifts mood: Exercise produces an antidepressant-like effect, even on a poor diet.
• Gut health matters: Junk food alters gut chemicals, but running helps restore balance.
• Hormones rebalance: Exercise corrected insulin and leptin spikes caused by fatty foods.
• Diet still counts: Junk food blocked new brain cell growth, even in active animals.
• Future focus: Researchers hope these gut metabolites could become targets for new antidepressant treatments.

The diet-exercise duet

Despite its uplifting message, the study carries a caution. According to the study, exercise can’t fully cancel out bad food choices. The cafeteria diet stopped the usual boost in brain-cell growth seen with exercise, showing that diet quality still sets the stage for brain health. “Exercise works wonders, but it’s not a free pass to eat anything,” says Professor Nolan.

In conclusion, you can’t outrun a bad diet — but you can certainly soften its blows. The research gives scientific backing to what many of us have felt after a long jog: a clearer head, a lighter mood, and a sense that maybe, just maybe, the body knows how to repair itself. In a world where processed food reigns supreme, that’s a comforting thought indeed.

FAQs on Health Benefits of Running

1. How does running improve mood?

Running produces an antidepressant-like effect, even when on a poor diet, by resetting key hormones and gut chemicals linked to mood and energy.

2. Can running help with gut health?

Yes, running helps restore gut metabolites damaged by junk food, supporting emotional stability and overall gut health.

3. Does running affect hormone levels?

Running corrects spikes in insulin and leptin caused by fatty foods and regulates hunger and energy-related hormones like GLP-1 and PYY.

4. Is a good diet necessary even if you run regularly?

Yes, a poor diet can block new brain cell growth despite regular exercise, indicating that diet quality is crucial for brain health.

5. What are the overall benefits of running?

Running strengthens the heart, sharpens memory, eases stress, and promotes both mental and physical resilience, helping the body repair itself from dietary excesses.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis.