How are endorphins like morphine?
Endorphin means “endogenous morphine,” endogenous meaning created within the body. when your exercise, lift weights, swim, run, etc. the tension on your muscles caues your body to release a pain killer (beta-endorphin) to allow you to not feel the pain and focus on whatever it was you were trying to accomplish. there structure of endorphins is what drugs like morphine and heroin are based upon, and is why they attach to the same opiod receptors as endorphins. Due to their similar structure as a painkiller, this is where the euphoric notion after excersice or other strenous activities comes from. The difference is in the fact that endorphins are pre-synaptic, meaning they dont change to chemistry of your brain or cause an irregular dopamine release, which is what causes addiction from painkiller drugs that do this.
