title: Rowers' high: behavioural synchrony is correlated with elevated pain thresholds.
abstract: Physical exercise is known to stimulate the release of endorphins, creating a mild sense of euphoria that has rewarding properties. Using pain tolerance (a conventional non-invasive assay for endorphin release), we show that synchronized training in a college rowing crew creates a heightened endorphin surge compared with a similar training regime carried out alone. This heightened effect from synchronized activity may explain the sense of euphoria experienced during other social activities (such as laughter, music-making and dancing) that are involved in social bonding in humans and possibly other vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, , 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN, UK. emma.cohen@anthro.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Emma E A
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ejsmond-Frey
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: R I M
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Dunbar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004723:Endorphins / Q000378:metabolism; D004739:England; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013177:Sports
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins