Sports are a way to experience such adrenaline. An adrenaline rush is one of the body's vital defence mechanisms. A stressful situation will trigger the release of the hormone adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, into the bloodstream, this hormone makes us feel alive, gives us a rush and boost of energy.
Many people seek this rush that's why they do dangerous sports or activities like free climbing, cliff jumping, skateboarding, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, in-line roller-skating, street lugging, and BMX and mountain biking.
The sports you normally fell this adrenaline rush is extreme sports, it's also known as action sports or alternative sports, sporting events or pursuits characterized by high speeds and high risk.
What is Adrenaline?
Adrenaline helps your body react with more speed, like giving you an energy boost. It makes your heart beat faster, which increases the blood flow to the brain and muscles, and with this, it stimulates the body to make sugar to use for fuel. Then when adrenaline is released suddenly, it's often referred to or called an 'adrenaline rush'.
An adrenaline rush first starts in the brain. When you perceive or encounter a dangerous or stressful situation, that information is sent directly to a part of the brain called the 'amygdala'. This part and area of the brain play a huge role in emotional processing.
If danger is perceived by the amygdala, it will start to send a signal to another part or region of the brain called the 'hypothalamus'. The hypothalamus is like the command centre of the brain. It communicates with the rest of the body through the sympathetic nervous system.
The hypothalamus transmits a signal through autonomic nerves to the adrenal medulla. When the adrenal glands receive the signal, they respond by releasing adrenaline into the bloodstream.
The rush of adrenaline is what gives you the ability to dodge out of the way of an oncoming car before you’ve had a chance to even think about it.
Why do we want to have adrenaline rushes?
Adrenaline: it’s a word that we hear many times, especially when we talk about situations of tension, risk, and extreme attractions.
But… do we know what adrenaline is and why we like it so much?
An adrenaline junkie is a phrase that’s used to describe people who enjoy intense and thrilling activities that generate an adrenaline rush. Other terms include sensation seekers, adventurers, or thrill-seekers.
They’re the type of people who enjoy things like skydiving, extreme sports, or potentially dangerous lines of work, such as firefighting or emergency rescue.
When you’re excited, afraid, or emotionally charged, your body produces the hormone adrenaline. When released into your blood, this hormone increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, which can sharpen your senses and give you a boost of energy.
Some people seek this sensation in the same way that others might chase a high from a particular drug, hence the term adrenaline junkie.
So now I ask you are you someone who seeks the thrill of adrenaline? If so how do you? Is it through extreme sports or through dangerous experiences like, holding a poisonous snake or sliding down a volcano?
