Athletes tolerate pain better , according to new research by German scientists at the University of Heidelberg. The authors reviewed 15 previous studies that compared the perception of pain between athletes and non-athletes, as well as the differences in pain threshold , that is, the moment from which a stimulus (heat, pressure, etc.) begins to be perceived as painful. The results reveal that, although the pain threshold is practically identical regardless of the sport that each individual practices, pain tolerance is much higher in athletes. Specifically, the athletes who best support physical suffering are footballers and skiers .
The study, which is published in the journal Pain , does not clarify why these differences exist, although the authors suspect that it is due to the release of endorphins , natural substances similar to opioids that make us "feel good." In runners, these substances are responsible for what is known as the "runner's high."
