Statistically, people who exercise are much less likely than
inactive people to abuse drugs or alcohol. But can exercise help
curb addictions? Some research shows that exercise may stimulate
reward centers in the brain, helping to ease cravings for drugs
or other substances. But according to an eye-opening new study
of cocaine-addicted mice, dedicated exercise may in some cases
make it even harder to break an addiction. The study, conducted
by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and
Technology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign,
began by dividing male mice into those that had or did not have
running wheels in their cages. All of the mice were injected
with a chemical that marks newly created brain cells. The
animals then sat in their cages or ran at will for 30 days.
Afterward, the mice were placed in small multiroom chambers in
the lab and introduced to liquid cocaine. They liked it.
Researchers frequently use a model known as “conditioned place
preference” to study addic