BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES AFTER BUNGEE JUMPING - BETA-ENDORPHIN IMMUNOREACTIVITY AS A MEDIATOR OF EUPHORIA

A study on 12 novice bungee jumpers was performed to investigate the i nfluence of acute psychological stress on levels of cortisol in saliva , beta-endorphhin immunoreactivity as well as the number of leukocytes in peripheral blood. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure as we ll as ratings on emotional states were recorded. Furthermore, correlat ions between ratings on mood and biochemical stress markers were compu ted. As expected, subjective ratings on anxiety were increased prior t o the jump and were markedly reduced after the jump. Salivary cortisol was also increased after the jump and decreased to baseline within th e next hour. In contrast, ratings on euphoria increased markedly after performing the jump and remained highly elevated for the next 30 min. An increase of more than 200% in beta-endorphin immunoreactivity afte r the jump was observed. In contrast to levels of cortisol, the concen tration of beta-endorphin recorded immediately after the jump was sign ificantly correlated with ratings on euphoria obtained at subsequent m easurements indicating a relationship between beta-endorphins and euph oria. Additional increase of the number of blood leukocytes and of hea rt rate and blood pressure indicate that various systems of the organi sm are markedly affected by the exceptional eustress of bungee jumping .