It's called capsaicin and is found in all chilis (even in small amounts in bell peppers). That's not really the addictive component, though. Instead, your body's reaction to the pain of the capsaicin leads to production of endorphins , natural opioids that give you a sense of well-being.

... Or was that a rhetorical question??

Well, I am a certified endorphin-junkie, a leftover byproduct of my college athletic career, but I didn't know chilis could set off production of the stuff.

From what I gather then, I could get the same rush from chugging a bottle of hot sauce as I could from the treadmill. It'd be a lot quicker and easier, that's for sure!

Yeah, it has a whole lot of taste and bit of hot. (OK, more than a bit.) Most people find the taste adicting.

I suppose some science type will say there is something like an endorphin high for the hot.... but just stick to the taste.

Branch out - there are about 100,000 hot sauces.

I would agree that it is addictive. Last year when Katrina was bearing down on New Orleans, I made a special trip to our Local Sam's Club and bought 12 of the 12 oz bottles. I was afraid that Avery Island might be damaged in the hurricane. Avery Island is a salt dome just to the west of NO and that is the only place that the stuff is bottled. I just had to buy more last week. and the price never did go out of sight.