We’re all familiar with the tagline benefits that cannabis touts, but a relatively unexplored area is exercise, fitness, and performance. We know that cannabis can help reduce stress, relieve pain, and increase motivation - but can it be used as a type of pre-workout - helping to improve our performance?
THC & CBD: Performance Supplements?
As one of the first studies done on medically administered cannabis and athletic performance, the Journal of Sports Medicines surveyed subjective responses to exercise of 42 runners in a lab environment and recorded the effects of cannabis on their workouts. The results showed that across the board, almost all participants reported that the use of cannabis created an increase in positive mood and motivation, like a natural “runner’s high”, but did not enhance actual performance. Many reported that they felt less pain during their workouts due to consumption of cannabis beforehand. While all of these positives don’t enhance actual performance, it follows that if you're happier, more motivated, and in less pain - your workout will be better than if the opposite were true. Interestingly, the CBD group reported higher levels of the aforementioned positive affects than the THC group - likely due to the fact that it is not psychoactive in nature.
From the same study, those in the THC group reported that the THC run was significantly harder (and was recorded as 31 seconds slower) than the sober run. This could be due to the fact that the psychoactivity in THC causes an increased heart rate, making exercise more effortful. So, before you ditch the preworkout in favor of your weed, there is no evidence that cannabis enhances physical fitness performance when taken before a workout. But, CBD may be a great option for less pain and more enjoyment whilst engaging in exercise without the impairment that THC might induce.
Weed For Workout Recovery
Even though we've noted that weed is not a performance-enhancing drug, it may very well assist in workout recovery due to its anti-inflammatory and pain reduction properties. CBD is already used for stress and anxiety reduction, joint pain reduction, and more, and in some studies exploring the relationship between cannabis and recovery, participants have reported that they felt that cannabis use after a workout helped reduce pain, increase sleep quality, and reduce inflammation.
Once again, CBD was given a higher “score” than THC, likely due to its calming properties and lack of psychoactivity. Because of these benefits, the buzz surrounding CBD in the world of elite and professional athletes has heightened. Many feel that CBD helps them bounce back faster after a tough training session. So, not all bad news here! It won’t be a traditional pre-workout, but THC or CBD may be able to fit into your cool down routine.
