We are seeing a new class of athletes emerge: The marijuana enthusiast.
· There is a long list of supposed benefits associated with marijuana, but some say it can also help improve endurance during a workout.
· Some athletes, such as former NFL linebacker Eben Britton, have been outspoken about the perceived benefits of marijuana for staying fit, but there are still many who are “in the closet” due to the stigma of drug use.
Historically speaking, fitness and marijuana have never been considered the best training partners. In fact, you probably thought of them as polar opposites. In one corner, you were aware of health and fitness; in the other, the drug addicts and their monchis.
But as cannabis laws have relaxed (medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states, while recreational marijuana is legal in nine), we see a new class of athletes emerge – the marijuana enthusiast.
“It’s become a social movement,” says Jim McAlpine, founder of the pot-friendly 420 Games series of athletic events, as well as the San Francisco-based Power Plant Fitness gym, which is co-owner of the former NFL. running back Ricky Williams. “There are so many of us in the closet.”
McAlpine, Williams and their minions are part of a new generation of cannabis users, who enjoy a highly fitness lifestyle, even though they smoke marijuana.
Pro marijuana athletes tend to brush cannabis for various reasons. “It activates your brain and takes you to The Zone,” says McAlpine. “I love smoking before skiing, mountain biking, or surfing. It puts me in a less focused spot, the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ type. Not for everyone, but for some people who are more athletic and coordinated, it works. “
While coordination and concentration may not be the first things that come to mind when you think of the powers of marijuana, McAlpine is not alone in his belief that lighting up before a workout can perfect an athlete to be fit. According to former NFL offensive lineman Eben Britton, who has spoken openly about NFL players using cannabis to control pain, smoking marijuana “connects me mentally and emotionally to my body, allowing me to perform an exercise more satisfying. “
Smoking cannabis before training helps relax stiff muscles and scar tissue, as well as your mind. “It is very encouraging mentally. It allows me to do the last two repetitions,” he told MensHealth.com. “It may be tiring, but it puts me in a state of flux and allows me to keep going.”
If you are skeptical about the health benefits of marijuana, you have reason to be. For years, marijuana has been touted as a treatment for everything from epilepsy to opiate addiction and sleep apnea, so it’s not surprising that some athletes swear it might help them improve their performance, too.
That said, there is little evidence to suggest that smoking before a workout can, in fact, increase your gains. “Cannabis has been shown to be a performance-degrading drug, so you shouldn’t use cannabis for maximum performance,” says Jordan Tishler, a Harvard-trained physician and cannabis therapy specialist. If you’re smoking marijuana before a new or particularly difficult workout, it can be downright insecure: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “the more difficult and unpredictable the task, the more likely it is that marijuana will impair [mental and motor] performance.” .
But this is where the purported benefits come in, says Tishler: “Cannabis has been shown to be good for pain control and can be helpful while training at standard levels. Like a runner’s, cannabis can help with endurance “
Cannabis doctor Dr. June Chin agrees. As long as an athlete is not injured or at risk of injury, he often suggests using cannabis “during the training season to help recover, relieve pain, and advance to the next level. The goal is for them not to stop with that knee stubborn or low back pain. They can run the longest distance, be faster and more efficient. They can propel you. “
The evidence is particularly strong for CBD (cannabidiol), a non-psychoactive compound in marijuana (for example, it doesn’t get you very “high”) that many athletes claim improves recovery. After his UFC fight with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz bloodied and bruised, but relaxed, sat down for a press conference and released CBD steam, telling reporters that “it helps with the healing process and inflammation and stuff like that ” Diaz is not alone in this belief: In fact, the World Anti-Doping Agency was apparently so convinced by CBD’s therapeutic properties that it recently removed CBD from its list of banned substances for 2018.
Now, in a world full of countless cannabis products and varieties that offer wide-ranging effects, how can you determine which is the best option for your fitness goals or, if so, whether you should be using cannabis at all?
Well, for starters, you need to check the legal status of cannabis in your state. You probably shouldn’t be smoking pot before training, either, if you’re the type of person who, for example, gets super high and goes into a state of panic.
“Each individual varies in how their liver breaks down cannabis and how quickly it is absorbed into the blood and distributed to the rest of the body, including the brain,” says Chin. “I suggest starting small and not trying a strenuous exercise routine.”
“It is worth noting that cannabis can affect motor control and judgment, so it should only be used in a safe environment,” adds Tishler. He advises against activities like “street running, biking, bungee jumping, and skydiving” (although perhaps the latter two are obvious), and also suggests starting with a small dose.
“Edibles are not great for exercise because they are so unpredictable as to when they will take the first step as they may not be well in sync with your exercise plans,” he says. “A little is worth a lot?