Researchers have uncovered insights into an unexpected relationship between cannabis use and exercise. This study suggests that marijuana may increase motivation and make exercise more enjoyable, but it does not improve performance.
The study was led by Laurel Gibson and Angela Bryan of the Center for Health and Addictions at the University of Colorado Boulder: Neuroscience, Genes, and Environment (Change CU). The research team investigated the effects of legal, commercially available cannabis on exercise, with a particular focus on the experiences of runners.
research focus
The study comes 10 years after Colorado began legal recreational marijuana sales and coincides with a growing trend of cannabis users incorporating cannabis into their exercise routines.
“Given the stereotype that cannabis is associated with extreme sedentary behavior, there is concern that cannabis legalization will further exacerbate the prevalence of physical inactivity in the United States,” the researchers wrote. writing. “However, despite these concerns, there has been significant public interest in using cannabis concurrently with exercise in recent years.”
The main goal of this study was to understand how cannabis affects the perception and enjoyment of exercise.
How to conduct research
Researchers recruited 42 Boulder-area runners who were already incorporating cannabis into their running routines. Participants were assigned to use either a CBD-dominant strain or a THC-dominant strain.
Volunteers performed separate treadmill runs with and without the influence of cannabis, and their experiences were carefully documented.
Main findings
The study found that using cannabis before a workout increases positive mood and enjoyment, regardless of whether THC or CBD is used. However, THC was known to have a more intoxicating effect, making exercise seem more strenuous.
Participants in the THC group reported that running felt more difficult, in contrast to improved performance. This is consistent with previous findings that cannabis use can slow down runners, making it clear that cannabis is not a performance enhancer.
runner’s high
Natural endorphins have long been thought to cause the “runner’s high,” a state of euphoria and alertness that occurs after prolonged exercise. However, newer research has linked runner’s high to brain chemicals known as endocannabinoids.
By ingesting CBD or THC, cannabinoids that bind to the same receptors as cannabinoids that our brains naturally produce, athletes can take advantage of their high levels during short workouts or enhance them during longer workouts. Gibson said it may be possible to do so.
Sedentary lifestyle trends
Professor Angela Bryan, lead author of the study, highlighted the potential of cannabis as a tool to combat the sedentary lifestyle epidemic. This study is particularly interesting for its implications for people who struggle with motivation and enjoyment of exercise.
“We have an epidemic of sedentary lifestyles in this country, and we need new tools to help people get physically active in a fun way,” Professor Bryan said. “If cannabis is one of those tools, we need to explore it with both the harms and benefits in mind.”
Research impact
While the study results are promising, the researchers caution against the indiscriminate use of cannabis for athletic purposes. Particularly in high-performance sports, risks such as dizziness and loss of balance cannot be ignored.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the acute effects of commercial cannabis on subjective responses to exercise in a laboratory setting,” the study authors wrote.
“Our findings show that among regular cannabis users who use cannabis in conjunction with exercise, pre-workout cannabis use can lead to increases in both positive and negative subjective exercise experiences. It suggests that there is a sex.”
The research will be published in a journal sports medicine.
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