Can Medical Marijuana Help You Workout?

Usually, athletes use medical marijuana for recovery and relaxation, most probably, as an alternative to painkillers. Yoga practitioners and martial artists also use cannabis and CBD to boost recovery from minor injuries and muscle soreness.

Many find it a key to motivating themselves to get started. At the same time, some consider it a source of overcoming workout lethargy; instead, enjoying doing exercises. Study shows that cannabis-user athletes have an improved relationship with exercise.

Using weed before and after the workout

In a survey of 605 participants, 81.7% of people recommended using cannabis while exercising. The majority experience unique benefits such as:

• Increased motivation
• Rapid recovery
• Enhanced interest
• Positive energy

The remaining 37.5% of participants claim that it helps improve performance only. Consumers prefer cannabis flowers more than edibles. The fundamental purpose of consuming weed before and after working out is to improve concentration, enjoy exercise, enhance stamina, and uplift mood. However, it is advised to take marijuana under the guidance of qualified doctors, WV medical marijuanas doctors can guide you if marijuana is the right option for you.

Benefits of marijuana for Athletes

There are many ways in which using medical marijuana may potentially help:

• Exercising
• Post-workout recovery
• Boosting stamina

Some ways in which using medical marijuana might be beneficiary for workouts are:

Boost performance

Many athletes use THC-laden snacks to boost their performance and go on long-distance runs, swim, and cycle. Even 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps and other medalists are open about using cannabis to boost their performance. A survey about the impact of cannabis on athletic performance, with 600 participants from California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, showed mindblowing results.

People who consume medical marijuana an hour before a workout or within four hours after reported an extra 40 minutes of exercise each week than non-users. It proves that marijuana users exercise more than non-users.

It might ease muscle tension and reduce anxiety.

This condition is known as muscle tension, when muscles contract and become stiff to prevent movement. Cannabis helps to enlarge the veins for more blood flow that relaxes the muscle’s stiffness. Therefore, it is considered superior to conventional painkillers in managing pain during workouts.

Marijuana contains CBD, which helps to reduce anxiety. This compound(CBD) treats mental disorders and people with sleeping difficulties. A relaxed mind allows you to focus more during workouts and achieve your goals. If you decide to take CBD, take them at least an hour before your exercise.

Easier recovery

Athletes use CBD oil to manage pain and inflammation. Various forms of CBD are available:

• Topicals creams
• Tinctures
• Oils

CBD products are non-addictive and do not cause typical “high” effects like THC. Athletes prefer CBD over traditional drugs as an effective painkiller for easier recovery. CBD is a source for managing and reducing pain, stress, post-workout soreness, minor injuries, and even improving the sleep cycle.

The best part is CBD users have no worries about failing a drug test. Many anti-doping agencies have removed CDB from their prohibited list and cleared athletes to use CBD for recovery. THC is still banned. However, a full-spectrum CBD may contain more than mentioned on the label. It can lead to a positive drug result. While choosing cannabis products, be very careful.

Improve the central nervous system.

Medical marijuana helps to regulate ECS in a balanced state. ECS (endocannabinoid system) maintains the central nervous system for proper functioning.

The spinal cord and brain are crucial parts of the CNS. While exercising, this system needs extra blood supply to help the brain produce more endorphins for an enjoyable exercise to prevent overstressing.

How to use marijuana with your workout?

Since the US states have legalized medical marijuana, people have become more outspoken about the cannabis benefits for mental and physical health. Those who include cannabis in their workout routine reported more consistency, better mental health, and better physical health. A meta-analysis showed that marijuana users do more workouts than non-users.

Here are the tips on how to infuse cannabis into your workout routine:

Start with a small amount.

Experts recommend always starting with a small amount, even if you are a regular user. This little amount is much less than what they think is normal or what they use for recreational purposes. The goal is to achieve that mild high that alters your mental state but does not lead to an unconscious condition. Take 5 milligrams of marijuana, exercise, and feel the difference, and if you do not feel any effect, up your dose a little more milligrams.

Choose a consuming method that’s easy to control

The method you use to consume your marijuana may affect the results. According to the experts, consumers need something that will kick in quickly and easily control dosage-wise. The ideal delivery method is vaporizing cannabis flowers. Inhaling two to three minutes and build on that to regulate how high you get.

Pick an activity that allows for hyper-focus

While being high, exercising is not suited to every activity. As it makes your brain hyper-focused on what is in front of you. Activities that don’t require situational awareness are ideal for this purpose, including:

• Spinning on a stationary bike at home
• Running on the treadmill
• Weightlifting
• Yoga

You should avoid biking or running on busy roads, or mountain climbing.

People with heart conditions should avoid cannabis-infused workouts

Cannabis and THC can raise the heart rate and cause irregular heartbeat. So, people with hypertension or metabolic disorder should be more careful while using cannabis or set a proper exercise routine that won’t clash with their dosing schedule. Nobody wants a patient to suffer any mishap.

Conclusion

Marijuana may not enhance your athletic performance directly, but it has relaxing effects like; managing pain, boosting energy levels, and easier recovery. Nutritious food and adequate sleep also aid in better performance.

Cannabis helps to increase blood flow to the CNS to cause the brain to produce more endorphins for enjoying exercise and preventing overstressing. Marijuana helps combat pain by relaxing muscles and preventing depression, and anxiety, so the athlete remains calm during the workout.