Does Cannabis Have a Place in Fitness?

By Austin Schoonmaker | May 31, 2019

Cannabis is facing a wave of legalization across the country, and this magnificent plant is becoming increasingly used for its host of benefits. From its mood improving properties to relieving pain, cannabis is now seeing a surge in use by amateur and professional athletes who often put themselves through hours of strenuous workouts.

While studies are few and far between, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence swearing by the benefits cannabis can have for fitness. It is important to note that cannabis can affect everyone’s bodies differently, but it is still interesting to explore the potential it brings to achieving the best during your workouts.

Fight inflammation

Joint and muscle inflammation is a common problem with working out, and cannabis has been shown to be quite effective in helping ease the issues that come with along with it. CBD, the non-psychoactive component in cannabis, has been shown to be powerful in fighting back inflammation.

Help muscle spasms

Muscle spasms can be quite painful and difficult to deal with, and heavy lifting can sometimes exasperate this issue. Cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating patients who suffer from muscle spasms caused by Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. Some of the muscle spasm-relieving properties could potentially extend to athletes as well who suffer from this painful and irritating condition.

Improve mind-muscle connection

Perhaps the most notable performance-based enhancement from consuming cannabis is the fact that is can greatly heighten your mind-muscle connection. This is most prevalent when weight lifting. Take for example doing a barbell curl – instead of simply going through the movement of this exercise, the mind-muscle connection is being aware of how the bicep muscle is contracting and flexing during the movement. Cannabis has shown to be a powerful augmentor in magnifying this mind-muscle connection. Amplifying this ability can help the athlete have a greater focus and help them getting into the “zone” with their workouts.

Cannabis can be a powerful tool for athletes, but it should not be used as a crutch for achieving fitness goals. The desire to achieve greater health should come from within you, but cannabis may prove to be a useful tool in your journey.