Body Hacking: Working Out With Weed

Article Highlights:

• World-class athletes embraced the cannabis revolution
• Research shows cannabis is a remarkable body hack for fitness goals, motivation, focus, and endurance
• Cannabinoids therapeutic effects in treating and reducing pain, reducing recovery time and enhances training sessions

The newest workout fad isn’t an energy or protein drink – it is premium flower. It turns out that over 80 percent of people who partake in the kind herb report their workout sessions are more enjoyable and that they have faster recovery times when they use cannabis before or after (or both) exercise.

Seems somewhat contradictory to the standard In-da-couch stereotype, but this outdated “stoner” image is getting lapped as more and more athletes come forward to tell the world how THC and CBD help them heal and aids in their training.

The stigma of weed in academics (and politics) has seen a major paradigm change in the past few years. Doctors and research institutions in the past that were either reluctant or politically pressured, are now putting out vast amounts of new data and information on the benefits of cannabis. The science of cannabis is breaking old beliefs and stereotypes, and opening a world of new understanding, especially in athletics.

Iron Mike says weed saved his life and creates Tyson Ranch that sells $500,000 of marijuana each month!

World-class athletes from almost every sport have come forward in recent years to not only become advocates of marijuana but build massively successful bud businesses, covering the full range of opportunities on the value chain.

Iron Mike Tyson reinvented himself as a kingpin in the cannabis business, with Tyson Ranch, a 400+ acre marijuana resort. Tyson said weed brought him a calmness that helped him function like a normal person, and that weed didn’t just change his life but also saved it.

When Tyson was asked by WeedMaps News, do you think cannabis can help boxers today?

Tyson answered, “…people who are like me, who experience pain from a long career, should consider cannabis.”

When asked, what about cannabis as an alternative to painkillers and opioids?

Tyson’s answer with blunt, “I was a user of opiates most of my life. I’m bipolar, I’m tripolar, and I’m manic-depressive. I’m all these fucking things. So I took all these pills and I became worse. I became obese, I became a zombie. So I changed my whole life, I started smoking and used no more opiates. I lost 45 pounds. My life turned around and that’s why I’m here talking to you now.”

The Diaz brothers changed MMA after becoming advocates of marijuana and a driving force in USADA implementing the “the Nate Diaz rule” and removing CBD from their prohibited list.

MMA’s Diaz brothers are avid cannabis users and have always been in support of the benefits of weed for motivation and recovery. They brought that message to the forefront of combat sports and changed the industry’s long-standing illegal substance list.

Nate and Nick Diaz are known to vape immediately after fights and during press conferences as well as open workouts, lighting up a big blunt and passing it to fans. They also have busted into the CBD business with partnerships launching GameUp, a CBD-infused, plant-based super-food nutrition company.

Today, we have top-tier athletes from all sports, coming out faster than we can keep track of, taking their cannabis activism and making the jump into business, but what does science say about working out with weed?

While science is still in its infancy when it comes to THC and CBD, we have made tremendous progress in recent years in the role cannabis has on athletic performance.

THC on Athletic Performance

While studies reveal that there is no direct scientific evidence THC improves athletic physical performance, according to a 2017 cannabis study, several studies are showing the in-direct connection of THC and motivation. Studies that look at in-direct markers show a clear connection to improved motivation, mental stamina, and therefore performance with the use of THC.

A recent study from UC Boulder reports that nearly 50 percent of pre-workout smokers felt getting high helped increase their motivation to exercise. While recommendations around cannabis use with exercise are still premature, the conclusions were clear; positive factors correlate with exercise behavior while using cannabis with exercise and show beneficial roles.

The results suggest that cannabis users are more likely to meet their exercise goals with positive impacts of cannabis co-use on; enjoyment, reductions in pain and inflammation during and after exercise, as well as motivation.

We all know that certain strains of cannabis will provide you with an energy boost, depending on the strains’ terpene profile. Terpenes give cannabis its smell and flavor and also determine the type of experience you will have while high.

Some strains have pre-dominant terpene profiles that have limonene which helps elevate and enhance mood as well as providing a boost of energy. Another one is pinene, which improves energy and shows a propensity to open airways.

Choosing strains high in energizing terpenes like limonene or pinene you get the indirect benefits in performance by pushing out a few more reps, running a little farther, or staying a little longer at the gym for a few more finishing exercises.

“Cannabis can be helpful for sports both during activity and afterward,”

– Dr. Tishler, Harvard Cannabis Therapeutics Specialist

THC and CBD for Recovery

Some of us might still be shaking our heads in disbelief at how long it has taken CBD to be removed from the controlled substance list, while doctors prescribe record amounts of opioids that kill tens of thousands of North Americans every year.

Currently, it is illegal to bring non-prescription CBD health products into Canada’s marketplace.

A recent report released by the Canadian Health Food Association estimates the CBD market in Canada at $1.9 billion, and that number does not include potential revenues for exporting CBD to other countries.

Political and social pressure has been mounting for regulation change because of the significance of cannabis-derived therapies including cannabidiol (CBD). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while recognizing the incredible potential of cannabis and derived compounds, is also fully aware that some companies are marketing products containing cannabis and derived compounds in ways that currently violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and they have legitimate concerns regarding consumer health and safety.

In terms of athletics, starting at the beginning of 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances – in or out of competition. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) did the same shortly thereafter.

Takeaways on Body Hacking with Weed

We can continue to expect rapid changes to the industry and regulation of marijuana as new research is happening now at an exponential pace on performance and especially therapeutics of cannabis and cannabis-derived products.

As mentioned, when working out with weed, strain matters! Athletes are consuming high-end, specialized cannabis strains to help them get and stay in-the-zone while others such as yogis are using different strains to help with ligamentous strain, muscle stiffness, relaxation, and allowing them to increase the mind-body connection and achieve new levels of awareness during meditation.

The bottom line – it seems 4:20 is a perfect time to go to the gym.

Gourmet Grass Canada Staff

Sources:
Frontiers in Public Health – University of Colorado Boulder
National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine
National Library of Medicine