Cannabis and Workouts

Page Description: You probably must have heard or seen someone who smokes or gets high before exercising. Some people like to get high before or after working out. However, there has been some confusion about how safe it is to use cannabis before or after a workout. This article highlights everything you need to know about cannabis and workouts, including its pros and cons.

Cannabis Overview

Cannabis, popularly referred to as marijuana or weed is a drug obtained from the cannabis plant containing over 100 cannabinoids, including CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). CBD and THC are the most popular and most studied known cannabinoids.

Cannabis is often used as a recreational drug. Medically, it is used in treating chronic diseases, migraine, multiple sclerosis, nerve pain, and nausea and vomiting resulting from cancer treatments. People take cannabis in different forms like as inhaling (smoking), pills, tea (leaf or leaf), powder, vapes, transdermal patches, tinctures, balms, lotions, gels, and edibles like cake, cookies, and sweets.

Health benefits of cannabis

Weight loss: There’s no evidence directly linking cannabis to weight loss. Instead, most studies link cannabis to weight gain. However, cannabis indirectly aids weight loss by helping to regulate insulin and efficiently manage calorie intake.
Mends bone: Some studies link cannabis to the healing process of broken bones. It strengthens the bones, making them stronger and less prone to breaking in the future. You can say that cannabis is a great medicine for orthopedics.
Prevents and manages diabetes: it’s a proven fact that cannabis regulates insulin. Hence, it is used to, treating, and prevent diabetes. Asides from stabilizing blood sugar, cannabis helps to improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure.
Treats certain bowel diseases: Cannabis helps to enhance the immune system. It also works on the cells responsible for gut function, thereby improving gut function. Cannabis fights off bacteria and other factors causing the inflammation of the intestine. It helps treat inflammatory bowel diseases and Crohn’s disease.
Relieves chronic pain: Cannabinoids gotten from cannabis have been proven to contain pain relief properties. Hence, cannabis is used medically in the treatment of chronic diseases to relieve pain and stress.
Improve lung function: Some studies show that occasionally Smoking cannabis does not damage the lungs, especially when taken up in little quantities. Rather, it helps in exercising the lungs as they puff them, leading to enhanced lung capacity. However, heavy intake of cannabis can damage your lungs.
Ease depression: Cannabis contains endocannabinoid compounds that help to enhance mood, and enhanced mood eases depression. Hence, cannabis is often recommended in controlled dosages for treating depression.
Calms anxiety: Although cannabis is commonly linked to causing anxiety, when taken in little doses it helps to calm the mind. The mood-enhancing effect of cannabis also plays a part in controlling anxiety. Besides anxiety, cannabis also helps to calm people with autism.
Treat glaucoma: Glaucoma is an eye defect that adds intense pressure to the eyeball, resulting in pain. Cannabis helps to reduce the pressure on the eyeball and relieves people of pain.
Improves focus: Ailments like ADD and ADHD are characterized by a lack of focus. Individuals suffering from these diseases often find it difficult to concentrate on tasks, especially cognitive tasks. Cannabis enhances focus, helping people with ADD and ADHD concentrate and improve cognitive performance.
Treat arthritis: Arthritis can be painful. However, cannabis contains CBD and THC which have pain-relief properties. Hence, it is infused into the creams and ointments used by people with arthritis to help in pain relief.
Treats trauma: People experiencing trauma often have attacks. Taking small doses of cannabis helps to calm the mind. Hence, it is used to help calm and control the attack often experienced by people suffering from trauma and people with PTSD. More research is being carried out on the link between cannabis and PTSD.
Treat hepatitis C: Cannabis is used to enhance the treatment of hepatitis C and reduce its side effects. The side effects of hepatitis C include depression, muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea. The pain relief and mood-enhancing effects of cannabis help to control these side effects and reduce the impacts and pain experienced by people with hepatitis C.
Treat multiple sclerosis: Some people with multiple sclerosis experience severe pain resulting from muscle contraction. Cannabis or products with cannabis are used to relieve people of pain.

Is it safe to use Marijuana before and after a workout?

Some studies carried out on people who take pot show that people who smoke before exercising have records of improved physical activity. There’s always this burst of energy that helps them reach their peak when exercising, especially if it’s something they love.

The CBD contained in marijuana makes it helpful during exercise. When marijuana is taken before a workout, it helps to relieve stress and optimize physical activities. It enhances mobility, improves the transportation of oxygen, reduces inflammation, and reduces pain. Although taking marijuana before and after a workout comes with benefits, it’s supposed to be taken in little doses.

Some studies also show that people who use cannabis after a workout say that it helps in relaxing the mind and muscles after exercising and relieves them of post-exercise body pains. The calming and healing effect of marijuana is very helpful after exercising. It prevents the inflammation of the bones and muscles and improves sleep. There are no conclusive studies on the impact of marijuana on physical activities. However, there’s been an increase in its use. Before using marijuana, ensure that it is legalized in your state.

Pros of working out high

Working out high helps to reduce inflammation.
Improve endurance and help users to push through intense exercises.
Users feel good and tend to appreciate the natural things around them. This is especially for people who do an outdoor workout.
It enhances the flow of oxygen in the lungs.
It relaxes the muscles and bones of the body.
It reduces the pain resulting from workouts.
It enhances flexibility, freeing the muscle, and makes movement easy during and after exercising.
It is a good stress manager. It lowers cortisol which reduces the impact of stress on the body, making your body perform at its peak.
it quickens the healing of the bones, muscles, nerves, and tissues.
Reduces joint aches that might result from intense exercise.
Reduces the feeling of nausea or vomiting after exercising.
Helps users to concentrate on their body goals without distraction.
Serves as a silent motivator for those who use it before and during exercise.
Helps users to work out for longer periods.
It boosts the body’s immune system and helps to fight off or prevent diseases.

Cons of working out high

Cannabis has been linked to weight gain as it increases appetite. Regular taking of cannabis can lead to overeating which leads to weight gain. A person who works out wants to have a healthy body weight, but with cannabis in the picture, it can be counterproductive.
Smoking pots increases the heart rate which leads to an immediate increase in blood pressure, followed by an immediate decrease in blood pressure. That’s to say, smoking cannabis or marijuana leads to destabilizing blood pressure which puts one at risk of becoming hypertensive.
The effect of taking cannabis, especially before working out affects balance and coordination. You might be too high that you’ll do things beyond your limits, which can lead to injuries. Hence, it is often recommended to take cannabis after working out and in very little doses.
Although some studies say that smoking increases heat capacity, it’s still smoking and will affect heart health. Marijuana has toxins that are foreign to the lung and can cause problems for users. It can inhibit heart function, reduce the oxygen level in the blood, and hinder the benefits of aerobic exercises to the body.
Once your body gets used to taking Marijuana or weed as it is fondly called, it can lead to addiction. When people get used to the power-up that comes from taking cannabis, it can become difficult for them to do things using their physical strength.

How to safely integrate cannabis into your workout

It’s advisable to use cannabis based on your need. The different reasons why people use cannabis include pain relief, anti-inflammation, and stimulation. Here’s a list of how to integrate workout into your exercise:

If you are using cannabis for its anti-inflammatory properties, it is recommended that you take between 15mg to 30mg doses of non-psychoactive CBD tincture alongside fatty foods.
If you are taking cannabis for its pain relief properties, it is recommended that you use topical balms, ointments, bathe soak, and transdermal patches containing CBD or THC for a more targeted effect.
Never use cannabis to push through exercise whenever you are weak.
If you are suffering from any heart disease, totally avoid taking any form of cannabis.
If you stay in a state that legalizes the use of cannabis and you want to try out its effect or impact on your exercise, take in a lesser amount.
When you are taking edibles containing marijuana, make sure you observe yourself because its effects take longer before it starts, and they last longer than when you inhale it.

Conclusion

The body does not require much cannabis to become effective. Hence, it is very important to be cautious when using cannabis before, during, and after working out. It is also advisable to see your doctor before integrating the intake of cannabis into your workout routine, especially if you already have other health issues you are suffering from.

References

Working Out High May Be Fun, but Can It Actually Make You a Better Athlete?

The Pros and Cons of Smoking Weed before Gym

How CBD Could Affect Your Workout

Everything you need to know about cannabis

Cannabis – Uses, Side Effects, and More

Study: Smoking Marijuana Not Linked with Lung Damage

20 Health benefits of cannabis that everyone should know

Cannabis-Infused Workouts Are a Thing Now — But Are They Safe?