Weed & Workouts: Cannabis Offers Fitness Benefits, Study Finds
Marijuana may help people better enjoy their workouts but it can also increase perceived exertion, researchers have found
Regular cannabis users who indulge in legal-market marijuana before engaging in exercise may experience a more positive workout, according to a new study from the University of Colorado published in Sports Medicine.
Stemming from the first state to sell recreational marijuana, the Colorado-based study set out to explore the impact of cannabis on workouts and consider its possible motivational properties when it comes to fitness.
“It’s important to understand and figure out what impact commercially available cannabis products have on the experience of exercise — specifically focusing on common barriers to exercise,” first author Laurel Gibson, a Colorado University research fellow, explained in a video outlining the experiment. “How does cannabis influence pain during exercise? How does it influence enjoyment, motivation and exertion.”
“We’re seeing an increasing number of anecdotal reports in the media that people are using cannabis in combination with various forms of exercise,” Gibson added. “There have been some recent population-based studies that have actually shown that cannabis users are more likely than nonusers to meet physical activity.”
The study’s 42 participants were regular runners and cannabis users aged 21 to 39 years old, with researchers comparing their exercise experiences both with and without two commercially available cannabis flower products. Participants completed a baseline assessment and two exercise tests on a treadmill.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, participants reported a more positive experience and runner’s high symptoms following their use of pre-workout cannabis, but they did report more exertion. Researchers indicated that the effects may depend in part on cannabinoid content.
Although the study’s authors acknowledge that further research should be conducted using diverse samples and methodologies, the legalization of marijuana in many states and the rising interest in CBD wellness products have led some notable names in pro sports to cash in on the green and advocate for the benefits of cannabis in supporting overall wellness.
Former NFL players Calvin Johnson Jr. and Rob Sims of the Detroit Lions co-founded Primitiv Group in 2021, a Michigan-based cannabis and research company that sells performance products with non-THC phytocannabinoids and has two retail locations that feature cannabis products. Johnson Jr. has been open about his marijuana use, sharing that he had used the flower to manage his chronic pain and even admitted to having taken cannabis before games.
Former NFL player Marshawn Lynch has been outspoken about the benefits of using marijuana and launched Dodi Blunts, a “diamond-infused” cannabis line.
“I’m trying to last, not come in last,” Lynch said in an interview. “I know I need to take care of my body, so how do I maintain that?“
