Recent trends on social media and chat groups show a clear rise in the use of cannabis into fitness routine. With many athletes, Gymrats and fitness influencers promoting the use of cannabis for their workouts and muscle recovery. So we asked ourselves whether these influencers were scam artists, or whether there was a real science behind the trend. The answer might surprise you…
The rising trend of Cannabis for Fitness
Cannabis is widely known for its therapeutic properties due to cannabinoids like THC and CBD. But how can it positively affect your body during a fitness workout? Influencers and professional athletes, such as Nate Diaz (UFC fighter), Joe Rogan (MMA Commentary) and Mike Lee (pro Boxer) have openly discussed using CBD or THC for recovery and pain management. This growing acceptance highlights cannabis’s potential to support physical and mental health in athletic disciplines and activities.
How can Cannabis have a Positive Impact on fitness?
Cannabis is reputed for its ability to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation, making it a popular choice among athletes for post-workout recovery. On top of that, certain strains of cannabis have been found to enhance mental focus and increase endurance, potentially benefiting workouts by allowing for longer and more intense sessions.
Some strains are known for their energizing effects and ability to enhance focus. They can also help in diminishing stress and fatigue.
Blue Dream for example is a strain can help in muscle relaxation for a faster recovery. It allows you to get more from your workouts with less discomfort afterward.
How to Integrate Cannabis into Your Workout
Professionals involved in this practice recommend following the steps below:
Preworkout:
Before your workout, we advise you to start with a light dose of an energizing strain to improve your focus and motivation. You can consume your strain 1–2 hours before your workout. If you want to consume edibles, then we advise waiting up to 3 hours, depending on their potency. This is mainly because edibles take longer to kick off.
Post-workout:
To facilitate your recovery and relaxation, we advise you to use CBD oils and tinctures. Topical applications, such as cannabis-infused balms and creams, are also widely used for localized pain relief, especially for joint aches and muscle pains. If you just want to light up, then doing it within 30 minutes to an hour after a workout can be optimal.
Tips and Tricks for Incorporating Cannabis into Fitness
Choosing the right dosage and strains of cannabis is crucial to maximizing benefits while minimizing potential risks such as impaired coordination. Here are some strains that are popular among fitness influencers and athletes for their workouts or competition:
- Harlequin: Known for its high CBD content and lower THC levels, this strain provides effective pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits. All this without any strong psychoactive effect, making it ideal for post-workout recovery.
- Sour Diesel: This energizing sativa is favored for pre-workout routines due to its ability to enhance mental focus and physical stamina.
- ACDC: With a focus on CBD, ACDC offers pain and muscle spasm relief without significant psychoactivity, supporting active engagement in exercise without mental fog.
- Blue Dream: Useful for activities like yoga, this strain offers a balance of muscle relaxation and mental clarity that aids in maintaining focus and form during exercise.
- Cannatonic: This strain has a balanced THC/CBD profile, providing mild euphoria and muscle relaxation, suitable for both pre- and post-exercise routines.
So it’s totally possible to incorporate cannabis into your sporting activity. Whether it’s to give you a boost before a competition or to relax after training, THC and CBD have surprising benefits for muscle recovery and concentration. But be careful to regulate your consumption, because although cannabis use is compatible with sporting activity. A too high dose can simply lead to dehydration, loss of balance and increased heart rate.
That’s why we recommend using the Microdosing technique. If you’d like to find out more about this practice, we have an article dedicated to it right here!
