How Marijuana Affects Exercise
When you imagine someone smoking weed, the person recruiting at the gym is probably the last thing you think of. But some triathletes, bodybuilders, and marathon runners say it helps them focus and reduce anxiety. This is what actually happens when you train high.
As PictureFit explains in this video from its YouTube channel, most research indicates marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. You are likely to deplete faster, have less stamina, and raise your heart rate and blood pressure to potentially uncomfortable levels. And the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana can reduce stress and pain. This may be fine in some situations , but not when you are lifting heavy objects in the gym. Why? Many of the first signs of injury are joint discomfort and pain, so you may not notice when something is wrong until it’s too late. Plus, marijuana impairs your coordination and reaction time, which is what you need during an intense workout.
However, it’s not all bad. It would be possible to heighten the feeling of your “runner high” if you smoke a little before running. And marijuana acts as a vasodilator , widening your arteries, improving blood flow, and more easily delivering nutrients to your muscles, which can reduce soreness. In fact, this will not improve your performance – it may possibly worsen it – but it may improve your enjoyment of the exercise itself. However, it can be dangerous, so it probably isn’t a good idea.
What happens when you train high? | Youtube