Cannabis and Working Out: What are the Benefits?
The cannabis plant has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of cannabis and cannabis products for treating various medical conditions. While there is still much to learn about the potential health benefits of cannabis, there is evidence that it may help treat a range of conditions, including pain, inflammation, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Cannabis can be consumed in many different ways, including smoking, vaporizing, eating (edibles), and applying it topically. That being said, online headshops like Smoke Cartel are dedicated to delivering premium glass bongs, dab rigs, hand pipes, vaporizers, and much more. Consumers are spoilt for choice, and athletes are no exception.
Athletes are always looking for an edge, whether it’s the perfect training regimen, the latest and greatest supplement, or a new piece of equipment. So, it’s no surprise that some athletes have turned to cannabis as a way to improve their performance.
As of today, many people either consume cannabis before a workout or after, and many states that their experience with working out is better when consuming cannabis. But what does science say? Is there any evidence that cannabis can help you work out better? Let’s take a look.
Increase Effectiveness of Stretching
If you want to avoid putting too much pressure on your muscles or potentially pulling them, then the one thing that you need to do before you begin any workout is to stretch. Stretching warms up your muscles and allows for an extended range of motion.
You might be wondering how marijuana increases the effectiveness of stretching; this is because cannabis helps you to relax. When your muscles and body are completely relaxed, you can stretch more effectively. In addition to this, it also helps you to prevent injuring your muscles whilst stretching, which is quite common.
Helps With Recovery
Many things could slow the growth of someone who is just trying to work out. One of the most influential factors is the ability to recover. You have probably experienced this before; you went to the gym, worked out, maybe overdid it, and the next day you felt pain in muscles you never knew you had.
Needless to say, you probably didn’t go to the gym again for the next few days, and probably never tried to work out quite so hard again. By consuming marijuana, you will receive the benefits of pain relief and the reduction of inflammation. In terms of working out, when consuming before a session you will be able to push yourself harder than you normally could, and consuming after allows you to recover faster, meaning faster progress.
Better Sleep
If there’s one thing that’s incredibly important for athletes, especially people who are trying to build bigger muscles, it is sleep. You might be wondering why sleep is important, and that’s a good question since not many people realize this. Firstly, without enough sleep, you will feel tired, and this will lead to less motivation to work out. More than this, when you sleep, your body releases protein-building amino acids; this is what helps your muscles to grow stronger, and bigger, over time.
When you consume cannabis, you will find that falling asleep is much easier than it was before. Poor sleep quality can stem from a lot of things, from anxiety and stress to pain, all of which cannabis is great for treating. You should consult your doctor to find the best levels of THC and CBD for you.
Better Concentration
One thing that many athletes, or people that visit the gym, often say is that they struggle to concentrate on their workouts, or that the workout is quite boring. This is quite a normal thing to experience, but the consequences could lead to decreased results. The reason this is experienced is that a lot of activities whilst working out is very repetitive, and thus not stimulating for the mind.
A lot of athletes have reported that when they consume cannabis before a workout, they can concentrate on the workout, as well as being able to enjoy the mundane activities associated with working out; such as being on a treadmill for thirty minutes.
Increase or Decrease Appetite
Finally, if you were to ask any athlete, bodybuilder, or person trying to accomplish a goal at the gym, they would say that the body is built in the kitchen. Unfortunately, even if you have the correct diet, you might still not see progress, especially if you are trying to naturally build muscles. This is mainly because you can only normally consume a certain amount of food.
When you consume cannabis, you will receive the benefit of an increase in appetite, which will allow you to consume more foods that will help you to build muscles. In terms of weight loss, certain strains of cannabis are good for decreasing appetite.
