You’re probably reading this right now and asking yourself “can cannabis help me with my workouts?” If you’re that curious, you probably should read this post. Studies have shown that medical marijuana, in the right amount, has great benefits to lots of different treatments. The most known use of cannabis is to treat pain, and even for more serious diseases like cancer. But what no one ever, or hardly ever, talks about is the potential of cannabis to improve your workout performance. Although we may think of people who use cannabis as the typical stoners, the trainer Zach Scioli from DIAKADI (a gym based in San Francisco) has a different point of view on this subject, especially when it comes to helping his clients.
Sativa vs. Indica
Scioli says it’s all about finding the right strain, you need to focus and understand what you need to improve, and then look for the best strain to achieve the result you want. Look for the type of cannabis to help you with what it is that is necessary for your workouts, given the examples of the two types of marijuana we have: sativa and indica. If you are in need of a more exciting, motivational workout, sativas may work better for you, since they have a more stimulating effect than indica. However, if you are finding problems to sleep or unwind by the time you get to your house, indica can help you with a better sleep and a good muscle recovery to get you to the next day of workout. He also talks about how he used sativa for improving the performance of some clients who struggled with ADD/ADHD, even lowering the use of pharmaceuticals such as Ritalin and Vyvanse to treat it.
CBD as an alternative to reduce soreness between your workouts
Although the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bans Marijuana in its natural form, the substance cannabidiol (CBD) is the one responsible for its medical benefits, and it is not psychoactive. The use of CBD helps with treating inflammation, reduces the stress, which is helpful not only for athletes but also for everyone who works out. Additionally, it can be found in creams, capsules, sprays and more, making the natural soreness go away so you can have a better workout in the next day.
THC can also be your friend if you know when to use it
Just beware of THC, this substance (the one that makes you high) can affect your body up to 36 hours. Besides relaxing your body and getting rid of anxiety, the use of this substance won’t do you a lot of help on your workouts. But if you are trying to get some muscle mass, this substance is known for stimulating your appetite and it is a great strategy to gain the right amount of calories. THC can also be effective on treating pain, and it is just as efficient as opiates, but way less addictive and lets be honest, much less scary since we all know about the risks of opiates and the rates of addiction, especially in the US.
Alcohol vs. Marijuana
Despite alcohol being legal, it gives you a terrible hangover, which is not a good state to be on the next day of your workout. Marijuana is a plausible and more accepted alternative to a night out, instead of drinking shots and waking up feeling terrible, by smoking marijuana you can get a good night of sleep and a be as good as you were in the previous day. Cannabis is still illegal in most of the US, and for now, the benefits of THC and CBD will continue to be restricted to most people. Despite that, Scioli continues to be hopeful about the spreading and legalization, where people will finally take the opportunity to use it and improve their athletic performance.
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