
“Cannabis has been shown to be a performance-degrading drug, so for peak performance you should not use cannabis," says Harvard-trained physician and cannabis therapeutics specialist Jordan Tishler, MD. That said, there's very little evidence to suggest that toking up before a workout can, in fact, increase your gains. For years, marijuana has been touted as a treatment for everything from epilepsy to opioid addiction to sleep apnea, so it's not surprising that some athletes would swear it could help them improve their performance, too. If you're skeptical about marijuana's fitness benefits, you have reason to be. There are so many of us who are in the closet.”

"I might be fatiguing, but it gets me into a flow state and allows me to push through.” It allows me to push through that last couple reps," he told. According to ex-NFL offensive lineman Eben Britton, who has been vocal about NFL players using cannabis for pain management, smoking pot "connects me mentally and emotionally into my body, which allows me to get a more fulfilling workout.”īritton vapes cannabis concentrate before working out to help loosen up stiff muscles and scar tissue as well as his mind. While coordination and focus might not be the first things that come to mind when you think about the powers of pot, McAlpine isn’t alone in his belief that firing up before a workout can fine-tune an athlete for fitness. It’s not for everyone, but for some people who are more athletic and coordinated, it works.” It puts me in a place of higher focus, the Eye of the Tiger type thing. "I love to smoke before I ski or mountain bike or go surfing. “It activates your brain and gets you in The Zone," says McAlpine. Pro-pot athletes tend to embrace cannabis for a number of reasons. “There are so many of us who are in the closet.”
.png)
DABBLE EXTRACTS STRAIN TRAINING DAY SERIES
“It’s become a social movement,” says Jim McAlpine, founder of the pot-friendly athletic event series the 420 Games, as well as the San Francisco-based, cannabis-friendly gym Power Plant Fitness, which he co-owns with former NFL running-back Ricky Williams. In one corner, you had the health and fitness-conscious in the other, the Cheeto-munching stoners.īut as cannabis laws have relaxed - medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states, while recreational marijuana is legal in nine -, we’re seeing a new breed of athlete emerge: the motivated marijuana enthusiast. In fact, you've probably thought of them as diametric opposites. Historically speaking, fitness and marijuana have never been considered the best of workout buddies.

Some athletes, like former NFL linebacker Eben Britton, have been open about the perceived fitness benefits of marijuana, but there are still many who are "in the closet" due to the stigma of drug use.There's a long list of purported benefits associated with marijuana, but some say it can also help improve endurance during a workout.
