EVERYTHING is better. Since November 1967. Enjoy.
1
A former wake and baker who now is an occasional user. I had some this past 2 weekends before I did the weeding by hand and hand tool. Lot of moving and crouching etc. I have to say that the strain of weed does help but it did help me work for longer and I had a appreciation for getting my hands in the dirt and appreciating the outdoors and its beauty.
I would suggest a sativa for an energy lift and motivation.
1
It's called "weight and bake" btw. It's especially good for people with bad backs it helps loosen up the muscles and also helps balance.
1
Interesting. The first time I walked into a real gym in Los Angeles Tommy Chong was there lifting weights.
1
CBD goes right to the muscle pain relieving soreness, fatigue and properties leading to arthritis.
1
These are states in which people for generations have engaged in cycling, hiking, mountain and ocean sports. Mid to upscale educated people will respond to self reporting surveys and are also by far the most likely to exercise as a habit.
2
I've been using cannabis prior to working out for over 15 years. It positively enhances my work-out experiences on so many levels. Focus, enjoy-ability, stamina, flow, recovery etcetera. I'm 63 and my work-outs consist of extensive stretching, plyometrics, sprinting, resistance training and competitive basketball with players in their 20's, 30's and 40's.
10
Depends on what type of cannabis you ingest. Some strains sedate you and others energize
6
This study is absurd. They didn't ask non-imbibers about their exercise habits. That's no 'control group'.
5
@Nirohiro
not all research is comparative. this seems to be a descriptive study.
1
How about some research on whether the "stoners" who claim to exercise like SEALS (without the ethical issues) actually do the work they claim to? Was it just one (or many) big high?
Probably makes them eat healthy food too - no sugars for sure, and quantities solidly in the moderate bucket.
1
Cannabis makes virtually everything better. Fifty plus years of getting high on a daily basis has been a large contributor to a very happy life. Caded means Cannabis All Day Every Day.
12
I am at a standing desk on a balancing disk, while listening to Spotify. My wife is bouncing up and down on a mini trampoline.
We swap off every couple of hours, and get in our inversion table time to time. Of course, when a Just Gets Your Feet Movin' music comes on and then it is aerobic rock and roll.
We eat a plant based diet and use a vaporizer to lessen the carbon footprint as we vaporize our canned buses.
Put us in the exercise after, as well as the After exercise groups. We do not buy potato chips et al.
5
@TheBackman
Helpful hint:
Exhaled smoke can also be used for heating purposes.
The applications really are quite endless.
2
@TheBackman
'canned buses" ?
Exercising in a gym is boring. Weed relieves boredom. It helps with dull, repetitive work too.
18
How many of you out there took a toke or 2 while dancing for hours and hours. Gets you into the groove. Meanwhile you are burning off and sweating out the bad that comes with the good.
Rock on!
7
Developing skills of any sort is better after a toke. Ask artists and muscians.
5
@GRAHAM ASHTON
"Developing skills of any sort is better after a toke. Ask artists and muscians."
How about those Civil Engineers designing bridges?
5
@NYHUGUENOT
Yes.
1
The authors overemphasize their findings. Cross-sectional observational studies reveal associations, but cannot establish causality. There is no comparison group. The authors cannot prove the validity of an association with their study methodology. No mention of bias or confounding. I am surprising that the NYT would choose to highlight the findings from a low-quality study.
3
I hate the gym ... but force myself 6X per week. But I also hate getting high. High point of my day: the shower after the workout. Sad, I know.
4
So stereotypes can be a useful heuristic that shifts over time?
2
Marijuana and sports. 2 of my favorite things. I smoke/vape daily and have been for 35 years. Also play 12-14 hours of tennis and 36 holes of golf per week, and in weekly basketball league. And manage to run a nicely profitable business. Sativa during the day, but not before exercising. Always wake and bake on non-exercise mornings. Indica every evening.
Both are a couple of my releases, a way to reduce stress, pain, and anxiety and stay even keeled. Works for me. May not work for others, but i have many friends (coincidence?...) who practice the same natural routine.
I am grateful for medical marijuana as it has made accessing herb so much easier, and at a lower cost than the black market.
15
I give it to The Dude for bowling, but it as exercise? Please. I do agree that when I smoked the noble weed decades ago, we played softball, flag football, boogie boarded for hours, and walked for miles.
5
Look at the NBA and lesser degree NFL. And forget it about Lacrosse. A bong is standard equipment.
5
Weed and exercise have gone hand in hand for me since I became an avid runner/cyclist 20 years ago, and I'm ecstatic to see the "fat lazy inactive stoner" stereotype begin to erode. I smoke a small amount of high quality cannabis before daily runs and rides, and if it's a long one I'll also smoke a little during a water break before continuing. Last year I ran a solo marathon on a series of beaches on a rainy, windy day, and I stopped for one minute per hour to take a hit or two from the pipe, right after hydrating. Not only did I achieve the 26.2 mile goal in a time I was happy with, I also had a great time doing it in my own way. I'm 40 years old and in excellent health with ideal blood pressure. I'm clean cut, hygienic and neither look or act like the stereotypical pothead, although I've been (more or less) a daily toker since the age of 15. I'm also successful at work and I swear that weed enhances my creativity and ability to grasp profound concepts (but only in small amounts; too much of it has a mental dulling effect). I'm so tired of people with no marijuana experience telling people like me that it's bad for me. Would like to see them ask and simply listen objectively, which is what happened in this study. More like this please!
25
...and we watch “The Big Lebowski”
1
That’s just like your opinion, man.
16
How does one "slather on" cannabis? I'm interested.
5
Oils, lotions, alcohol based tinctures.
7
They make creams and lotions infused with it.
4
@Chrisso Marijuana is typically a topical ingredient for muscle soreness. For years and years.
2
They asked cannabis users if they used cannabis? I wonder what they found. This is all very preliminary.
3
@N/A Haha Your sarcasm is funny.
i love the gym and have been going several times per week since about 1995. i do not like smoking weed. it makes me paranoid and i hate life while high.
6
I've experienced negative effects with marijuana. It's expensive, my nephew is taking advantage of me. He doesn't give me his fair share of utilities, sometimes eats my food and sometimes takes things from me. The house is paid for so he doesn't pay me rent and I'm lucky to get $40.00 a month from him. But he seems to have money for pot, alcohol and fun. I'm suffering financially paying for homeowner's insurance, property taxes, etc., and he could care less. So basically I'm being used so he can use his money for pot. When my nephews started smoking pot, they kept saying, "It's wonderful, better than alcohol." But guess what? Now they smoke pot and get drunk with alcohol too. And all of my nephews' friend are like this. They go to my sister's house, eat some of their food, drink up their bottled water and spend nights there. I wonder where these parents are? I do know a few of their parents. Some are drug and pot users who have been in prison. I'm tired of hearing how wonderful marijuana is because most of the young ones I know are not motivated to work, study nor do chores. They just smoke pot, eat, play video games and financially take advantage of other family members. Sorry to disappoint you all, but this has been my experience. And no I do not smoke pot and rarely drink. I would rather use my money to pay my bills and have a roof over my head. And yes, I can actually have fun without marijuana.
6
@Athena
Your nephews are taking advantage of you. But you are letting them. You can charge rent even if the house is paid off, or you can tell them to move out.
19
Your blaming weed for your dysfunctional family? Who ever runs the household makes the rules and when rules are disregarded, then the peron is out. I don't smoke pot, but it shouldn't be blamed for poor parenting.
14
People are just catching on to this? Stereotypes are wrong. Bob Marley was a dedicated athlete. Maybe people who think Rastas with dreads are lazy stoned nobodies might be surprised by that. But he played soccer and was very fit. He was also a sprinter, and took his family on weekly runs.
I've always exercised. But in the 90s I developed two chronic pain conditions that were randomly crippling. I couldn't exercise much anymore.
Then the typical medical marijuana narrative ensued. Someone gave me weed. It helped. Used every day, it helped so well I became pain free.
Now I do exercise a lot. And it seems like exercise is more effective now. Burns the visceral belly fat faster. Only three hard workouts to shrink my waist back after too many carbs.
I noticed this right away. That's not how exercise used to work for me. I'd like to see research on that topic.
17
I smoke after the gym, to release muscle tension and prevent soreness, and I smoke before I go mountain biking just because it's super peaceful being baked in the woods. I got way more baked than usual once and pet a possum and that was fantastic.
Between alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and cannabis, caffeine has been the most detrimental to my daily health. I've quit each several times to compare.
I also have frequent sleep paralysis. Always have, since I was a small child to now. And one of the side effects of THC is it suppresses your ability to dream vividly (Knocks you out so you aren't in REM for as long) and prevents, lessens, or makes them shorter. Almost no problem sleeping now. And it turns out sleep is important.
8
i am 74 and have been getting high for about 52 years. I also estimate that i have run/jogged around planet earth at the equator at least 2X. My resting pulse is around 48 and blood pressure about perfect. I got up and worked for over 30 years and am now retired on money that i have earned. I have never paid the least bit of attention to the Federal government's classifying marijuana in the same category as heroin. This would be a joke if it were not so damaging. Simply one more of many examples of lobbyists and money running the government. Now that marijuana is "coming out of the closet" it is appearing to be what i suspect Big Pharma knew years ago when they demonized the plant .... a miracle drug. Big Pharma, understandably, does not like competition
26
I can't comment on taking pot before or during exercise, but I find that cannabis in cream form, .75, is great for aching knees and shoulders after exercise, or at any time joints or muscles hurt. I tell all my friends about it. It is magic.
11
Funny you mention it. About 600 miles of biking a month.30-40 miles at a time. Always always take my Vape pen and shatter, wax. Before I go and if it is a long ride I may stop for a single beer (never ever more than one) and some hits.
Truth be told, if pot weren't illegal, I seriously doubt alcohol would have had such a bad impact on my earlier life.
8
Funny you mention it but I'm smoking my AC/DC pen right now before a sunny 7 mile run. Both habits; running and smoking weed started at the same time for me (I was about 13) so it's hard to say what came first
5
Always have one or two hits before going into the gym. I would not enjoy working out without pot. I can focus much better and because of this benefit I exercise more effectively. This not true with indica strains of pot, which tend to make me lethargic. I’m very adhd so this perhaps this has something to do with why it benefits me greatly and may not be the same for others. It could also be the strain of pot why people report different effects. For me pot is more helpful than adderall.
9
The results do not surprise me. Both smoking cannabis and exercise are ways to reduce tension. So a person who is anxious exercises by day and consumes pot at night.
5
Without jumping to any conclusions, 'The new study’s results are severely limited, though, by being self-assessments from self-selected volunteers who live in possibly unrepresentative states, she adds.'
When we have a study which is science based as we use in the Health & Fitness industry- then we discuss.
3
@Viki Ryan
I think that this is a good first study though. It can now be studied further.
Anything related to cannabis is always fodder for newspapers who have sold the war on drugs and reefermania for the past 6 decades, so that's why it's here.
2
After retiring from a Collegiate Distance running career in early 90's I returned to smoking MJ (I had smoked a few years in middle school and quit in HS to Run track) and started competitive Mountain Biking. I loved to smoke and ride. Often while climbing a hill would puff the joint (passing riders on the way ) and then enjoy the downhill. Now I do not bike due to knee problems but love to smoke up before I get in the pool to swim laps. And always when I go hiking! It Helps with motivation, enjoyment and performance! I am probably the least assuming "Pot smoker" you know and I smoke everyday for last 30 years. Its time to end the stigma. Challenge the stereotype.
25
Honestly, that's like saying cannabis users sleep! They eat! They do all kinds of things while using cannabis. This study is ridiculous!
13
@JaneM They also smoke cannabis before they smoke cannabis, and then they smoke some more
3
The researchers ignored the real question: How many people who exercise also use marijuana? Are marijuana users more or less common among people who exercise regularly? (Everyone exercises at "some time".)
4
There is the far crazier story of Dock Ellis. It is highly disputed by many people but he insisted it was true. He pitched a perfect game under the influence of LSD. According to him, the game slowed down and the strike zone seemed huge.
11
@Benjo
the records show he walked 8 batters in that game...
I do believe it is possible for lsd to enhance performance, a close friend ingested before a high school soccer game and scored three goals in the first half, including a "bicyle kick" goal. The coach removed him from the game before the second half..
2
You're right--a no-hitter, not a perfect game. Should have checked rather than relying on memory.
1
Cannabis doesn't affect motivation to work out- once you get going. It does make it a tad easier to make excuses before one gets out the door to drive to the gym or go running if one ingests beforehand. It's raining, it's cold, there's a great NBA playoff game on TV. But once you're out the door? No real negative effect whatsoever. Might even be a slight positive impact if one is wearing headphones with their favorite tunes blasting away. I used to get in "trouble" listening to Led Zeppelin while running five miles in the Riverside Park. The faster tunes with more energy would have me significantly picking up the pace and I'd wonder if I had enough in the tank to make it back to my dorm at Columbia. I can report the same phenomenon in the weight room, playing tennis, skiing, surfing . . .
Recovery? A bunch of nonsense. None of us talked about such a concept decades ago. It made us more relaxed, made the experience fun in the way that cannabis seems to enhance pretty much everything. But to think it gave us an edge in rebounding post-workout? Absolute blather. We weren't pushing past painful musculoskeletal injuries that professional and other high level athletes have to deal with. Maybe for them it's a different story and it did aid in recovery. But the vast majority of us recreational warriors should recognize pain as a warning signal.
2
I well remember stories out of NorCal in the late '70's where participants in the State cycling championship often rode high. Pot was/is a great way to "cool down" after vicious rides, during stretching sessions and stimulating hunger.
I'd absolutely recommend that the NFL consider their position on use within the league. I suppose it would have to be "don't ask, don't tell" given the owner's stance, but for toning down the post-game/workout session it just cannot be beat.
8
I can't imagine getting high and exercising, because exercising provides a kind of "high" or at least a "no-mind," meditative mood in me on its own.
But I do know of younger guys who'd get high before Los Angeles to San Diego bike rides.
To me that's like riding while drunk, but they seemed okay with it.
3
@DD They're the same high. The brain levels of the endogenous cannabinoid called anandamide spike during an intense workout. The ingested cannabinoids enhance the effect. So we get an enhanced exercise high.
8
Not really “exercise” - but a puff before taking my violin out of the case definitely enhances my practice! I dig into the subtleties of the technique and sound with much more concentration and enjoy spending more time on the exercises.
26
@Walker
smoking/vaping/eating weed goes perfectly with couch surfing in my experience as opposed to exercise.I do both just not together.
1
Works the same for guitar, too!
1
Can you really believe data collected from someone who might be high?
3
@JDK
Can anyone really credit an unsupported claim implying that anyone who has experienced an enjoyable mind-altering effect from a substance must be lying if they say they've derived beneficial effects from using it?
Thankfully, cannabis is now legal to study in states like Colorado and California. So more definitive answers should be available soon.
It's undoubtedly the case that people who dare to use forbidden substances learn the practical benefits of lying about it in short order. But they didn't make the rules. Considered solely as a behavior, ingesting a substance isn't even even as antisocial as littering. No one presents an existential threat to society simply from smoking a joint. But society presents an existential threat to them, by criminalizing them. Thoughtcrime. Precrime. Not even guilty until proved innocent, just plain guilty.
So lying becomes a matter of survival. Wouldn't you?
9
Scientific research has been performed reliably by people who drink wine, whisky, akvavit, Calvados, retsina, vodka and sake for centuries.
3
@JDK You're right, if they might be high they are unreliable test subjects. Make sure they are totally high before you start collecting data.
1
There is a learning curve with weed. Goofy behavior is mostly a beginner experience. Many have noted that pot gives a nice perspective on a walk in the woods. As for physical exercise and games, pot can enhance your attunement to body rhythms. And, last but not least, getting stoned can help a person appreciate the absurd humor of life with Donald Trump; this is especially effective if done while frantically going nowhere on a treadmill.
35
I’m do HIIT workouts with my trainer outside, down here on Miami Beach...Weed makes you push just a bit more. Makes you push through that 4th or 5th set...Weed and workouts are excellent!
13
As a youth, I can remember many runs while under the influence of weed and the drug allowed me to concentrate on and enjoy the sensations resulting in a much more productive session. This is the first time I've seen this effect documented in print. For me, the effects would do that for any endeavor where my focus and concentration was sharpened to a degree that was not achievable without pot. There have been reservations expressed in the media about people driving under the influence and drawing analogies to alcohol, which, by experience, are completely in apt. If anything, for me, pot influenced me to be "ultra careful" if I found myself behind the wheel. Not to endorse that past behavior, but it does illustrate misconceptions of the effects of marijuana.
Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, greater life responsibilities increased the "paranoid" feeling in the effect to the point that it began to occur every time I partook, which led to me quitting the use of the herb.
6
I smoked marijuana for decades. For some reason (I am in my late sixties), I have lost my need for weed. During my younger years, I was very high strung, and smoking weed helped me to relax, as did exercise. I was a faithful lap swimmer for almost forty years, but stopped swimming about four years ago. Why? I believe it is because I no longer am so high strung. Of course, the exercise was good for me, both physically and mentally. I could have achieved the relaxation I needed using meditation, saving thousands of dollars, and possibly achieving much more on a career level. Marijuana does not increase mental acuity; it muddles the mind, which is why it is so counterproductive for young adults.
11
@Miriam
That you are in your 60’s and concerned about not having achieved more and not having saved more says that you need something to relax with. Go back to MJ and swimming.
7
I am over 80, a cancer surviver, in a trial that raises my T to 6 times normal, and a MM card. In PA it is easy to get MM, but difficult to determine proper dosing. Those of us on MM do mini research on different strains and dosing. My main point here is the effect of using small doses of MM while doing Iyengar Yoga. Poses feature certain muscles, which are easily visible to me. The MM opens up my practice to new dimensions. I practice 4-5 hours per week. The T allows me to do headstands and balancing with ease. The MM allows me to experience my body in ways that were not previously possible. The study itself serves the purpose of bringing up the relationship between use of MJ and exercise. It is not a really valid study, but it is a start.
16
Anecdotal but...
35yrs of framing/construction, 40yrs of skating/surfing/cycling/running, whilst partaking of the green worked for me.
The decrease in pain and inflammation, along with the focus cannabis brought kept me going many a day.
This studies findings doesn't surprise me in the least.
16
One of many misconceptions about marijuana. The prohibition propaganda machine has been very effective. It's time to legalize it at the federal level.
24
For me, cannabis use enlives my senses< making dancing more enjoyable> by the way< some of us simply enjoy movement and don"t care about "exercise performance">
8
My favorite stoner activities still include “Barney Miller”, “Welcome Back Kotter”, “M*A*S*H”, & Baskin Robbins!
4
@J L S - My favorite Barney Miller episode is the one where Wojo's girlfriend made a pan of marijuana brownies for him to take in to the precinct, and all the cops got high. Still makes me laugh when I think about it.
6
Sick of hearing about dearth of science on marijuana's effects because of US drug laws.
You'd have to smoke a lot of pot to think the rest of the world is somehow incapable of conducting studies on pot's effects.
4
10 mg of edible is perfect for skiing - increases concentration, performance and enjoyment.
9
I agree this takes a whole lot more research of cause and effect, if there is any.
I use cannabis to manage jet lag, given that i work on 3 continents at the same time. That said, I would be scared to death using it before exercise, in particular martial arts or cycling. But perhaps I should try ...
3
I remember when Shaun White won the snowboarding medal and was temporarily disqualified after he tested positive for THC. Thereafter a debate took place as to whether or not THC constituted a performance "enhancement." It did not, they concluded, and he got the medal. Still, it didn't seem to hurt. He did win!
19
Having lived in many of these places including Boulder, it bears mentioning that the sample groups self select for outdoors activities and are places that attract highly active populations in general. My very fit and active friends in Boulder consume a fair amount of cannabis. Other places I've lived, anecdotally, are of the dorito eating couch type.
19
@John So, it's the user and not the drug that matters.
6
Is there a strain of pot that won't give me the munchies. When I use it, I eat everything in sight. 20 years, same effect.
7
@P Dee
If you’re looking for a high that will give you energy, it’s best to steer clear of Indica-Dominant strains and shift your focus more towards Sativa-dominant strains.
Everybody reacts differently to medicines too. Your result's may vary. Use accordingly. Enjoy.
https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/cannabis-energy/
4
@P Dee I bought stock shares in Cheetos at the bottom floor, and the rest is history...
@P Dee Actually, the "strain" is a misnomer. After genetic studies of supposed strains, we've learned that the words "indica" and "sativa" mean very little. The genes tell us these aren't distinct strains at all, and growers who tell you what a strain is don't actually know. They assume.
Some strains of "indica" are found to be quite energetic, while some "sativa" strains can give you couch lock. The best advice, I think, is this: avoid edibles. Pick whatever type smells best to you (honestly, the best predictor of how much you'll like the kind you're using). Find a grower who makes quality, fluffy, smelly buds and continue to buy from them, regardless of strain.
Also, if you find the munchies to be unbearable, buy a CBD-only vape pen. CBD counteracts the effects of THC, so it'll sober you up and take away those effects.
Good luck!
I gave up on opiates and started using medical cannabis as my only medication for degenerative disk disease/arthritis in 2016. I am 68 years old and recently realized one of my lifelong goals - a 10 minute plank with my elbows balanced on a pilates ball. I give a lot of credit to my personal trainer for getting me there but I know that my hard work did most of it. I have been on 4 grams a day of cannabis and never had to increase my dosage in 3 years, and in that time I have also managed to improve my physical fitness and more importantly, my quality of life. Because of pain and inflammation issues, I never get "high" from cannabis, but I do feel well enough to enjoy a very active lifestyle.
23
Use to ease my mind, now it eases my arthritis. Do smaller doses now - bake it into cookies and stuff - but never during workouts.
8
Smoked plenty of cannabis in the 70's, also spent a lot of time on my bicycle and was generally quite active. My memory is that cannabis did make physical activity "more fun". Maybe the heightened body awareness has something to do with that. Haven't lit up in many decades, however have continued to run and work out on a regular basis. Pretty sure the cannabis in some form wouldn't hurt now and would likely help my arthritis.
7
I wish I could see info on the allergenic affects of pot. I am a dancer and realized Long ago that getting stoned was literal I could not move and if I did my joint and muscles were in pain!!
Also what about the anxiety that THC causes the next day!!
11
I'm not an expert but aren't there like a million different strains of marijuana and they all come with different qualities/effects? Some will mellow you out or make you want to snack, while others will give you focus or a spark of energy. So if you need that jump to get you to the gym or it makes working out more enjoyable, and you're safe, then more power to you.
16
If the waves weren't too intense, we'd get high and go surfing. No news there.
Now I'm much older and occassionally enjoy a vape before heading out to yoga class.
8
OK, want to get this off my chest! My demographics: male, Caucasian, over age 50, exercise at least 3 days week, at racquetball.
Know that I'm not supposed to, but have Cheetos and a cold beer most Friday's after a game!
It relaxes and feel it helps my general overall health!
Coincidence?
16
I likem both. Bit chilly here in the winter so I appreciate my afternoon workout. Golf all summer. Gummys after both. But for really stupid there is nothing like doing the dishes.
9
I don't use marijuana which gets tar in my lungs, I use the PowerLung device to get my lungs stronger. I find lung tiredness is what limits my performance.
2
We are so quick to think other people are exactly like us. I wouldn't dare leave my house back in the day after smoking weed. I had a yardworker, though, who was very hyper. He often smoked a joint before he weed-whacked or mowed the yard. He did the job.
8
Haven’t smoked pot since college, 50 years ago. The only stimulant I like is coffee. As for exercise, I work my butt off 6 days a week at the gym and can keep up easily with the 30 somethings. I get high from the endorphins that my brain is flooded with. Please stay off the roads if you are doing pot before hitting the gym. Otherwise, do what makes you happy. It’s no “sweat” off my back.
15
This article describes exactly my experience. I feel I owe my healthy, lean body, at least in part, to marijuana. Movement feels joyous when I'm high so I get up and exercise. Never knew others had this experience. Thanks for the article!
44
Absolutely. @Lise
2
I think this article is an example of how dysfunctional our country is. Millions of Americans of all kinds- athletic, disabled, young, old, men, women, intelligent, not so intelligent, black, white etc. regularly use marijuana, and have been for decades. Yet we know very little about it because our cowardly politicians refuse to acknowledge that the current Federal laws about Cannabis are just plain stupid. Proof in point the author brings up an example of what "we all think" is the "typical" stoner. (Is the author to young to remember Jeff Spicoli??) In America today millions of otherwise law-abiding citizens are breaking the law every day. It's absurd.
74
I am a cannibis user, age 65 and I exercise 6 days a week — 3 days resistance training alternating with 3 days of aerobics (cycling). I never use cannibis before riding my bike as I need all my senses operating at maximum while riding my bike in traffic. Sometimes I will use CBD with a little THC before weight lifting and it does seem to have a positive effect on my enjoyment while exercising.
14
I’m 71 and ride my bicycle 15-20 miles a day all year. I’m also a former gym rat, during my working years I worked out in the gym six days a week to stay in shape for my job as a police officer. Now, I lift light weight 3 days a week just to stay in shape. Where I used to bench press and squat with heavy weights, now it’s 3 sets of bench presses with 25 pound dumbbells and 50 repetitions. 10 pounds for skull crushers and hammer curls, 3 sets, 50 reps.
I vape weed before the bicycle rides and it keeps me going all day long. Doing the same for my 30 minute weight lifting slows my pace down and makes me a little lazy, so I seldom vape before lifting.
UCLA did a study over ten years ago that stoned drivers were actually safer drivers than drivers who did not indulge in weed. The problem is combining weed with alcohol or other drugs.
Stoned drivers don’t speed, they stop for stop signs, they yield to other drivers, they don’t get road rage and they have fewer accidents. A lot of the negative information you read about marijuana is fake. The pharmaceutical companies have a lot to lose. Got a headache don’t take aspirin, take a hit of weed, gone instantly. High blood pressure, weed can lower that. Depressed have a hit and smile.
4
The only thing that concerns me about this is active sports outside. I'm 64. I run and bike regularly. On rare occasions, I will trip while running or run over something with my bike where it takes all of my concentration to stop from falling. Also, sometimes, I'm riding in traffic. I just can't see how you could safely do this while you're under the influence. I can understand if you were using a rowing machine, a stationary bike, yoga, working out in a gym or hiking in the woods, but otherwise, I wouldn't bike or run outside high.
Having said that, i am patiently waiting for Florida to legalize recreational use of marijuana. When that happens, I will be using it, . . . on my back porch.
15
@Who New,
Why wait??? So many use it now. In this case, not wanting to break the law is rather... well... your choice, I guess, but you are not getting any younger, and missing out on so many benefits. Oh well.
I rarely use it, by the way.
What a ridiculous article. Blatant selection bias in the study design. Worthless garbage in, garbage out study. Big weed companies at work to sell their product and the NYT jumps in with both feet to support them.
How is it that the same people who eschew putting any foreign drug in their body love to ingest cannabis?!
Sell marijuana at the package store so the potheads can hang out with the alcoholics. The smell of weed reminds me of the smell of alcohol and vomit. Think about how frequently those 3 smells combine at concerts. Delightful.
Weed is great. Helps you exercise.Hahaha!
7
@skeptic You must be great at parties! Stay off his lawn!
53
@skeptic Now I believe in time travel. This comment was written around 1980 and the Internet magically transported it into 2019. H. G Wells would be tickled pink, with or without his gin.
21
@skeptic
Hey, is anyone who has a beer or glass of wine occasionally an alcoholic in your view?
Believe it or not, not everyone who uses marijuana is worthy of the pejorative label "pothead".
26
There’s a cannabis for all occasions.
Strains for this, that, and more.
Different foods, for different moods.
There’s a whole world unexplored,
And the backward ways of our government
Is working overtime to keep shut that door.
22
@william phillips- You can blame the tobacco industry and bible thumpers for that!
1
@N. Turner
A job revolution stopped. More research, more growers, more greenhouses, less opioid deaths, more functional people! It’s such a. Easy sell, easy exposure of corrupted obstructionists. Where do I sign up?
I've personally known several dope smokers very well and those who say they can work and play while stoned because it's "second nature". A few of them had tragic skiing accidents and a few others were cut severely with power saws ,hands and arms seriously damaged. All the ones I've known were full time users ,which is ,wake and bake ,break and driving home,so I think they all are.since they told me "everyone's high " I tend to believe them.So as long as they run alone and do not endanger the welfare of others ,so be it.Then you have the pushers trying to get the younger buyers ,teens that is hooked ,as future customers,parents beware .Just had a driving fatality in Co. 16 yr olds and high ,oh well.Gone the innocence.
3
@Alan Einstoss
Anyone who drives, skis, bikes down mountains, operates a chainsaw, uses a blower on his roof, etc. after ingesting marijuana is foolish and at the very least a danger to him/herself.
Your rant aside, not everyone who uses marijuana is foolish though. Hard to believe, but some people can responsibly use it.
10
@Alan Einstoss Anyone who drives, skis, bikes down mountains, operates a chainsaw, uses a blower on his roof, etc. after ingesting alcohol is also foolish and at the very least a danger to him/herself.
Clearly, the only safe recreational drug is nicotine.
Could it be that cannabis is a reward for activity and after awhile some people will just take the reward?
3
@SW
No cause if you smoke to much and don't get exercise you get out of shape and cant smoke as much, hence the negative reinforcement Freud
1
It makes perfect sense to me.
A hard cardio workout is about tuning out, turning off the brain a little and enjoying the exertion. A little toke before a hard rowing session helps disengage the "i don't feel like doing this" voice and before I know an hour's past and I feel great.
31
Charles Oakley could not be reached for comment? He was first to be honest about it and was totally dismissed.
8
A cannabis using athlete is an oxymoron but professional athletes endorsing fast food and drenching each other with booze after winning a championship is not? Hmmm
8
Personally, I prefer to drink a white Russian before exercise.
20
WOW! You guys are blowing my mind! More power to you users who can exercise while enjoying cannabis!
I enjoy both exercise and edibles, but at separate times. Though I love to do housework and take hikes after imbibing, I wouldn't dream of using it while lifting weights, biking, or swimming -- even using the Sativa strain I get distracted or lose count. Whenever I swim (one mile = 72 reg pool lengths) a day after enjoying some cannabis, it's impossible for me to keep count and I feel out of rhythm. Also, I can't imagine vaping or smoking right before exercise -- too much for the lungs.
9
@One Nasty Woman If counting is your concern while swimming, I recommend an Apple Watch 2 or later, which not only counts laps and breaks them down into types of strokes, but also distance and speed.
7
@One Nasty Woman
It's enlightening how we all react differently, but the same kinda, to our personal use.
When I swim under the influence the cool water takes away my buzz. The anti-inflammation and energy maintain, but not the high. I too do miles; and don't count. I bring a small cheap clock,(If the pool doesn't have a good clock set up...), set it in front of my lane and pace the second hand. As long as I'm meeting/beating my pace, it counts the laps for me.
Enjoy. :-)
4
For myself, cannabis has proven to be of great benefit when doing my twice weekly 2 mile run or when doing pad or bag work for boxing. It really helps to focus my attention to detail and assists with the monotony of both exercises. I wouldn't try sparring while high though. I have heard it helps tremendously when rolling on the mats for Jujitsu practitioners.
Train By Day JRE Podcast by Night...ALL DAY!
6
Ask the bike messengers in NYC who bike 30-50 miles on average a day delivering weed how it effects their performance. Lol
9
My experience(s) have been the polar opposite of the couch potato. I'm 78 and have been a user for just short of fifty years. I'm 5'11, 180 lbs, with a resting pulse rate of 60, keeping me just south of lethargy. In other words, I really have to push myself to do my pushups. Mary Jane to the rescue. I have never, repeat never, had a toke or two, that did not result in an infusion of energy. Perhaps I'm a metabolic freak but I've never understood the slacker stereotype. I've been vindicated!
43
@Dan
Exactly! I LOVE the energy infusion of getting high. I feel vindicated too.
17
General thought - every person who partakes and works out probably read this article with a smile. I do, and I know I was.
And I'm a personal fitness trainer (and a musician).
Welcome to the party!
37
@Sarasota Blues
An illegal smile.
8
It don’t cost very much, but it lasts a long while?
2
Hardly a scientific study! Sounds more like a sales pitch. Feel free to use. I manage very well without any props! Tuned in - not out!
4
@Barbara
Maybe more like "enhanced". :-)
1
I don't use cannabis often; I live in Utah where penalties are very stiff. But I exercise every day, am very physically active, and lift weights twice a week. One of my biggest reasons for exercising daily is that it helps calm me down. I've always used exertion to regulate my high-strung fidgetiness. Maybe not coincidentally, several of my stoner buddies cite a similar reason to explain their weed use: it calms and focusses them. If we're self-medicating, in a sense, and the "symptoms" we're treating and the results we're getting are all similar, maybe the coincidence of pot use and exercise has a behavioral explanation.
8
I always get stoned before I go on my regular 20+ mile runs, and I recently ran a marathon while rather high (at least, for the first hour.) I also enjoy bouldering and climbing at the climbing gym while stoned. It gets me totally focused and enables me to enjoy relatively solitary pursuits on a different level.
Your mileage may vary, I guess. I'm glad we finally have dribs and drabs of scientific data about marijuana, rather than relying on often hysterical and completely made-up popular opinions.
42
Now with over fifty years of pretty much daily use of cannabis, I've used it prior to personal recreational exercise, but rarely for organized team sports. I did use it prior to games during one season of fast pitch softball, and didn't notice any decline in performance level. But never during college when I was on athletic scholarships. My hesitancy to use it earlier in my life before competition was due to the schizophrenic-like effect it had on me. Now, I see that my earlier immature orientation had to do with my external focus, which cannabis use shifted to a more internal focus, initially disorienting me. Athletic competition was not a time for self-examination. After competition, self-examination was beneficial.
I've exercised all my life, and used cannabis most of my life. In my experience, they are not mutually exclusive, but complimentary.
24
When I was in high school, my running partner would often get high before our runs. It allowed her to enjoy running more. I can now understand what she meant. I'm not someone who likes to get high and then sit around. I like to take a hit and then go do something - take a walk, garden, or sure, exercise. Or organize: getting high, drinking coffee, and then organizing or cleaning makes those tasks actually enjoyable for me, and those are great mornings. I think the basic logic is that it can make ordinary things that might otherwise be drudgery a little more enjoyable, and for some people, the effect is that it makes you want to do something (in a chill way, of course). I should also mention that I only use small amounts, maybe once a week, and always when I have some time in front of me - like on a weekend when I have no plans.
28
@reader
I'm with you dear Reader....
I am a runner/swimmer and I vaporize a small amount before these activities as well as while doing what would be irritating home tasks. My performance is amazingly different when I am slightly high. I push myself in ways I normally would not and I am able to completely focus on the task at hand. The thing is my level of PURE JOY and being completely in the moment ALWAYS OCCURS. I get quite a bit accomplished from my list because there is a lack of anxiety, pure creativity, a dogged persistence to make things right- whether it's running hills, swimming laps or cleaning the cat box. I am 61 and have been vaporizing for 10 years. We call what I do "working stoned" which is just slightly. Would I drive, operate chain saws or heavy equipment? No. I know my limits. I wish you wouldn't have had the photo of The Dude. I will show it to my senior retiree friends, however. There are quite a few seniors in my Oregon town who routinely use cannabis for sleep (it really does get you a full night's sleep), pain and exercise because it works. Last time I checked there were eight dispensaries in a town less than 10,000. Lol! We all look like someone's nice, responsible neighbors, not the Big Lebowski.
13
I work out in a trainer’s gym and just about every trainer regularly imbibes, including a few who own their own dispensary. Naturally, they recommend cannabis to their clients, as mine did for me.
7
Maybe in NY. Not anywhere else outside of the bubble.
@mons
For all the weaknesses in such a preliminary study, being located in New York City was not one of them.
4
I'm not anti-weed. However, the thought of working out in a gym next to someone who's high really scares the bejeezus out of me. This is a safety hazard!
1
@ka kilicli
Someone on steroids sounds scarier and is probably more likely
17
How so? I'd rather work out with nice mellow stoners than with testosterone-jacked muscle heads.
13
If you can’t hold a steady job, and you’re not feeling any pain, then go for it.
1
Dude, I just smoked and went to the Y to bike. I watched the machine's screen play scenes from the New Zealand countryside. It was far out!!
9
Pot for athletes? Forget the studies, you need look no further than The Dude. The writer used him as a counter example, but in fact, he is a seasoned athlete who managed to roll his way into the semis. Dios mio, man.
29
No calories and no hangover that keeps you from being active the next day.
12
@Jen
And if you have booze-head the day after it provides relief
2
My subjective anecdotal observations were that people whom I knew in high school and college that smoked a lot of weed ended up less successful in life. Self selection perhaps or cause and effect. Impossible to prove.
To say that weed is associated with exercise goes against common stereotypes.
Sounds more like Big Marijuana propaganda wrapped in a veneer of pseudoscience.
5
@The Flying Doctor
Subjective anecdotes are not a study. The marijuana today is much different than what your college buddies were smoking, btw. Vaporizing allows one to use a micro amount and be productive.
7
@The Flying Doctor
hmm...what other factor might have impeded their social status...?
No matter how you dress it up, marijuana is a scourge, and its growing trend to legalization is one of the greatest hazards facing our nation. Even worse is how little people care about it.
4
@Grittenhouse
Get a grip, man.
12
@Grittenhouse I guess when you live in tony Rittenhouse your definition of a scourge is the kids smoking weed in the park. I would suggest you look around the other less polished neighborhoods of your city a bit more in an attempt to educate yourself about real hazards like guns. You won't have to look far to find yourself a real scourge either, like poverty. Take a deep breath and find yourself some real problems. Just sayin'.
9
@Grittenhouse
You know what a scourge is? Heavy alcohol use. It destroys the liver, your looks and your brain. Meth as well. Both of these are implicated in countless violent crimes and destroy people's lives and those of their loved ones. I'd rather be at a party with cannabis users. People are funny, insightful, engaged and just friendlier. Tuck in your nerve endings Grittenhouse.
11
I love to run when I'm stoned. All it takes is an MP3 and good running music. EDM at 180 bpm will keep me going for hours.
12
I am not an expert of Cannabis, but from my cursory "research" as a voter for legalizing Cannabis in California, I learned that there are two broad strains of the plant - sativa and indica.
Sativa supposedly makes the user more alert, focussed and energetic, while Indica leads to relaxation and sleepiness. So sativa is used by those who want to bolster their creative impulses, while indica is taken by those who want to switch off and sleep, as a cure for stress or insomnia.
Most of the commercial strains, I learned, as tweaked to be strong in one or the other tendency - focus vs relaxation. Also some business about THC content vs CBD content and so on, which one can look up online if interested.
So, how come this article, and maybe even the study it is reporting on, did not mention either name? Is it possible "The Dude" was an Indica man, while these stoners are sativa users? If you are going to the trouble to write something up this long, shouldn't you do some background research too?
25
@Suppan
Both strains, sativa and indica, get me too high to sleep, and either one, depending on my mood, can induce a case of couch lock. Likewise, both types get me up and running. To me, they're more alike than different, almost both the same.
1
Yes, exactly. Different strains and concentrations/ratios of active chemicals within them can have very different effects. Unfortunately there is mostly no proper scientific study regarding the effects of the various compounds or their combinations. Also effects can vary quite a bit between individuals, and are somewhat subjective to begin with.
But speaking generally, over-simplifying, and based only on "anecdotal" user/enthusiast experiences, it is true that Sativa is more of a stimulant ("heady high") while Indica is more of a depressant ("body stoned"). Skilled breeders can combine strains to get various combinations with an almost infinite variety.
Same with method of ingestion. Especially eating vs. smoking, which can have vastly different effects even from the same strain of cannabis. Eating also releases it into the system at a slower rate. (I'm not sure what "slathering" has to do with it since AFAIK topical application doesn't have psychoactive effects.)
It does not seem like the study took any of this into account but just lumped all "usage" together. Which is understandable, but something to be considered when making any theories or conclusions.
7
@Suppan
Maybe they wanted to keep response levels high so shortened the survey. They can always do more in-depth research later.
2
This l'il ski town would be about the WORST control group. I'm not sayin' I've seen cops and mayors toking up on the chair lift but I'm not sayin' I haven't. Pot and outdoor activity just seem to go really well together.
14
@Marc You reminded me of a story I heard years ago when CO was in the midst of debating legalization. Some townspeople in a ski town were up in arms because they were afraid of what pot would do to their skiing economy.
One old timer got up and said he had been coaching skiing his entire life, and he'd never met a single skier who didn't like pot ha.
12
Did you think the explosion in popularity of Yoga as MJ became more mainstream was a coincidence?
7
@Matt
Hi Matt. I've had a daily yoga practice, including teaching it, for the past 20 years, and 30+ years more than that of daily cannabis use. I debated whether to co-join the two when I first started teaching yoga. I decided against it finally, believing we should each come to our own decision in this regard. I don't practice stoned either, as my routine is early morning: feeling the sunrise on my face is more than enough. Simply stated, cannabis is not the answer, but it can help us find the answer, IMHO.
5
I once belonged to a cycling club whose original reason for being was that the existing cycling didn't stop to blow a reefer mid ride. Later it was more but in the beginning...
4
I'm 75, a regular exerciser (Nordic Track, rowing machine, walking) and an occasional weed smoker. Yesterday, spur of the moment, I took a toke from a friend who was gardening and toking as I passed and began my walk.
Meh. The most interesting part was remarking to myself that I was walking stoned...
7
My first thought, which was addressed by the doctor, is that Colorado is an incredibly active state. When weed inevitably becomes legal everywhere I'll be curious to see the results from some place like Mississippi.
9
@Sabrina
They address this bias in the study conclusions. I think you're right that by going for legal they also ended up selecting white, affluent, and close to nature.
There is a group called NORML Athletics, which was started by a martial artist named Aaron King. An offshoot of NORML, it works to destigmatize the use of cannabis by athletes by sharing the stories of professional and semi-professional athletes. In his case, King suffers from debilitating social anxiety, and is only able to compete after ingesting cannabis.
I think the world will find that many of it's creative, athletic, and intelligent citizens use marijuana in ways that do not fit common stereotypes.
11
Five mile hikes in the Long Island Pine Barrens and 30 mile bike rides on the North Fork are both enhanced with a few tokes before heading out. On the longer bike rides, (40 to 80 miles), the THC wears off just as the endorphins kick in. Exercise and communing with Nature while lightly buzzed works very well for this 63 year old. Do I go faster? No. But I enjoy every mile to the fullest. For watching a movie or listening to music though, a heavier dose is required.
18
@Gil
It’s not endorphins but cannabinoids that the body itself make. Not known when the endorphin research was done
1
dear heart: are you aware of sample bias? do you have an inkling that most vapers and tokers are young, and most young people are physically active? a "severely limited" study of self selected volunteers to a study looking at the positive effects of cannabis will, golly, encourage those who want to promote that view to participate.
there is a significant cohort of very old users (my 97 year old mother, case in point) who use cannabis for medical reasons. as for her son, well ... who can turn down a toke or two on a balmy california afternoon?
for the rest, cannabis works to make sensory experience more positive, including the sensory experience of work, AKA exercise. do the algebra on that one.
3
@drollere
I question the point that you say most of the the people who exercise and are tokers are young. I reread the article and saw nothing that established a specific age group in the study, although, age related information was gathered.
As a retired person who is generationally inclined to take a toke...child of the 1970's...almost everyone I know who partakes is older and most of them retired. And most all of those folks also exercise. So, I find your argument specious, unless we can know that the age groups who participated in this study were, indeed, predominantly younger people. And I did not get that sense from this article.
7
@drollere
From the article:
"Results indicated that the majority (81.7%) of participants endorsed using cannabis concurrently with exercise, and those who did tended to be younger and more likely to be males (p < 0.0005 for both). Even after controlling for these differences, co-users reported engaging in more minutes of aerobic and anaerobic exercise per week (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively)"
Professional researchers with PhDs aren't stupid.
5
Weed is fun when hiking and all that. Very much agree with everyone there. But what makes weed interesting is that for anaerobic stuff it helps me overcome mental blocks. Something like skateboarding or bouldering, I’ll try a move or trick 100 times before it clicks in. Enduring that mental/physical slog is where weed helps in my opinion. Training is mundane but necessary and it’s totally the trick to battle the boringness of conditioning.
13
Endorphins/serotonin produced naturally in the body during exercise, feel good hormones, without use of artificial ones that cause harm to body like marijuana. Why people like myself exercise is how they feel afterwards, a natural, clean high, particularly being outdoors. The Big Lebowski is a good film, though but I would rather smoke some Alaskan sockeye salmon. :)
5
@MM Both are good, when done together.
4
@MM there are no artificial hormones that are released as a result of smoking pot.
6
@MMCannabis is not artificial, nor does the article mention anything about it causing harm to the body.
6
Years ago, when my knees were in better shape, I would smoke and go for runs several times a week in the regional parks -hills or beaches, and it was fabulous. Those runs brought me joy, melding the consciousness of beautiful surroundings with my consciousness of exertion and rhythm.
44
Munchies is binge eating. Munchies undermine my health and weight goals. The first strain cultivated with no binge eating effect will have my loyalty my whole life long. Please, would you good Botanists get on this!
14
@Christopher - Such strains exist! Talk to your budtender about which strains do not cause munchies. I've been lucky enough to find them here in California. Not sure you can access such varietal in New York yet.
12
It’s great to see pot stereotypes being exploded. This has always struck me as one of the sillier ones. Since I started smoking and running in college, pot has augmented my motivation, pleasure, and focus during exercise. Now that I’m over 60, I also appreciate its anti-inflammatory and pain-relief properties. No matter the physical activity — running outdoors, yoga, weights etc. at the gym, gardening, or hiking — pot has helped me stay active for more than 40 years.
43
For two decades in my 20-30s I ran 8 miles every day on trail in the mountains, always inspired by a puff before the run. Cannabis motivated the run. I had to quit for a job and my exercise has dropped off dramatically. On the few occasions I do still smoke cannabis I immediately go out for an enjoyable, if slower, trail run or mountain bike ride. Appreciation of the forest, desert or mountains is what marijuana is all about.
23
I took up figure skating as an adult starting in my late 30's for about ten years. A couple of tokes before I got on the ice enhanced my performance immensely (though being stoned made it a bit of a challenge lacing up my skates). I skated stronger, faster and was able to execute the technical aspects of the sport much more easily while under the influence. But the most beneficial effect of skating stoned was being able to "feel the music." There were times when the music carried me, and skating (an extremely high endurance sport) felt effortless. It was like flying.
Didn't go over so well when my pipe fell out of my skating bag in front of everyone. I never really fit into the figure skating culture.
49
The limitations noted in the end of the article make it clear to me that we cannot reasonably rely on the results. As a result I don't understand why the reader's time was wasted, pun intended.
8
@Curiouser
I think the main point of the article isn't that cannabis turns people into exercisers, gym rats, and athletes; it's that is possible to engage in a regular regime of strenuous physical activities and recreations that rely on motor coordination without cannabis use getting in the way. Unlike the case with drugs that carry a heavy body load and a tendency to produce severe undesirable physical side effects, like alcohol.
Also, your "pun" went right past me...
I love that this article showed investigating the data behind stereotypes, always an excellent use of effort. In my childhood I was fairly sedentary, with terrible allergies and vertigo. Once cannabis came into my life - began hiking and backpacking, including a month long trek in the Himalayas to 18,000 feet.
Real data is good, the War on Drugs has always been a Republican, Rascist attack on the good people of this country and the world. Thank you for this article.
76
Personally, I do not like taking in substances or medicine which are not needed. Hence I don't smoke or drink. I also believe that weed should be legalized just like alcohol or cigarettes. We all have a choice and what we do with it is not the government's bother. We also should have a choice to put ourselves out of pain and misery when the time comes. We all have to die sometime and that should be painless as can be. Exercise is good for us and all of us should do it till our dying day. That also should be our choice!
12
I think what’s missing in the general conversation is micro dosing, learning one’s own individual tolerance. While I don’t care for smoking it, I have learned that for my height weight and tolerance that 15-20mg of edibles greatly increases my enjoyment and thus stamina to many forms of physical exercise without impairment; cycling, skiing, hiking, kayaking etc. Just as one isn’t impaired after a single beer or glass of wine, it’s merely about moderation and knowing how anything personally impacts you. I wouldn’t drive impaired on anything, nor would I climb on a bike, or go out on the water. Know your limit, and stay within it.
17
@Brightersuns
I think that one of the smartest things that cannabis users can do is to experiment to find the minimum amount required to achieve the desired effect. In my observation, it's easy to overdo, and also pointless. For most people, the posibility of bringing on undesirable side effects is a function of using excessive quantities. The "binge drinking" approach is the wrong one to use.
How much high-quality cannabis is required to produce a desired effect? Not very much, imo. It's silly how much money weed aficionados can save if they take it puff by puff instead of joint by joint.
10
Weed GOOD! Pharma BAD! PERIOD.
18
Cannabis goes great with most things
46
@Carl Stippens - math lectures? Anyone's speech (either party) ? Unexpectedly running into your ex-wife after 20 years? An empty snack cupboard? I could go on:)
4
@tom Harrison I studied math in college and yes cannabis does go well with math for me.
5
Excuse me, but the Dude practiced Tai Chi.
16
@PubliusMaximus - and of course, he bowled!
2
Initial law-enforcement research from Colorado suggests fully-sober drivers test less well than stoned drivers.
How meaningful is DUI if we allow people to operate heavy machinery on pharmaceutical antidepressants? How is cannabis different?
16
@Myrtle Markle That same effect was found seventy years ago, when cold-sober drivers were tested against drivers who'd had a bottle or a glass. It was theorized that a little alcohol eased the stress caused by drivers' knowing that they were under scrutiny. THC has a similar effect, no doubt.
If athletes be honest about their use without fear of repercussion this would have been confirmed decades ago. Ask Charles Oakley.
12
@Matt and Robert Parrish
2
"tells us nothing about how cannabis affects people during exercise ... the tendency to giggle and grow easily distracted by the puffiness of clouds"
I would think that cannabis use, as indicated by this distracted and affected writing above, does not contribute to the quality of writing articles.
1
This is a rather silly study. Have you ever hung out in the outdoor culture? Hiking, skiing, rock climbing, whatever. Even if you don't smoke, a bowl is never far away. Alcohol is generally harder to carry, more intoxicating, and less easy to conceal. Not to mention the whole environmental aspect of pot culture. Not surprisingly, the survey skews young and male as do most outdoor activities. You might as well ask whether marijuana use has a higher prevalence among musicians. The answer is yes. Duh.
By the way, bowling gained professional recognition before most sports associated with marijuana usage. Snowboarding wasn't even invented when bowling was popular. Frisbee and frisbee golf aren't far off either. Hacky sack? Technically speaking, the Dude and company were athletically active. Bowling is a league sport. Just like skiing, good bowlers don't get much of a workout but bowling is still a sport.
6
@Andy"Skiers don't get much of a workout" Skiing compared to bowling?? Really??
@duncan
I just realized something. If you tilt a bowling lane 45 degrees and put trees in the way, you are skiing. You are the bowling ball and Sir Issac Newton is the driver. Watch out for that last step.
5
@duncan
You either don't ski much or you don't ski well. Yes, bowling 12 games is just as bad as skiing 12 runs when you do it poorly. You're hucking a 10lb-plus ball down the lane for 120 frames. Even minor mistakes in your technique can lead to serious injury over time.
If you ski one tough mogul run in bad form, your day is basically over. So too with bowling...
2
I played football in college and earned a position on the traveling team (a big deal, better than being left behind when the team played away) as a sophomore because I was able to channel my inner Lawrence Taylor after taking one or two puffs of sativa before practice.
7
I am not impressed with the scientific rigor of this study. As the article states, there are too many things this study cannot explain and too many caveats. Also, we have no idea about the quantity or the contents of the cannabinoids consumed by the study participants. For example, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica have different psychoactive and non-psychoactive cannabinoids.
5
Crowdsource question: does anyone else perceive cannabis to lower his/her body temperature? On a hot summer day, e.g. when hiking in the desert, I find it makes me feel cooler. In a cold environment, I find I need an extra layer or two or else I get shivery. I haven't actually used a thermometer to measure body temperature and corroborate whether this is a true physiological effect or just perception, but that would be an easy experiment... If only I could remember and find the motivation to try it the next time I partake ;-)
4
@Chris Rockett No. I backpack extensively, and I find that it makes heat more unbearable if I puff out.
2
@Chris Rockett
I'll second your observation. The ability of cannabis to lower body temperature has been noted in clinical literature for decades. iirc, the average drop was from 98.6 to 96.8. I confirmed that personally with a thermometer. The other typical physical side effects of cannabis in the usual doses are lowered blood pressure coupled with a faster heartbeat. And red eyes. And that's about it. Too much can aggravate postural hypotension. That's the main reason that Viagra users are not supposed to mix it with cannabis. (But it you use cannabis, you may find that you have no need for Viagra...)
I'm a nonuser currently, but when I did use it outdoors in hot weather, I would often note that smoking some pot would literally wick the sweat off of my brow and my forearms. The effect is more pronounced in a dry climate.
For some great observations on the ability of cannabis to increase stamina for physical work and other activities, I recommend reading Vera Rubin's monographs on Jamaica and Costa Rica. She was very much ahead of the curve on this subject.
4
@DC Reade
Thanks. Strange that a CNS depressant raises the heart rate, though I sense that this effect is only in the short term and that not too long after ingestion it slows to either a normal rate or even a reduced rate. I also have a hypothesis with only anecdotal evidence that the red eyes have more to do with physical contact of the smoke on the surface of the eyeball or in the nasal passage than just from the internal effects. I don't tend to get the red eyes from vaping it (though eyelids inevitably droop a bit).
1
Would be interesting to confirm my hypothesis that cannabis use among the healthy = less alcohol consumption. I have observed this phenomenon and it helps big time with overall weight, physique and fitness (and sleep!)
As the old saying goes about abs - you get your six pack in the kitchen, not at the gym. Try not to drink calories — or keep it to a minimum.
18
Geez NYT, stereotype much?
6
Puff 'n putt or puff 'n Pilates, this Dudettete abides.
36
You are more healthy when your stress levels are down and you exercise. Nuff said
17
One word: sativa. Makes working out 420 percent more fun and much easier to maintain a high heart rate.
31
@Michael I see what you did there.
1
Can confirm
1
Not surprised by this in the least. My brother, who’s been bodybuilding and running since high school, vapes before he goes on his runs (which are usually 5-10 miles); I use it once a week to help with recovery because I also do a pretty intense cardio routine. Calming myself down and being more mindful of my body has definitely helped me get over a few muscle and tendon issues I’ve had in the past couple years.
I think it’s all in 1) knowing what amount will help you as opposed to glueing you to the couch, because too much for your individual tolerance can certainly do that, and 2) your mindset. If you go in expecting a lazy high, then yeah, you’ll probably get one.
All in all, cannabis seems way less dangerous than alcohol and I think a lot of the misconceptions we have about it as a society are due to “Reefer Madness” level hyperbole and silliness.
9
Don't forget house cleaning! I'm generally very active when I get stoned including exercise or general household chores. And, I eat less cause I tend to lose my appetite. It's only when combined with alcohol that I tend to eat trash foods.
59
@J McGavock Yes! Cleaning house. It makes zoning in on the task at hand much less challenging. It's still a boring chore, but it's much more enjoyably boring.
18
@J McGavock I have a youtube playlist from the 60's that brings such joy. I can clean the entire house, sativa rules.
12
More stereotypes being broken. When will it every end? The obvious flaw here is that stoners who bothered to take the survey are already a motivated sub-group. Most stoners I know prefer the couch.
2
@Paulo
Um, it will end when there are no stereotypes? That is, probably never. What is wrong with braking them?
The study readily admits its shortcomings, including the one you gleefully bring up.
And how many "stoners" do you know? What is "most?" And are you sure that the one you don't think of as "stoners" don't use cannabis? Can you quote some actual statistics, like in the study?
4
> Most stoners I know . . .
Science!
Enough motivated stoners to fill the city of Austin. We know that much. lol
4
I find that consuming cannabis before short, intense cardio can negatively effect my stamina, however, if I am going on a longer bike ride it certainly helps with motivation. All my longest rides have involved a quick smoke break about halfway through to keep myself interested.
I'm more of a weightlifter than a cardio enthusiast, however, and I almost always consume cannabis before lifting. Without cannabis my gym is a crowded, disgusting, smelly place, but with it's a rather pleasant escape where I can put on my music and drift away.
14
@Clark right you are - my gym was a dump filled grim, sweaty gym-rats. Now? Like night and day. The place is much nicer and people appear much more relaxed after medical cannabis was legalized. Go figure.
8
the only thing is, it probably messes up how many reps I did,"was it five or six" I forgot oh well. At least I am doing something.
12
"The usual stereotype is of someone lying on his couch for hours, blissed out and eating Doritos" - from the article
Why repeat these tired 'stoner' stereotypes when discussing cannabis? We've laughed at the film Reefer Madness for decades. What is the author accomplishing by using yet another film which exaggerates these stereotypes?
Cannabis and its benefits are finally emerging from the myths imposed by prohibitionists and rival industries like tobacco and alcohol for many decades now. I'm not asking for pro-cannabis articles, just please lay of these ridiculous 'stoner' preconceptions. We left the college dormitory years ago.
21
its a survey study of 260 patients published in a low impact journal. The conclusions are interesting but hardly confirmatory and the results are worthy of more scrutiny by this newspaper.
3
@salvo28 Really? Why? Does the article make dangerous claims that can motivate people to injure themselves?
There are still substantial risks associated with admitting the use of marijuana in the US. The possibility of future strict enforcement of federal law with regard to employment, financial transactions & 2nd amemdment rights, posses a threat, particularly for critics of the current administration. In light of the current political environment, it requires a little more courage than most public discussions to cite personal experience in the context of marijuana use and exercise. We all should express our gratitude to those willing to do so here. That being said, the high percentage of professional athletes who use marijuana is a poorly kept secret, despite the huge financial risks they face. All professional (& amatuer!) sports organizations should immediately remove the marijuana prohibitions from their player contracts & collective bargaining agreements. The pain relief that marijuana provides is much safer than prescribed opioids when recovering from injury. Many players also find the pain relief contributes to their ability to exercise at the intensity required of professional athletes. And the residual mitigation of pain encourages maximum effort in competition as a replacement for or supplement to the injected pain medications teams provide pre-game to football players & other professional athletes. The question as to whether marijuana aids exercise & sport performance was answered on a practical level in the 60's, peer reviewed research has yet to catch up.
4
@mike4vfr "[P]eer- reviewed research has yet to catch up" because such research is essentially illegal in the United States.
As a result, little has been known about the possible effects of regular cannabis use on behaviors that can affect health, including exercise.--
Oh yeah, then why not just ask some long time users like me.
I am 57 and have been smoking regularly for 41 years.
I work out almost everyday, surf, and am in great shape, and look very good for my years if I do say so myself.
I could also pass my age off as 10 years younger than I am.
My blood pressure is 115/75, and my resting pulse rate is in the 60's
See that wasn't so hard.
111
Good job! Make sure to wait until you're around 25 before you start to use cannabis commonly, though. It has been linked to a slower development of the brain, and you wouldn't want that. After 25, however, you're good to go! Have fun working out lol
As a competitive masters-class ultra-endurance cyclist... or more succinctly, a middle-aged guy who likes to cycle for 20 hrs at a time - vaping and eating weed, both THC & CBD, have given me a post-workout recovery discipline that has de-flamed my swollen muscles and dialed my sleep into a blissful 8-9 hr session every night. I stopped using weed while cycling when I crashed after rolling off a paved trail into some gravel as I watched a blue heron fly to the music of Fela Kuti in my headphones. I don’t smoke weed (vape & eat only) because I’m concerned about the impact upon my lungs and cardiovascular system. Nighttime stretching and yoga while stoned, combined with the right soundtrack on the headphones, is a supremely relaxing and enjoyable practice that I’d recommend to anyone with a busy mind.
73
There is a whole generation that has been smoking pot since the 60's, up to and maybe more, 50 yrs, no one has asked them any questions or research. All these people act like everyone just started smoking yesterday.
Your teachers, surgeons, clerks, lawyers, etc etc etc have all been smoking pot, you just do not know this. I read so much Bull about pot, you just gotta believe me.
I raised six kids, oldest 46, I have a very successful career, I homeschooled 4 of my kids for seven years, etc etc etc
130
Nothing gets you in your zone like a nice sativa before a run or work out. Nothing. If you saw the ingredients that go into the non FDA regulated “pre and post work out” supplements you’d probably change your perspective about a non toxic plant that helps you be mindful of heart, mind and breath.
69
“If using cannabis encourages people to be sedentary and overeat, that obviously would be a concern,” Dr. Bryan says.
Dr. Bryan, dear, you need to get out of the lab and look around at your fellow citizens on occasion.
BTW, everything goes better w/ dope! Exercise, sex (KT, bar the door!), church, food, menstrual cramps, visiting the in-laws - everything!
"Legalize it, yeah, yeah
That's the best thing you can do.
Doctors smoke it, Nurses smoke it, Judges smoke it, Even the lawyers too.
It's good for the flu, It's good for asthma, good for tuberculosis, even umara composis, so…
Legalize it - don't criticize it…" Peter Tosh
52
It’s time Ross Rebagliati gets the apology and recognition he deserves.
8
Yeah, a lot of ups and downs. Lot of what have yous...
3
Ignorance reigns supreme when it comes to pot thank to the endless lies our media and gov't have been promoting for the last half century and now that it's becoming legal the people who believed the old lies simply won't give them up and make things up to justify their ongoing prejudice. And btw the largest growing segment using pot is over 60 yrs old so the stupid old story about how all young males have nothing to do so they decide to smoke and go to the gym is plain nonsense and based on nothing.
15
Yoga and pot heals my PTSD. Not talk therapy (retraumatizing). Not RX (side effects are disastrous). The insurance and medical communities need to catch up.
78
@Maura Courtney
The Law needs to catch up.
9
I exercise 6 days a week and walk the mile to the local gym. I smoke after and meditate. I find that the exercise makes the stoned experience much better. One more win for mary jane!
16
But....is that better than getting drunk and raping women or starting fights? We have been told for over a hundred years that drinking the legal, potentially deadly, potentially addictive, hard drug alcohol is the best route to a happy life. Pray tell, what else have we been lied to about?
36
The myth of the lazy stoner has always just been another piece of propaganda left over from the war on drugs. Athletes including professional ones have always used cannabis. The NBA drug policy is a good example of how unions and leagues have accepted this without being open about it. I personally have two friends who are ironmen triathletes who use cannabis in one form or another for recovery and training. Now with the opioid epidemic being what it is, it’s time we support cannabis, when used responsibly, as the healthy alternative for what it is. Remember Ross Rebagliati?
30
I've been training on cannabis for 30 years! Fantastic performance enhancer. What would skiing be without it! Yoga...the best!
10
@Rob Yes, skiing!
1
I think « short term », it can be beneficial. But « long term », it is not, and cannot be.
But say you have 2 weeks of vacation, and you spend the first 9 days on cannabis, and then you stop, and don’t smoke again for 4 months ... that can be good. Good for your health and good to slow you down. Just good.
But long term, it’s bad.
@David Martin
why , please ? cite your sources , not anecdotal ...
thank you
7
Many gym rats drink beer and Manhattans. Why do we need an article on cannabis and exercise that begins with reference to The Dude? Only to perpetuate the stereotype that the author supposedly seeks to address. The headline further reinforces the stereotype (the vast majority of cannabis users are not stoners in the usual sense of the term).
This is just another example of old folks (I'm one of them) discussing cannabis as though they were giggling teenagers.
This wouldn't matter much (who really cares if people smoke/vape/eat and exercise) except that articles like this inhibit movement toward sensible drug policy on a national level, and misrepresents cannabis' place in everyday society.
NYT should do better.
13
Gee, another article trying to convince readers of the benefits of marijuana and how "real" people use it with no ill effects. Heck, it even encourages potheads to share their second hand smoke with others trying to work out in the gym or enjoy the outdoors.
2
@minidictum
Hahahaha! Wait, are you being serious? No one suggested smoking at the gym, on the gym floor, itself and people have been smoking pot in the great outdoors forever. Why don't you try it, you might actually like it.
11
@minidictum - mercy, if I did that I would violate two different laws. One, no smoking indoors. All smoking must be at least 25 feet away from all doors/entries. Two, no smoking cannabis in public.
2
Count me in as a stoner exerciser. This piece makes me reflect on how, up until a few years ago, I did hope for more of a conversation about functional potheads, those of us who like being stoned but for whom it doesn't inhibit, in fact enhances day to day activities like exercising or chores or even work (if your work doesn't involve the safety/health/well being of others) or parenting.
However the cultural/commercial shift around cannabis to claim that it's got some sort of health halo has made me more suspicious and re-examine my own habits. I would never want my kids to smoke as much weed as I do. I may be a very high functioning pothead but I have taken enough breaks from daily toking (I'm on one now) to realize that it is addictive and there is a withdrawal process, and I am getting more concerned about my cognitive functions down the line.
Just because I can, doesn't mean I should.
Now, off to my boring, sober workout.
10
@Anonymous
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should is a mantra that everyone should understand, study and live by.
3
I had to quit smoking cannabis for a few months every year due to work situations (drug testing). I did this for thirty years. I experienced zero withdrawal effects. If there are any they are psychological not physical. Which can be true of anything. I’m retired now and vaping and bicycling.
9
All due respect, Anonymous—everyone has to know themselves. For me, I was a roll-out-of-bed/roll-a-joint/all day stoner for 10 years, rarely ever missed a day (I’m a musician so it didn’t really interfere with my work life). When I left to go to a music school in the east, I smoked my last joint and got on the plane. Months, then years went by, and I never felt a thing. I was sorta surprised myself.
1
How do all these folks GET to where they want to exercise while they are using Marijuana?
I love it, but I find myself housebound when I use it because I can't drive, and I'm not sure how to get around that!
1
@Lirpa Personally, I do an at home workout that I enjoy while watching some mindless TV (Bikini Body if you're curious) or a short run outside. I could never get stoned and do a very long run as it would feel like an eternity but I have found that being high will exercising either makes me enjoy the surroundings/music more if I'm outside, or focus more on how my body feels when I'm inside doing strength work. But I have to bang out my workout in the morning before inertia sets in.
1
@Lirpa - That's a lame excuse:) I can't drive either soooooo, I'm going to ride my bike down to the ferry dock, ride over to Bremerton, and ride the Chilly Hilly. I'll stop by your place and pack a bowl and tell you all about it:))
2
@Lirpa, ditch the car and walk or use a bike. Those are great ways to exercise, and very enjoyable on cannabis.
2
Without Googling it, I'm willing to bet the average individual spends 8 hours a day gazing into their Iphones, totally still, not burning a calorie. If anything accounts for rising global obesity and inactivity, it's our mindless fixation with electronic screenery. It is our uncontrollable attachment to cell phones and the things we do with them, that "encourages people to be sedentary and overeat."
There is no question use of cannabis stimulates appetite, and might even foster lethargy, but it's an individual case-by-case basis. Some might find themselves more hungry or more tempted to relax, but that doesn't mean they have to act on such impulse. It's not a soul-snatching drug like heroin or cocaine- reason and judgment still abound! One can employ a bit of self-control, and many do.
I think we are hung up on the label "drug"; while cannabis is a drug, it defies the normal attributes designated to drugs. It does not remove individuality as do narcotics and alcohol.
9
Unfortunately, this study says nothing about the real impediment to improving physical (and mental) performance -- addiction to smartphones during gym workouts.
The vast majority of people at gyms I frequent at Equinox are either sitting on machines or lying on mats scrolling through their smartphones for inordinate amounts of time doing little, if any, appreciable exercise. And when they eventually get around to doing one "set" of something -- while sitting, mind you, at a weight machine, not good for optimum fitness, or raising one leg from their supine position on a mat -- they immediately return to their screens, texting and scrolling. (And, trust me, they aren't using the screens as timers or fitness trackers. And, if you think they are merely using their device to listen to music, I have news for you, they aren't. With Bluetooth earbuds, they don't even have to look at their device, and yet, it's an obsession.)
So, sure, there may be some benefit using cannabis before working out, but the more immediate and real obstacle to better performance is the smartphone. I have no doubt that putting these devices away for an hour while at the gym would greatly improve their fitness regimen, especially in tandem with their brain (for a host of reasons), and improve exercise performance and fitness benefits.
16
@James L. I agree that I also see more people using phones while they work out, but I politely disagree that it keeps them from a great workout. I was elated the day I realized I was freed from having to watch cable news or home improvement shows when I’m on the elliptical; now I “save” certain shows that I only allow myself to watch when I’m at the gym.
As for weights, well, I also like listening to my own playlists. My music motivates me. I’m probably not the only one.
4
In my mid 20s I got into marathon running. At the time I was a regular cannabis user, via a vaporizer and edibles I made myself. I was in the best shape of my life. Nothing was more enjoyable than running those long runs (and some of the marathons) gently stoned. Slight muscle cramps that otherwise might have derailed a run became interesting sensations I could focus on and work through, and I never got injured. I also easily maintained a feeling of joy throughout my run.
These are all things you can do without cannabis, of course, but it requires a good deal more mental discipline. Cannabis taught me how to do these things. I look forward to the greater availability of recreational marijuana in my state so I can work this back into my routine.
64
It is so true. I get stoned and run six miles. Every day. It's so great. I leave the phone behind. I only run in parks or on trails, I get away from vehicles, never on a road.
Now that the weather is nice, I'm also hiking stoned, which is equally blissful but different. I like finding less-visited preserves, I like to be the only one around. I'll bring a joint in my backpack and wait until the appropriate spot reveals itself.
But a gym? Hmmm, I have to say I never liked gyms to begin with and the thought of being high surrounded by other people working out isn't appealing. I associate being high with the outdoors, with nature, with solitariness and meditation.
145
65 years old here. I have used cannabis since I was 18. I also have steadily worked out during this period. I currently visit Orange Theory and Snap fitness. I use cannabis edibles, I don't smoke it. I lift heavy weights and can run a mile in 5:37. If cannabis slowed me down, I wouldn't use it. It helps me recover and repair. Does wonders for sleeping as well.
21
I hope nobody funded this project.
5
I must be getting old...slathering on cannabis? Wouldn’t the buds just crumble on to the ground?
35
@Dave From Auckland
I think that's a reference to tinctures/salves.
3
@Dave From Auckland
Made my day, I laughed so hard I felt like I was stoned. Thanks.
It is easy for me to see why they go together, they are both mindless.
6
@Richard It shouldn't be mindless. Pot help to focus and relax while precision is mandatory for proper exercising. Pilates when done correctly is far from mindless. In fact one of the Pilates principles is concentration, another is one relaxation. Enjoy!
4
Sounds good to me!
5
What do you know? Another general misapprehension about cannabis and it's devotees.
8
I wonder if the researcher has resolved for cultural bias. Boulder, Colorado seems to define her results.
3
@Andy Foster I thought the same thing. I live in Boulder for six years in the nineties and was never a couch potato after smoking--always outdoors.
2
People I know who are heavy users remind me of Alzheimer patients - they will tell you a story, then five minutes later tell you the same story again. And that's even when their not on it. I'm no expert, but just from observation it appears that heavy use builds up some sort of permanent brain damage akin to senility. I don't care if anyone uses it, but is it intellectually honest to sell it as "consequence free liquor"?
6
@George Campbell
I mean, anecdotally you are probably right about that one or two people you know to be users, but you are not taking into account the any number of people that you know and interact with on a daily basis who are secret users.
8
@George Campbell: I think you're confusing legitimate alzheimer's patients with normal cannabis users. Maybe you should seek out friends who are more typical of the latter.
2
@George Campbell
I'm not going to question your individual experience, but your conclusions are baseless. Please provide actual statistics if you're going to make such ridiculous general claims. It is far more likely that you know others who use cannabis but will not admit it to you due to your obvious attitude about it.
And who the heck is trying to sell you anything here? No drugs (or actions for that matter) are w/out consequence. Also you seem to suggest that "consequence" is inherently bad, but that is not part of the definition.
A bright sunny day, your best cycling buddies, some uber-potent haze, and three+ hours later that sixty mile bike ride is history.
49
Nothing like getting stoned at the trailhead! I'm in my seventies and have been vigorously exercising after smoking and now vaping cannabis for some fifty years. Climbing mountains, biking up through the notches, xc skiing for hours on groomed trails or snowshoeing on several feet of unbroken snow, all after a puff or two on the vape, are a joy. Most of my exercise is aerobic, but I try to do about twenty minutes of intense wind sprint/intervale training in each hour or two session until my heart is beating like crazy.
I have a number of painful problems with my feet and weed seems to make me forget or tempers the pain. But I've always loved smoking a joint before setting out on a steep climb. It makes the extra effort and long uphill slogs go by with a minimum of suffering. Or if the weather is bad and I'm exercising on a stationary bike, which is so boring to me, it makes the time and legs fly.
Only problem, and according to other articles in the NYT this is true for outdoor recreationists in general: I get really hungry and then eat too much in the evening.
190
@BSargent
Whatever the downside of marijuana use may be regarding exercise, it's nothing compared to the drug that 1/3 of Americans over 45 are on.
Knowing the following, would you be comfortable taking this drug? From a double blind exercise study, some on the drug, some not:
"The unmedicated volunteers improved their aerobic fitness significantly after three months of exercise, by more than 10 percent on average. But the volunteers taking (this drug) gained barely 1 percent on average in their fitness, and some possessed less aerobic capacity at the end of the study than at its start.
"...they found notable differences in the levels of an enzyme related to the health of mitochondria, the tiny energy-producing parts of a cell. Mitochondria generally increase in number and potency when someone exercises. But in the volunteers taking (this drug), enzyme levels related to mitochondrial health fell by about 4.5 percent over the course of the experiment. The same levels increased by 13 percent in the group not taking the drug."
The drug is statins, the "cholesterol drug" so many Americans take. For those who haven't had a cardiovascular event, there isn't adequate proof of benefit. For those who get adverse effects, our country has no system for tracking them. (For secondary prevention, there seems to be benefit.)
PS Marathon runners on statins develop more markers of muscle damage after a race than runners not using the drugs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23583255
2
Weird...I thought the stereotype of heading to the couch and overeating was completely true, based on my own study- sample size of 1.
No chance I have to will and energy to go the gym and exercise stoned.
2
@Phil
Maybe you should give it a try!
Could be that you enjoy the experience more and want to repeat it.
Anyway, couldn't hurt right?
5
@Phil
Perhaps you've been using an Indica strain? Try a Sativa, or a hybrid.
5
@Phil You don't need to go to the gym. Go to the beach for a swim, or paddle a lazy river, or take a long relaxing walk.
3
Not in the least bit surprising. As someone else said, it's not about enhancing performance, but about making the working more enjoyable. Imbibe some cannabis, maybe put on some music in your earphones, and your workout suddenly isn't a chore anymore-- it's actually fun. Ditto for housework, yardwork, etc. And researchers are just now noticing something that's been going on under everyone's noses for decades. Hilarious.
126
@Dorothy N. Gray It's not that researchers are just now noticing. During research on Cannabis is illegal under federal law. So, if a researcher attempted to do research they were risking going to jail. There is plenty of pent up interest in the research community that may be relieved by legislation being considered.
7
@Dorothy N. Gray
I agree this shouldn't surprise anyone who enjoys cannabis as an adult or even hung out with anyone who enjoyed it. But for the rest of the population independent studies can be an important point of education, not to mention can form basis for legislature and other decisions which affect us. (Of course whether actual scientific study is used for legislature vs. what people ignorantly believe is a different matter.)
5
The first thing that opened my mind to this possibility was the news the Michael Phelps was a regular imbiber. Quite a stereotype breaker!
28
I've been both a cannabis and exercise enthusiast for about fifty years now. It is my feeling that cannabis has been mischaracterized as an intoxicant ever since the reefer madness meme took hold. For me, cannabis enhances awareness and just makes life more pleasant.
183
@Boris and Natasha
You don't need to feel the mischaracterization. The documentary "Grass" lays out a very convincing argument why the mischarterization was not only real, but intentional. The film is also funny.
https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/grass-a-marijuana-history-narrated-by-woody-harrelson/
4
@Boris and Natasha, the first time I smoked, I understood the words of the "Back in the USSR" and can still sing it 40 years ago! Talk about enhanced awareness.
Working out clears the head so you can get high again – otherwise it’s just maintenance. It usually makes a work-out more enjoyable, especially with music, but sometimes the workout can seem to go on foreva. Two issues to study: why do life-long pot smokers look younger (my theory is less stress) and what does it do to the heart rate – it seems to maintain it at elevated levels for longer, with beneficial effects.
5
I suppose I could have done all the necessary training to successfully complete my last half-ironman triathlon, in my early 50s, without cannabis. But it sure made the training easier and, I would venture to say, more fun.
And as a component to doing the regular deep stretching necessary to stay limber enough to complete long hard workouts day after day- and an inexpensive one, at that - it is irreplaceable, imo.
22
To me, it kept me out of lying doctors (as you can see NYT articles about doctors, and HC industry)over 41 years . At the age of 25 migrated and joined software training, consulting company where I was introduced cannabis by my genius bosses in computers and I am a book keeper. Since then, never looked back and became visionary in computing. One thing is that it kept me honest with integrity in my finance and computing field. I was around gym since my childhood. That said I did not gain much weigh and I eat 99% of the time home food and I cook myself before married. my knowledge and wisdom made me understand everything about the universe and living with clear mind confusion less. I was most sought after at work in every field of business and computing. I am not professing anything but sharing my experience and not being afraid.
2
this finding is hardly surprising. Exercise imparts a 'runner's high' by releasing endocannabinoids. People who enjoy the 'buzz' from exercise are simply amplifying it with extra external cannabinoids.
16
Why does anyone use a mind or even body altering substance? I hope the doctors make that question part of the study. I would bet many answers include a release of pain, stress, limitations/worry. Dr. Bryan suspects as much at the end of the article. It's what I tell my kids as a checkpoint. "What are you doing and why are you doing it..."
5
@Ellie Brown
To answer your question, most people take mind or body altering drugs because their doctors prescribe them: 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug, and 50% take at least two.
21
@Ellie Brown
Because they like it?
18
@Ellie Brown There is no "logical" reason for using mind altering substances, like cannabis and alcohol. Yet human being have been imbibing quite literally since we became humans. There is archeological evidence of the manufacture and use of such substances especially since we became agriculturists, formed communities and became "civilized". To turn your question on its head: What is the value of art or of an afternoon sailing or of dancing? Logic and functionality come nowhere near embracing the whole of the human spirit.
65
I went to a gym in Germany that had a bar, not a fruit and vegetable smoothie bar but a liquor bar in the workout room. Some exercisers were drinking beer between sets. Whatever works.
6
@Dr. OutreAmour
I once worked in Germany, at a factory that had beer dispensers on the factory floor.
Well, this has been hiding in plain sight for a while. There are few things more pleasant than smoking with a good friend and going for a long walk. Or smoking alone and doing non-mentally taxing chores. It's about enjoying the movement, not "improving performance." And cannabis has always dampened my appetite, which I've heard from many friends. It's for after dinner or between meals.
93
@RAC yeah i think "the munchies" is an isolated phenomenon associated with parties. 30 years since i smoked but it did make for a nice set of Tai Chi.
11
@RAC
Or even mentally taxing ones, like recreational math. The stuff makes it easier to dwell on abstract concepts.
6
@RAC It absolutely surpasses my appetite. For the past 9 years.