Before you hit the weights or head to the gym, you might want to hit up your bong. It’s a total myth that pot smokers are lazy eating machines that aren’t moving from the couch anytime soon. But did you know that smoking cannabis before your next workout could get your some major gains?
For athletes that need to focus on the job at hand, marijuana can prevent overthinking. The workout smoke is perfect for athletes like runner Clifford Drusinsky, who are training for marathons or long, and shall we say it, boring workouts. Smoking can give the athlete an upbeat and stimulated attitude.
This generated focus is due to cannabis calming the receptors in the brain that give off, “flight or fight” responses. These “flight or fight” responses are also identified as paranoia or anxiety.
This effect is perfect for low-impact sports, such as yoga or barre where concentration is needed to stretch and relax the muscles. Your child’s pose will thank you after that bong rip.
Cannabis might get your mind ready for the fight, but it also prepares your physical body for the workout as well.
For runners, marijuana can increase the flow of oxygen that gets from your mouth to your lungs. According to a study in 2012, people who smoked a joint every day for seven years didn’t have any more adverse problems in the lungs compared to non-smokers.
Also, having a pre-workout toke boosts your metabolism meaning your workout will be much more efficient. According to a study by American Journal of Medicine, cannabis smokers have a “16 percent higher levels of fasting insulin” and “17 percent lower insulin resistance levels” as compared to nonsmokers.
Having significant insulin levels, like the ones seen in the cannabis smoker’s body, mean having a fit and toned physique. They are especially important in reducing belly fat, which is controlled by active cannabinoids in the stomach which are triggered by THC in marijuana.
If you have a particularly challenging workout, marijuana can also be used a way to deal with any tightness or pain in the muscles. Smoking cannabis can relieve nerves that have become inflamed from the workout or a lack of stretching.
Marijuana can reduce the amount of pain that the body feels because it stimulates our amount of dopamine. Dopamine is a transmitter in the brain that controls our amount of pleasure, happiness, and in general our moods. Cannabis smokers or athletes that smoke have an increase of dopamine that is in the body.
So whether you want to make serious muscle or if you’re trying just to make running fun, take a workout smoke before you get your game on. You can thank us later.
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