There is a growing community of athletes that believe cannabis can improve athletic performance.
Contrary to the image of a couch potato stoner reaching for a bag of chips to answer to the call of munchies, these athletes incorporate cannabis into their fitness regimen. Some do it to enhance their game, while others use it for focus. There are no studies to support this use, but these athletes are embarking on their own journey to unlock the mystery.
“Colon and breast. I use a cannabis tincture before I swim laps. It helps me focus and work out harder.” Rogers said that with 2,100 strains available in California, it took some time to figure out which was best for her needs. She is quick to point out that she doesn’t use a psychoactive cannabis and that each person is different. “At Harborside Health Centers, we have formulation specialists,” she said, “There isn’t one strain that works for everyone.”
Jim McAlpine is one of the earliest supporters that made the connection between cannabis and fitness. He became a convert after using marijuana as a way to lose weight, a big contrast to the image of a stoner gorging on snack foods to satisfy the munchies. McAlpine established the 420 Games, a competition among athletes that use cannabis. “I wanted to destigmatize the people that used marijuana. I wanted to teach people the healthy and optimal way to take in cannabis,” he said.
He advises taking in cannabis by either a vaporizer or an edible as opposed to smoking flower.
McAlpine has joined with former NFL football player Ricky Williams in creating a gym called Power Plant Fitness. “We’ll do a cannabis performance assessment for our clients by starting with a baseline workout. In a calculated way, we’ll determine the best protocol,” said McAlpine. The smoking area will be separate.
According to McAlpine, there are two specific ways to incorporate cannabis into a fitness regimen.
Either post-workout for pain and muscle recovery or he said many use cannabis for focus. “Whether it’s the gym, skiing, jogging or swimming, it allows my mind to laser focus,” he said.
McAlpine isn’t selling marijuana and pointed out that everything he does is legal. He said, “I follow the law and I’m not scared of prosecution,” McAlpine hopes to become the leading authority on fitness and cannabis.
Seibo Shen co-founder and chief executive officer of VapeXhale agreed with Rogers. “There is no one magic bullet.” Shen got involved with the Cannathlete program after noticing that several professional athletes were buying his premium vaporizer product. “I called them and thanked them for being a customer and started asking questions,” he said. He had been a supporter of cannabis, but never felt that it improved his athletic ability. “I felt I did better when I was sober,” Shen said.
Then, he met Jake Shields and Denny Prokopos and the more he learned he became convinced that incorporating cannabis into his workout program was helping him. Like Rogers and McAlpine, he realized that finding the right product was the key. Shen also thought that this may be holding back other cannabis users from fitting this into their regimen.
The Cannathlete program with Shield and Prokopos has begun developing a program to help athletes figure out the best formula for them. They held their first event in San Francisco in July.
As more states legalize marijuana and cannabis use becomes more accepted, don’t be surprised if your trainer begins suggesting cannabis as part of your workout routine.
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