Can Weed Help You Recover From Workouts?

By Author: Stephen Rogard
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Smoking weed after your workouts might not be a conventional way to end such an activity, but doing might be beneficial, according to new research.

Thanks to cannabis’ medicinal properties, this remarkable plant can help you wind down after a heavy gym session. If you love going for long sweaty runs or enjoy heavy lifting at the gym, you might want to learn how this blessed herb can help your post-workout regime.

Benefits of Weed after Working Out

What you do in the hours following a workout is essential to recovery. For most people, a post-workout routine includes hydrating, eating, and resting. But one obvious benefit of smoking weed when you include it in your post-exercise routine is that it helps you relax. It gives your body the rest it needs for the recovery stage.

The well-known “munchies” will also encourage you to eat following an exercise session. Some people do not have the appetite after working out, but skipping food within two hours after exercising can make the time you spent in the gym relatively useless. Smoking weed following a workout will also ensure that you refuel your ...
... body. For those trying to bulk up, weed should help get through a high-calorie diet.

The science behind weed and exercise is in the early stages. Previous studies on cannabis mainly focused on its adverse effects, and it was only recently that experts are looking into its benefits on working out. Despite widespread use as post-workout recovery, there are no completed clinical studies on this subject. But even though science is not yet definitive, there is some indication that cannabis is useful for exercising.

Weed and Muscle Recovery

Following a strenuous workout, you may feel some pain the following morning. Referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS, this is a common consequence of exercise. Your stressed muscles have become inflamed, causing aching, stiffness, and soreness.

Typically, we treat DOMS with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like Ibuprofen. Chronic use of NSAIDs, however, can cause liver damage, stomach ulcers, and impaired muscle protein synthesis. Weed, on the other hand, is safe to consume and contains pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate DOMS.

Weed and Muscle Growth

A big misconception about weed and exercise is that the former reduces testosterone levels, making it detrimental to muscle growth. While cannabis does slightly lowers testosterone levels, it also increases the stress hormone cortisol and the growth hormone somatotropin, both of which are crucial to muscle recovery and growth.

One more important thing that needs to be considered regarding this information is that the results were based on animal studies. But these are always the initial phases of any human trials. Remember, humans have been consuming cannabis for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Thus, bodybuilders can rest easy with the knowledge that smoking weed after working out is safe.

Best Weed Consumption Method

Today, cannabis is available in many forms, giving you lots of options for adding it to your post-workout regimen. Edibles may be the tastiest option, but they can be inconsistent and take some time to take effect. Cannabis oils taken sublingually offer a faster and more effective solution, but perhaps the best method is vaping. It takes effect after only a few minutes and is much healthier than smoking.

If you are not a fan of vaping or smoking, you can always look into other options, like cannabis topical creams. Once you apply these directly to sore muscles and aching joints, you'll feel the soothing benefits. Another thing that you might want to try is cannabis bath bombs that you can use as a muscle-relaxing soak following a heavy workout.

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Mark Smith is an experienced content writer with a passion for crafting engaging and informative articles. With a diverse background in various industries, he excels at creating compelling narratives that resonate with readers and drive results.