One of the most surprising results of smoking cannabis is that it can decrease exercise performance. This is because it interferes with a person’s ability to focus, control and coordinate their body during an activity.
It also increases heart rate, supine blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, you should not smoke cannabis right before or after exercising.
Increased Muscle Strength
While some research suggests that cannabis may increase muscle strength through bronchodilation (relaxing the muscles in the lungs and widening the airways), the evidence is limited. Moreover, it’s not clear how this affects people who don’t have asthma, as these alterations in lung function might interfere with aerobic performance.
Researchers have also found that marijuana can reduce the activity of motor neurons, which are nerve cells that control the movement of our muscles. This effect may help people suffering from neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
As a result, reducing the activity of these motor neurons can decrease muscle weakness. This can make it easier to lift weights and build muscle mass.
One way to do this is to consume different strains and products with a variety of cannabinoid ratios. For example, one strain of flower might be high in THC while another is low in THC and high in CBD.
There are also different types of hemp products, such as CBD oils, that contain very little to no THC. These products can also be helpful for people who don’t want to get high.
In addition, some people claim that consuming cannabis after training can help them recover faster. This is particularly true for people who have just finished a hard workout or are training for an upcoming competition.
This may be because the active ingredients in cannabis can induce a calming state, which can be useful for athletes who are anxious or nervous about their performance. Additionally, it can reduce pain and discomfort in the muscles, which can also speed up recovery time after a workout.
Aside from these effects, marijuana can also affect the body’s hormones that affect muscle growth. In particular, marijuana can affect testosterone levels.
It can also have an effect on the body’s appetite, as THC may cause you to eat more food than usual after consumption. This might be beneficial for people who are trying to gain muscle mass, but it’s important that you eat the proper foods to get the most out of your diet.
Finally, marijuana use can also negatively impact your cardiorespiratory system and may impair your ability to complete a physical activity. As such, it’s probably best to avoid cannabis if you are involved in sports or exercise.
Increased Muscle Endurance
Muscular endurance is the ability of your body to exert a certain amount of force over a period of time. It’s important for everything from everyday tasks to sports.
You can develop muscular endurance by doing exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and high repetitions, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and pull-ups. These exercises help your muscles grow strong and thick, explains Dyan Tsiumis, C.P.T., an instructor at Openfit and Equinox.
The type of exercise you choose depends on your personal goals and fitness level. If you’re looking to improve your athletic performance, focus on strengthening large muscle groups, such as the legs and back.
Some exercises that build endurance include squats, push-ups, and lateral lunges, which target the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. They’re also great for developing the strength of the core.
It’s also a good idea to mix up your workout routine with plyometrics, which are fast-paced, high-intensity movements that use explosive energy. These can be done on a treadmill, in a gym, or at home.
In addition to building muscle strength, plyometrics can increase endurance and speed up recovery times after workouts. This type of training can also help reduce the risk of injury, says Tsiumis.
While a lot of research has focused on how cannabis affects the nervous system, there’s less information on how it affects the muscular system. Although a few studies have shown that marijuana weakens muscles and causes fatigue in some people, researchers are still trying to understand exactly how the drug affects muscle function.
Many of these effects are attributed to changes in the endocannabinoid system. This may be because cannabis can activate or inhibit the endocannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) in the brain and body.
These changes can also cause your muscles to become more adapted to the task at hand, which can make it easier for you to complete tasks without straining. The resulting flexibility can also prevent injuries and keep you performing better in your workouts.
Unlike strength, which is measured by how much you can lift or resist, endurance is determined by your ability to sustain physical activity for a longer period of time. This is why doing 100 bodyweight squats in one go is more challenging for someone with poor endurance than for someone with superior strength.
Decreased Muscle Fatigue
Muscle fatigue is a common symptom that people experience after a long day at work or during exercise. Fortunately, there are several treatment options for muscle fatigue, and cannabis can be one of them.
The most important factor that contributes to muscle fatigue is lactic acid, a waste product of cellular respiration that occurs during intense physical activity. Lactic acid causes muscles to become fatigued and weak. This is because it robs the cells of oxygen, which is vital to maintaining the energy needed to carry out physical activity.
Luckily, cannabis can help reduce the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. This can make the symptoms of muscle fatigue much less severe, so it is a great way to treat this condition.
Another way that cannabis can reduce muscle fatigue is by helping the body to recover. It can do this by allowing the muscle to recover from the stresses that caused it to fatigue in the first place.
Aside from this, it also helps to decrease inflammation and repair damaged muscle tissue. This can reduce pain and discomfort, as well as improve the overall quality of life.
As you can see, cannabis has many benefits for the muscular system. However, it is important to keep in mind that it can be dangerous for some people.
This is because it can be a trigger for cardiovascular disease. It can also affect the nervous system, causing anxiety and depression.
If you are considering using cannabis to manage your muscle fatigue, it is important to consult with a medical professional before you do so. This will allow them to diagnose the cause of your fatigue and determine whether or not it is a serious condition that requires treatment.
It is also important to take note of the frequency and duration of your workouts, as well as any changes in your body’s ability to perform certain activities. This will help you to avoid any injuries and reduce your risk of fatigue in the future.
In addition to exercising regularly, you should eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein. This will ensure that you are getting the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to fight against muscle fatigue.
Decreased Muscle Spasms
When it comes to the muscular system, cannabis is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. This is because it binds with the cannabinoid receptors in our endocannabinoid system (ECS). By doing so, THC reduces certain inflammation responses that trigger muscle spasms, allowing for greater mobility and less pain. This makes marijuana an effective treatment for chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, which causes inflammation and twitching of the muscles.
It also relieves pain, which can help people with MS to move around and function better in their daily lives. THC also has a mild sedative effect, which can help people with MS who have frequent muscle spasms to sleep better.
While this is a promising side effect, more research needs to be done to understand how cannabis can help decrease muscle spasms in patients with underlying health conditions. Until then, people with muscle spasms should speak to their doctors about medical marijuana.
A muscle spasm is a sudden contraction of the muscles, often involuntary and occurring without warning. These can last from seconds to minutes and may feel tense, tight or painful.
Muscle spasms are most common in the legs, but they can affect the arms and back, too. When they occur in severe cases, they can cause tears in tendons or ligaments and can lead to joint stiffness.
There are many different ways to treat muscle spasms, including exercise, rest and rehydration. It’s important to avoid overuse of the affected muscles because it can exacerbate the condition.
One of the best treatments for muscle spasms is a topical cream. These creams numb the affected area, easing the muscle out of a contraction and reducing the discomfort associated with the twitching.
Another way to treat muscle spasms is to smoke or vaporize cannabis. Using the correct amount of marijuana, depending on your symptoms and medical history, can greatly increase your chances of getting relief from muscle spasms.
Several studies have shown that medical marijuana can be a very effective treatment for chronic muscle spasms. This is because it contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), both of which have anti-inflammatory properties. By binding with the cannabinoid receptors, THC and CBD reduce inflammation in the body, preventing the spasms from recurring.
