Marijuana is becoming increasingly popular across the United States and the world. With legalization, many different ways to consume marijuana were introduced, including smoking, vaping, and eating. Smoking marijuana is the most common way to consume it, but it can also be harmful to your lungs. Vaping is a newer method that is known to be less harmful than smoking. Dry herb vaporizers like those offered by MagicVaporizers have been gaining in popularity because these devices offer several benefits over smoking, such as improved flavor, reduced exposure to harmful chemicals and particles, and more efficient use of your herbs. Eating marijuana can take longer to take effect, but the effects last longer.
And while many people use it as a recreational drug, others are consuming it for the health benefits that it offers. Cannabis oil has been proven to help athletes with pain relief, manage anxiety, improve sleep and increase focus. Despite the benefits that cannabis oil may provide, many professional athletes are still hesitant to consume it for fear of punishment from their governing body or negative public reaction. However, with more states legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use, professional athletes will likely begin to explore the benefits of cannabis oil more openly. Athlete consumption of marijuana is quickly becoming a more accepted practice, and with good reason- the potential health benefits are vast.
Improve Sleep
The very first benefit of marijuana for professional athletes is the fact that it can help you improve your sleep. If you aren’t aware, one of the most important aspects of exercise, or even gaining muscle is getting enough sleep.
This is because when you sleep, your body begins recovering and repairing. More importantly, protein-building amino acids are released at a much faster rate during sleep, which increases the size and strength of muscles over time. A lot of research has gone into the topic of marijuana and improving sleep and the results have been quite promising.
Reduce Inflammation
The second benefit that marijuana has to offer to professional athletes is that it can reduce inflammation. If you aren’t an athlete then you know the pain that is experienced when you push yourself too far in the gym. One of the reasons you experience this pain is inflammation of the muscles.
Since cannabis has shown promise in treating the inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, lupus, and Crohn’s disease, many athletes have found relief from the pain associated with working out. Topicals have proved to be the most effective at treating localized inflammation; pain caused by inflammation in one specific area of the body.
Improve Mental Sharpness
Before the legalization of marijuana, many studies were showing that cannabis had a detrimental effect on the brain. However, since legalization studies are now showing that there is no detrimental effect on the brain if you consume marijuana. What studies are showing, however, is that marijuana could improve cognitive function.
What does this mean for athletes? This means that the exercise routines that might have been boring at first are much more fun whilst under the influence of marijuana, which leads to longer gym sessions, and in turn, increased results. It also helps reduce anxiety, so athletes can focus on the task at hand.
Helps With Muscle Spasms
One thing that many if not all athletes around the globe experience from time to time are muscle spasms. Unfortunately, some athletes experience muscle spasms more than others, which could be linked to an underlying health condition. The good news is that marijuana has shown promise in treating muscle spasms, especially with conditions like Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
In a nutshell, a muscle spasm is the involuntary contraction of a muscle. This mainly happens if a muscle group has become fatigued and overworked, which leads to cramping and twitching in the muscle fibers. Sometimes it can also be caused by improper stretching or beginning to work out before the muscle has been warmed up.
Increased Endurance
The next benefit that athletes can receive from marijuana is that it can increase their endurance. That is to say that the way that marijuana affects your mind and body can lead to you working out for longer, but it doesn’t increase your levels of fitness. For example, since marijuana can improve your sleep, which in turn improves the preparation and gains, you will be able to work out for slightly longer in the future.
In addition to this, as mentioned, marijuana is great for anxiety and mental acuity. This means that you will be able to focus on the exercises and enjoy them, which means longer gym sessions and increased results. Since marijuana is also effective at reducing pain and soreness, it means that you will have a faster recovery time and that means working out for longer and improving your levels of fitness faster.