Taken together, these findings suggest that CBD has the potential to influence CV function. By translating neuroscience into sport-specific metrics, these findings furnish a rigorous, athlete centered basis for informed decisions about THC use. These findings are critical to sports because field vision depends on spatial awareness, multi-target updating, and rapid extraction of task relevant cues from clutter. The effects of cannabis and THC on rudimentary cardiorespiratory physiology in resting humans are well characterized; however, both cannabis potency and investigative research capabilities have increased dramatically since many of these studies were initially performed, without concomitant study. While the bona fide effects of cannabis on athletic performance are limited by an incomplete evidence-base with low ecological validity for athletes, the physiological actions of cannabis and THC offer important insight into perturbations of cardiorespiratory homeostasis through which cannabis may interact with performance. Despite evidence of long-standing human consumption over the ages , scientific investigation into the effects of cannabis has been relatively limited, largely in part to challenges faced to investigate a drug that has a long global history of prohibition and tight regulatory control 2, 3.
As to whether it enhances performance, the 2011 study acknowledges that “much additional research is needed to determine the effects of cannabis on athletic performance,” but notes that “cannabis induces euphoria, improves self-confidence, induces relaxation and steadiness, and relieves the stress of competition.” The study also acknowledges that cannabis decreases coordination. Ultimately, they hope their findings can help inform discussions everywhere from doctors’ offices to the governing bodies of sport, which will soon be re-evaluating whether marijuana should remain listed as a “banned substance” in part because of its potential to enhance performance. The effects of cannabis on athletic performance are complex and multifaceted, with both potential benefits and risks. With that, it is important to acknowledge that the scientific community is still unraveling the complex interactions between cannabis and athletic performance. Adverse analytical findings (AAFs) for cannabinoids from 1998 to 2009 from the International Olympic Committee (1998–2002) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (2003–9) Much additional research is needed to determine the effects of cannabis on athletic performance.
First, the distribution of subjects per cluster was observed (intra-cluster homogeneity) and second, differences for the clustering variables were tested by chi-square to examine cluster separation (inter-cluster heterogeneity). A systematic analysis of sample sizes for cluster analyses reviewed 243 cluster analyses. We hypothesized that athletes use cannabis to effectively manage pain and anxiety. CBD is primarily known for its efficacy against seizure disorders and has also been shown to provide pain relief, anti-spasticity properties and can reduce anxiety 16,17.
Possibility of Improving Performance
The effects of chronic cannabis responsible cannabis use guidance consumption on physiological parameters of athletic performance are investigated to determine whether chronic cannabis consumption negatively affects athletic performance; improves performance, potentially via enhanced recovery; or has no effect at all.
Abstinence-related recovery likely reflects partial normalization (e.g., receptor resensitization; restoration of excitation-inhibition balance), consistent with observed functional improvement following sustained cessation (31). While public discussion often centers on policy and detection thresholds, the scientifically salient question for athletes is whether THC compromises game-speed cognition or decision-making. Surpisingly, this heightened mood was even greater in the CBD group than in the THC group, suggesting athletes may be able to get some of the benefits to mood without the impairment that can come with THC. “The bottom-line finding is that cannabis before exercise seems to increase positive mood and enjoyment during exercise, whether you use THC or CBD. The study of 42 runners, published Dec. 26 in the journal Sports Medicine, comes almost exactly 10 years after Colorado became the first state to commence legal sales of recreational marijuana, at a time when cannabis-users increasingly report mixing it with workouts. The supplement was guest edited by Lawrence L. Spriet, who convened a virtual meeting of the GSSI Expert Panel in October 2020 and received honoraria from the GSSI, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., for his participation in the meeting.
1 Sleep and Anxiety
Most of the work reviewed to date on cannabis effects on performance or safety have focused on recreational use rather than specifically authorized medical use; little is known of the adverse effects of cannabis when used under medical supervision, however, effects seem modest and well-tolerated.38,39 There is an apparent paradox in considering the effects of cannabis on athletic performance. Despite some modest efforts to explore the therapeutic effects of THC for asthma,5 anxiety,6 and sleep,7 the potential therapeutic effects of cannabinoids largely disappeared from scientific view.
While CBD is considered safe, THC can impair cognitive functions, potentially affecting performance and increasing the risk of injury. Additional articles were reviewed based on references obtained from initial articles. Over-the-counter CBD-containing “nutraceuticals” are now readily available in many countries and of increasing interest to the community . Factors that contribute to poor sleep among athletes include evening competitions and training sessions, pre-competition anxiety, use of caffeine, and long-haul travel (e.g. jet lag, travel fatigue) . Thus, studies investigating the effect of CBD (in conjunction with behaviour therapies) on pre-competition anxiety, as well as nutritional intake, energy expenditure, symptom perception during exercise (e.g. ratings of perceived exertion), and sleep in athletes who are negatively impacted by SPA are warranted. A number of studies have measured CV responses to CBD (100–1200 mg) in humans and, overall, it appears that resting HR is unaffected (see Sultan et al. for review).
Given that this field of study is quite new, studies specifically focusing on athletic performance were limited. In 2017, a systematic review encompassing a decade of research on cannabis was published by the Journal of Sports Medicine to assess its influence on strength and cardiovascular health. A study conducted by Brazilian researchers investigated the effects of CBD on social anxiety triggered by a simulated public speaking situation. The influence of cannabis use on sleep patterns, mood, and anxiety is another area that merits exploration in sports science. Currently, only a few investigations have examined the immediate impacts of cannabis on physical exercise, most of which were carried out many years ago.
Docter et al. (2020) reviewed the epidemiology of cannabis use in student and elite athletes, finding that approximately one in four had used cannabis in the past year and that athletes commonly believed that cannabis would negatively affect their performance, consistent with research findings suggesting that cannabis is non-ergogenic and potentially ergolytic. To determine if scientific grounds exist for regarding cannabis as a potential doping agent, Trinh et al. (2018) performed a systematic review, finding only three studies fitting their criteria, published between 1975 and 1986 (Maksud and Baron 1980; Renaud and Cormier 1986; Steadward and Singh 1975). The effects of cannabis on athletic performance have recently been reviewed.1 This article will review this material, provide a broad context for the discussion, and highlight some novel considerations of cannabis use by athletes. CBD initially drew scientific interest due to its anticonvulsant properties but increasing evidence of other therapeutic effects has attracted the attention of additional clinical and non-clinical populations, including athletes. The behavioral and cardiovascular effects of cannabis were measured at baseline and repeatedly throughout the session.
In recent research, 20.8 per cent of 20–29 year-olds in the general Australian population had used cannabis in the last year compared to 3.7 per cent of 20–29 year-old athletes. In addition, for some people, cannabis use can cause increased anxiety, panic, nervousness and restlessness thus causing disruption to sleeping patterns. Prevalence and correlates of cannabis use among athletes-A systematic review. Acute cannabis consumption has been shown to cause an increase in blood pressure, specifically systolic blood pressure (SBP), and orthostatic hypotension. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, widely marketed to athletes for claimed effects such as decreased anxiety, fear memory extinction, anti-inflammatory properties, relief of pain and for post-exercise recovery.
The bronchodilation finding is consistent with Tashkin et al. (1975), in which bronchospasm was induced in asthmatic patients via methacholine inhalation and via exercise on separate occasions. These studies show a small ergogenic effect on FEV1 via bronchodilation, and an opposing ergolytic effect on anaerobic performance, as measured by PWC. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and lung capacity (often measured by one-second Forced Expiratory Volume; FEV1) are secondary measures of interest that detect isolated components of aerobic performance. In modern studies, peak power is usually measured using the Wingate methodology. Chronic cannabis consumption had no significant effect on athletic performance. The strongest predictors of athletic performance (VO2Max and PWC) were not found to be significantly different between groups in any of the included studies.
Recent scientific findings on the widespread endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) and its associated receptors, ligands, and physiological roles have contributed to the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids derived from cannabis. Further investigation into the possible positive effects of cannabis within pain management strategies, particularly in alleviating symptoms associated with concussions, is warranted. This review aims to outline the difficulties in interpreting data related to elite athletic performance while also identifying key research domains that require further exploration.
Measures of pulmonary function and VO2Max
Given the frequent use of cannabis and CBD by athletes, enhancing the scientific comprehension of CBD’s effects on athlete recovery and performance is essential. CBD seems to exhibit properties that may be anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic, anxiolytic, and potentially beneficial for recovery in athletes, yet additional scientific validation is necessary to substantiate these claims. A comparison of the effectiveness of CBD with traditional medications should be conducted.
Specifically, CBD was found to normalize concentrations of extracellular glutamate, d-aspartate, and γ-aminobutyric acid in the medial prefrontal cortex, indicating a potential decrease in excitotoxicity. The observed behavioral alterations, such as anxiety, aggression, depressive-like states, impaired social interactions, and pain-related behaviors, were lessened by CBD, alongside some cortical biochemical irregularities. It is crucial to acknowledge that the mechanisms underlying Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD) and muscular dystrophy (MD) vary, meaning the effects noted in MDX mice may involve pathways that are less applicable to EIMD. A recent study reported that participants who vaporized 100 mg of CBD showed elevated blood CBD levels 30 minutes after treatment. Both studies noted significant variability in individual pharmacokinetic responses. The author(s) stated that they did not receive financial support for this research or its publication.