As Canada moves towards legalizing cannabis use, there are many questions concerning the potential impact this will have on the operational readiness of the CAF. One major concern is the potential for negative health effects such as lung damage, mental health problems and addiction. Another important concern is what effect cannabis use could have on fitness training and physical performance.
Companies will soon offer a wide variety of cannabis products and how they affect people will vary depending on a number of variables including the different plant strains used, the potency of the product, the amount used, how it is consumed and if it is used in combination with medications, other drugs and alcohol. The effects of using “Street” cannabis will be even more unpredictable given the lack of control on what they contain and their potency. Regardless of the source, cannabis is a complex drug and the way people react to using it will be highly individual. This will make it very difficult to predict how any individual in the CAF will respond to using cannabis as part of his or her fitness program.
Remarkably little research has been done on how cannabis use affects exercise and physical performance. In 2017, the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport published a systematic review that found only 15 scientific articles on the effects of cannabis on exercise and some of these studies were of questionable quality. While the World Anti-Doping Agency has banned the use of cannabis during competition, this ban exists more to protect athletes from the harmful effects of cannabis use than it does because of performance enhancement concerns. The Canadian Centre for Excellence in Sport has stated there isn’t enough scientific evidence to consider cannabis a meaningful performance enhancer. Keeping in mind the limited scientific information that exists on this topic, let’s look at its effects on fitness.
To date, scientists have found cannabis offers very few exercise advantages. All these advantages are small and may not be realized by most people. Cannabis has been shown to reduce pain and has been used by some athletes to push harder when they train. This is a dangerous training strategy because it increases the risk of injury from over training. It also makes it possible for some people to keep training while they are injured, increasing the risk of making their injury worse. Cannabis may enhance work out recovery because of its anti-inflammatory and sleep enhancing properties. Many people do not experience this benefit because cannabis actually disrupts their sleep. Some people feel energized and motivated after using cannabis – putting them in a better state of mind to train. Most people experience the opposite effect. Some people find the euphoria caused by using cannabis makes exercising a more enjoyable experience. Most people find the negative side effects of cannabis use make exercising an unpleasant experience. Cannabis reduces performance anxiety in some people. This potential benefit has very little application in the fitness training of CAF personnel.
While there is minimal evidence that cannabis use will improve your fitness training program, there is a larger body of evidence indicating that cannabis is a physical performance reducer. The disadvantages of exercising with cannabis include:
1. There is no evidence cannabis improves strength;
2. Cannabis has been shown to reduce performance during maximal exercise testing;
3. All pregnant women, regardless of their physical activity level, should avoid cannabis because THC crosses the placenta and can affect the developing fetus;
4. Cannabis use significantly increases heart rate and causes a small increase in blood pressure. These two changes may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke during exercise – especially for people with heart disease;
5. Feeling stoned – dizziness, anxiety, disorientation, sedation, paranoia, hallucinations and fatigue can occur with cannabis use and this reduces or eliminates the desire to train and will inhibit physical performance;
6. Cannabis may reduce motivation, coordination, concentration, memory, position sense, balance, motor skills and reaction time. This reduces physical performance and increases the risk of injury especially when doing high speed or complex activities such as hockey, weightlifting and cycling. Cannabis use may also lead to poor decision making and risk taking behaviours which increase the potential for injury;
7. Cannabis gives some people the “munchies” which isn’t helpful if they are trying to lose weight
8. CAF personnel competing at the national, international or CISM level need to know that the World Anti-Doping Agency considers cannabis a prohibited substance (during competition) and this won’t change when cannabis use becomes legal in Canada.
The bottom line: research shows cannabis is at best a minimal performance enhancer and for most people it will likely be a performance reducer. Considering this, I recommend you “pass on using grass”, because of its potential to cause harmful health effects, negatively impact your fitness training and increase your risk of injury. As far as using cannabis to light a fire under your butt, if you aren’t a regular exerciser, it is unlikely using this substance will make it any easier to tie up your running shoes and head out for a workout. Train smart and remember exercise is medicine!
Dr. Darrell Menard OMM MD, Dip Sport Med
Dr. Menard is the Surgeon General’s specialist advisor in sports medicine and has worked extensively with athletes from multiple sports. As part of the Strengthening the Forces team he works on injury prevention and promoting active living.
Strengthening the Forces is CAF/DND’s healthy lifestyles promotion program providing expert information, skills and tools for promoting and improving CAF members’ health and well-being.
For more information on CFB Kingston’s Health Promotion Strengthening the Forces`Addiction Awareness campaign, please click here.