I knew there was something about running I loved… I’ve had friends tell me that in high school they would smoke pot before workouts and races (I thought they were lying). Now, potential health problems aside, it makes some sense - you artificially duplicate/induce the body’s response to prolonged stress at the beginning of your run, which, I guess in theory, could allow you to run faster earlier (while you have more energy) while feeling less pain. Hmmm… Who’s going to take on this study and post their findings?
What a bunch of bullsh*t! The article makes me wonder not if I should smoke pot but if Arne Deitriche, the auther, does. People are always trying to explain our lifestyle in a way that reflects theirs. In the seventies the fact that running felt good meant to some people that running got you high. I never got that and now it’s back again. Good luck Arne, smoke up!
Whoa, easy! It’s just a study. I didn’t get the impression that it meant to explain our lifestyle at all. Rather, I found it interesting that the researcher suggested running or cycling at intensity levels that produce the naturally occuring cannaboids in our body (that he claims are responsible for the “runner’s high”) that are similar to those in THC and that the activity might therefore benefit sufferers of glaucoma or chronic illness, who already find relief in marijuana therapy.
True or not? Who knows. 500 years ago everyone knew the world was flat.
Let’s not get too excited here… just because anandamide is elevated after exercise doens’t mean it’s responsible for a “runner’s high”. It’s not hard to see why this might get onto CNN but it’s not exactly ground-breaking science.
I’m sure many people have tried various pain killer’s (legal or illegal) before races/workouts, but I’d guess the side effects outweigh any advantage of reduced pain sensation.