BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — CU will begin a first-of-its-kind study on how legal market cannabis affects exercise performance.
The study will examine the effects of Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, and cannabidiol, CBD, has on the body during athletic performance.
“Cannabis is often associated with a decrease in motivation. But at the same time, we are seeing an increasing number of anecdotal reports of people using it in combination with everything from golfing and yoga to snowboarding and running,” said PhD student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Laurel Gibson.
(Photo by Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado)
Previous studies in exercise neuroscience suggest it is not endorphins that cause the “runner’s high,” but cannabinoid-like chemicals the brain naturally produces. The study will look at whether supplementing cannabis during exercise will have the “runner’s high” effect.
The Study on Physical Activity and Cannabis Effects, or SPACE, is searching for volunteers who already use cannabis while exercising. The study consist of three sessions.
In the first session, participants will take a baseline cognitive and physical test and be assigned either CBD or THC strains. In the second, they will be observed working out sober. In the last session, the participants will workout using the strain they were assigned.
Those running the SPACE study hope to find other benefits as well.
“If cannabis could ease pain and inflammation, helping older adults to be more active, that could be a real benefit,” said CU Boulder Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Angela Bryan.
For more information on the SPACE study, click here.
