A sedentary lifestyle lacking a healthy exercise regime is a risk factor for several diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and others. Nowadays, it is frequently debated whether cannabis consumption has a role in the motivation to engage in physical activities.
Cannabis use has been shown to have a positive impact on factors that have a detrimental effect on the frequency of physical engagement, including exhaustion, chronic pain, and a lack of enjoyment. Thus, it is imperative to understand the relationship shared between cannabis consumption and motivation for physical exercise.
A study led by the University of Colorado in the US examined the impacts of cannabis use in an exercise intervention program to promote physical activity in sedentary adults over 60 years of age. The study included 164 adults, consisting of cannabis users and non-users,whoh were observed for 16 weeks.
Here, they found that the BMI (body mass index, a value that measures body fat) of cannabis users was significantly lower when compared to non-users at all time points of the study (week 0, week 8, and week 16). They also found that cannabis users exercised more frequently per week and were more likely to engage in more physical activities per exercise session. However, they found no difference in cardiovascular fitness (measured by the volume of oxygen the body consumes during physical activity) between cannabis users and non-users.
Meanwhile, a study led by the University of Bordeaux in France evaluated the effects of CB1 alterations on motivation for wheel-running in mice. Herein, they tested the effect of treatment with CB1 drug antagonists ∆9-THC and SR141716, the effect of treatment with MAGL selective inhibitor JZL184 (known to increase the concentration of the 2-AG endocannabinoid that acts on CB1 receptors), and genetic ablation of CB1 receptors on motivation for physical exercise in mice.
The researchers found that neither ∆9-THC nor increments of 2-AG through treatment with JZL184 affected wheel-running-seeking behavior in mice. Moreover, they found that pretreatment with the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 or the genetic deletion of CB1 receptors resulted in decreased wheel-running-seeking behavior.
Thus, the researchers concluded that modulation of the CB1 receptor is positively correlated with wheel-running-seeking behavior in mice. Nonetheless, modulation of cannabinoids that interact with the CB1 receptor does not affect wheel-running-seeking behavior.
Even though cannabis consumption is usually perceived as a drug that encourages lethargic behaviors, anecdotal stories often digress and state that cannabis consumption makes physical activities a more pleasurable experience. Furthermore, due to the anti-inflammatory properties of the plant, people often experience a faster recovery from after-exercise fatigue symptoms.
According to the studies examined, previous perceptions of Cannabis consumption being correlated with a lack of motivation for physical activity engagement are mistaken. Nonetheless, the correlation between cannabis consumption and a more engaging motivation towards physical exercise seems to be unclear due to mixed results.
Hurel, I., Muguruza, C., Redon, B., Marsicano, G., & Chaouloff, F. (2021). Cannabis and exercise: Effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on preference and motivation for wheel-running in mice. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110117
YorkWilliams, S. L., Gibson, L. P., Gust, C. J., Giordano, G., Hutchison, K. E., & Bryan, A. D. (2020). Exercise Intervention Outcomes with Cannabis Users and Nonusers Aged 60 and Older. American Journal of Health Behavior, 44(4), 420–431. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.44.4.5
