The best American sprinter can’t compete in the Olympics for smoking marijuana. Many athletes are currently debating whether cannabis will make them stronger and faster. The science is pretty straightforward.
When the women’s 100-meter run starts in Tokyo at the Olympic Games, the American star runner Sha’Carri Richardson will be absent. Although she qualified with an outstanding running time, she was excluded from her own association from the Olympics a little later. Shortly after her acclaimed victory in the US eliminations, she had tested positive for the substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) contained in marijuana.
Many believe that marijuana improves performance
The horror at the disqualification of the 100-meter runner was great, as a result, a debate developed about the question: does cannabis make runners faster at all? Many recreational athletes around the world also took part in the discussion. Tips were exchanged in forums. This made waves especially in the running scene. Many posts discussed how training with a joint works best.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) classifies the drug as an illegal doping agent. But is there any scientific evidence that consumption makes athletes run faster and get stronger? The answer is: not yet. In medicine, many even suspect that the drug could reduce physical performance.
Nevertheless, the discrepancy between perception and reality seems to be large. According to a 2019 study, of 1161 athletes who consumed cannabis, a majority of around 70 percent reported that the drug helped them sleep better and helped them overcome pain during exercise. Still a staggering 60 percent said it reassured them. In one at the University of Colorado, 70 percent of subjects said they would reach for cannabis because the substance motivated them to move.
So marijuana is a harmless remedy that makes runners legs? A closer look at the study situation is definitely worthwhile. Simple tests with competitive athletes have shown that after consuming marijuana, the heart rate and blood pressure increase – so much that athletic performance is noticeably impaired. The “” dealt intensively with the topic. In the United States, marijuana use is now legal in many states. After evaluating numerous studies, they come to the conclusion: “All subsequent studies suggest that cannabis does not improve strength or endurance.”
For many today, cannabis is only a weak drug, comparable to alcohol. In addition, the line where doping begins is only very unclearly defined in recreational sports. Smoking a joint is often considered a minor offense. The side effects are severe. According to experts, numerous toxic and cancer-causing substances can be released, especially when smoking cannabis. In addition, cannabis users inhale the smoke longer, which suggests that the lungs are more exposed to substances such as tar. The American Lung Association concludes, “Smoking marijuana clearly damages the lungs.” As a runner who plays sports to be healthy, it is definitely something they don’t want.
Marijuana leaves its mark on the brain
There is also clear evidence that marijuana limits one’s ability to make decisions. If people react sensitively or at a correspondingly high dose, it can can quickly become a dangerous problem, for example when crossing streets during running training or in areas with cars. The German Sport University in Cologne (DSHS) comes to the following conclusion: “However, due to the sedative (calming) effect of cannabis, an athlete in dangerous sports (e.g. downhill cycling) can be more risky in competitions, which may then lead to a better competition result can go along. “
But the willingness to take risks also increases the risk of accidents and injuries. In team sports, the DSHS even sees a risk for fellow players. Because cannabis ensures that athletes have a “distance to the current game situation” and thus “accept a higher risk in duels”. In addition, cannabis causes a deterioration in coordination. Sha’Carri Richardson, incidentally, said after the positive doping result that she did not use marijuana to improve her performance, but to cope better with her mother’s death. She died shortly before the competition.
