Does Weed Make Running Easier? A New Study Has A Surprising Answer.

Are CBD and THC performance-enhancing drugs? Here's what the science says.

We’ve all heard of runner’s high: the brief, euphoric feelings that come with an intense run. But a new study is delving into a different kind of “runner’s high” ― one that concerns marijuana and its effects on how exercise feels.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder recently found that using cannabis before a run can improve one’s motivation, make workouts more fun and increase the euphoria from runner’s high. The study, published Dec. 26 in the journal Sports Medicine, is the first of its kind to look at how commercially available cannabis makes a difference to the feel of exercise.

“Participants reported more enjoyment, positive affect, and more runner’s high symptoms when they ran for 30 minutes after using cannabis compared to when they ran for 30 minutes sober,” said Laurel Gibson, an author of the study and a researcher at the CUChange Lab at CU Boulder.

There’s one drawback, though: Weed use also makes exercise feel significantly harder.

“Participants who used a THC-dominant product reported more exertion during their cannabis compared to their sober run,” Gibson told HuffPost.