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In this episode of The Endurance Lab, I sit down with Dr. Christian Cheung, an exercise physiology researcher and senior scientist at WHOOP, to explore what the science actually says about cannabis, THC, CBD, running performance, cardiovascular health, sleep, and exercise recovery.
Christian shares findings from his research examining what happens when people exercise after using THC or CBD. One particularly surprising result: participants felt they performed better after THC, even though their actual cycling time-trial performance was worse.
We also discuss why THC can raise your exercising heart rate by approximately 10–20 beats per minute at the same workload, why that doesn't necessarily mean a better aerobic training stimulus, and how cannabis use may affect sleep quality, HRV, and recovery.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Why runners think THC improves performance
01:56 Cannabis, THC, and CBD explained
7:03 Why people run while high
12:04 The surprising truth about THC and endurance performance
18:49 What the cycling performance study revealed
23:29 Why THC raises your heart rate during exercise
32:21 Is exercising with THC safe?
39:11 Does CBD improve performance and recovery?
42:52 Cannabis, sleep quality, HRV, and recovery
46:27 Cannabis and cardiovascular risks after 40
