Power Plant Fitness is the first company to create a weed-friendly gym in the city of San Francisco. The pot gym will include cannabis in their workout sessions. In some cases, the use of cannabis will be held before or after the fitness activity, whether with the vaping technique or through edible snacks. Creating routines to workout while smoking weed will be an interesting twist on regular gyms. This franchise aims to use cannabis to motivate athletes during workouts and to recover more efficiently from hard routines.
Jim McAlpine, one of the founders of the gym, ventured in the past with initiatives like the pot gym. For example, he was the founder of the 420 Games, a competition for athletes that used weed on a regular basis. He tries to break the preconceived ideas about marijuana use. According to McAlpine, marijuana can improve the human body to perform certain activities (like fitness routines and sports) with more precision and joy. To him and the entire Power Plant Fitness team, the responsible use of cannabis can make the athlete perform the activity better, which can make a huge change in the sports world.
Marijuana and athletes
The use of medical marijuana is linked with its painkiller features, as well as the capability to affect the mood and animic state of the consumer. Considering those effects, some scientists believe the plant can benefit athletes and fitness enthusiasts while practicing a physical discipline.
Tough, physical activities may be the first sphere where marijuana can affect positively. It may help with pain and tension in the body, and it can improve the user’s ability to concentrate on the goal.
However, not all scientists agree with this perception. To some, the link between weed and physical performance is more intuition than actual science. What has been proved with scientific research are the benefits of marijuana with sleep troubles, severe pain, and even inflammation. However, investigations have not connected the use of cannabis-based substances with the performance in physical activities or sports, yet.
The chemical structure of cannabis is known for slowing down some process in the human body. So, to some researchers, that issue can be extended to the attitude while performing some physical activity, or at least that is what scientists from the Human Performance Lab at the University of Colorado have stated.
However, for frequent users of cannabis, the plan allows them to reach a mental state of calm and control to resist better any kind of training. The plant makes them feel comfortable enough to complete longer routines. The effect of cannabis decreasing nausea is also a helpful benefit to athletes when a fitness activity is harsh on the cardiac rhythm. However, is the relationship between the marijuana and the motivation and emotions what seems to be the part that makes athletes go to the use of the substance before physical practices.
What happens with the body once marijuana is used?
A study conducted in France by researchers from the University of Bordeaux claimed that small doses of THC, a chemical compound present in cannabis, makes the brain produce more pregnenolone, the precursor to the natural steroids that the human body produces. Those natural steroids are primary tools when the body is trying to increase energy and to fight fatigue.
“Marijuana’s chemical compounds are known as cannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system works like endorphins. After high-intensity treadmill running, people have elevated levels of naturally occurring endocannabinoids in their bloodstream. There is a connection between those chemical components and the receptors in the brain and the body that regulate pain, moos, appetite, and memory. We suspect that cannabinoids play a role in aerobic activity, maybe increasing the pain threshold,” says Andrea Giuffrida, from the University of Texas Health Science Center. He has conducted several studies on endocannabinoids.
The weed-friendly gym
To enroll in the pot gym, subscribers must take a previous assessment under the guidance of the gym’s staff. This “cannabis performance” evaluation will allow the gym to determine the optimal way to consume weed, creating a profile of each user according to their needs and their bodies’ responses. The goal is to identify what type of pot, and what mechanism of ingestion can create a useful boost for the workout the user wants to make.
Since most counties in San Francisco don’t allow smoking weed in public areas, the main way to use cannabis will be through vape devices and prepared snacks, both for pre-workout focus and post-workout recovery process. The goal is also to create a larger network of products and services. That includes the creation of a brand of fitness-related cannabis products, which the company will have to register and follow the legal process carefully to be a medicinal cannabis supplier.
A major concern is the health and safety mechanism inside the gym. According to Power Plant Fitness’ spokesman, measures will be taken to prevent users from falling into panic attacks or dizziness. Dehydration, a common issue related to the consumption of cannabis, is a significant problem as well. The gym has not stated yet what kind of health care will provide for those cases. This type of space is the proof that perception about weed is changing. Founders of the gym believe in responsible use of cannabis can make healthy habits on the gym floor. The gym will open soon, and San Francisco will see then how the community reacts to it.
Source: NY Post