If smoking marijuana causes “the munchies” and laziness, how can it possibly benefit a person’s physique and overall health?
Though smoking while dieting and exercising may seem like some maniacal anomaly, multiple studies (even some government-funded studies) suggest that pot smokers may live a healthier lifestyle.
Don’t believe it?
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that rates of obesity are lower by roughly a third in people who smoke pot at least three times a week, compared with those who don’t use marijuana at all.
What does this research mean? Not much. Just because there was a correlation doesn’t mean that smoking marijuana causes weight-loss. What the research does suggest, however, is that there may be some potential health/weight-loss benefits associated with smoking reefer.
Let’s explore the subject a little further…
Reasons Why Dieters Should Smoke:
Increases Pulmonary Function
Many people believe that inhaling marijuana smoke is bad for the lungs. This misconception is completely false. Researchers in a 20 year long government study found that, contrary to popular belief, marijuana smokers had better lung function than nonsmokers. (These researchers also found that pot smokers had less instances of lung cancer than nonsmokers.) This correlation is evidence that marijuana, or the process of smoking marijuana, increases pulmonary function. With better lungs, the body will be more efficient in delivering much needed oxygen to the muscle tissues.
Alleviates Stress
People undergo psychological stresses many times a day and when people are stressed, the body produces cortisol. Cortisol is a major hormone when it comes to fat storage because it stimulates many of the body’s metabolic functions, including fat and carbohydrate metabolism and insulin release. But it is not only responsible for storing fat. Cortisol also hinders muscle growth by reducing protein synthesis, facilitating protein to glucose, and halting tissue growth. Thus, stress is a double-whammy nightmare for dieters and exercisers. It makes them fatter and weaker. Fortunately, marijuana alleviates stress naturally and by eliminating stress via the inhalation of cannabis smoke, the body decreases its production of cortisol.
Sleeping Aid
Good sleep is crucial and absolutely needed for people who exercise regularly. A person’s body breaks down and gets weaker when they exert themselves during exercise. It’s only when they sleep that the body repairs itself and becomes stronger. However, many people who exercise struggle to get good sleep because of physical pain and soreness caused to the body during exercise. One of the side effects of smoking marijuana is drowsiness, which makes this herb an amazing natural sleep aid. Smoking some marijuana post-workout can alleviate pain and induce drowsiness, creating a more comfortable situation while attempting to get that much needed rest.
All things considered, smoking weed alone isn’t going to make anybody look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Pumping Iron days. People are still going to have to sacrifice many sweaty hours in the gym and maintain a strict diet. Marijuana will, however, aid in respiratory health, stress relief, and getting deeper sleep–all vital components to achieving the perfect body. Smokers will just have to beware of “the munchies.”
Sources for this article include:
-http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/08/24/aje.kwr200.abstract
-http://www.orthonut.com/marijuana-use-and-pulmonary-health/
-http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1104848
-http://www.medicalcannabisjournal.net/submissions/archive/2010/can-marijuana-prevent-cancer
-http://www.naturalnews.com/035980_cannabis_smokers_cancer.html