Cannabis May Make Exercise Feel Better, but It Does Not Improve Running Performance

A 2024 study of regular cannabis users found that using commercially available cannabis before exercise made a 30-minute treadmill run feel more enjoyable and produced stronger “runner’s high” sensations. The trade-off was that participants also reported greater exertion—particularly after using THC-dominant cannabis—suggesting that cannabis may change the experience of exercise without making the body perform better.

The study, published in Sports Medicine, included 42 cannabis users between the ages of 21 and 39 who already exercised while using cannabis. Participants completed one treadmill session without cannabis and another after using either a THC-dominant or CBD-dominant cannabis flower product purchased from a dispensary. The researchers measured mood, enjoyment, motivation, perceived exertion, pain and symptoms associated with a runner’s high.

Compared with the no-cannabis session, participants reported more positive feelings, greater enjoyment and stronger runner’s-high symptoms after using cannabis. The effects differed somewhat by cannabinoid content. Participants in the CBD group reported a larger increase in enjoyment and a smaller increase in perceived exertion than those in the THC group.

THC, however, appeared to make the workout feel harder. The researchers suggested that THC’s effects on heart rate may help explain the finding, although the study was not designed to establish the mechanism. Pain ratings were low overall and did not differ significantly between the cannabis and no-cannabis sessions, so the results do not support the original suggestion that reduced pain was responsible for the greater enjoyment.

The findings build on earlier work from the same research group. In a naturalistic crossover study of 49 runners, participants reported more enjoyment, positive affect and runner’s-high symptoms after using cannabis. They ran an average of 31 seconds per mile slower during the cannabis run, but that difference was not statistically significant. The result therefore should not be presented as definitive evidence that cannabis slows running, although it also offers no evidence that cannabis enhances performance.

Enjoyment is not the same as performance

Together, the studies suggest that cannabis may make exercise feel more rewarding for some regular users. That could be relevant to people who struggle with motivation or find exercise unpleasant. But the research does not show that cannabis improves speed, endurance, strength or other objective measures of athletic performance.

The evidence is also limited. The laboratory study involved a small, self-selected group of regular cannabis users who were already comfortable combining cannabis with exercise. It did not test nonusers, people who are inactive, other forms of exercise or long-term effects. Because participants knew whether they had used cannabis, expectations may also have influenced their responses. The researchers called for placebo-controlled studies involving more diverse populations and exercise settings.

Safety is another consideration. Cannabis can affect attention, reaction time, coordination and movement, while THC can increase heart rate and blood pressure shortly after use. These effects may create additional risks during activities involving heavy weights, roads, water, heights or complex equipment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s overview of cannabis health effects provides additional information about impairment and other potential risks.

For competitive athletes, cannabis use may also carry sport-specific consequences. Rules vary by organization, event and jurisdiction, and athletes should check the regulations that apply to them rather than assume that legal use is permitted in competition.

The most accurate takeaway is modest: among people who already use cannabis, it may make a workout feel more enjoyable, but it is not established as a performance aid. More enjoyable exercise could potentially help some people stay active, yet cannabis should not be treated as a general-purpose strategy for improving fitness or overcoming exercise-related pain.