Tag Archives: sports
Marijuana as an enhancer for athletes
In recent years, there has been a tremendous change in the way people view marijuana. Now a lot of science endeavors prove that there are various medicinal and healthy uses for marijuana, which was once considered a dangerous drug.
Recently, endurance athletes are now proving that the long-believed stereotype of lazy marijuana couch potatoes feasting on junk food is totally absurd.
The combination of athletics and marijuana is now a hidden trend in today’s running culture. Athletes use it as a means to boost their run as it makes the longevity of their high last for longer periods.
From time immemorial, people believed that the ‘runner’s high’ was due to the release of endorphins but this is not totally true.
Although the brain releases its own kinds of opioid chemicals during exercises, it also releases some endogenous cannabinoids and our body has embedded an endocannabinoid system of receptors.
Is marijuana truly a booster to the performance of athletes? There is still not a clear answer to that question. But many athletes believe it is.
It is not only runners who can benefit from the use of marijuana. Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and other martial arts athletes along with bodybuilders and those who train by lifting weights have found that marijuana is beneficial for them. They usually prefer sativa dominant strains like Silver haze that boosts their focus and energy before they begin their training. Working out while being high is one of the most underappreciated and least talked about pleasures one can gain from training.
There are some kinds of cannabis that reduces chronic pain, depression and other holdups to exercise thus leading people to a fitter and healthier lifestyle. Now there is greater evidence to prove that some kinds of marijuana can act as analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agents which will help athletes recover faster.
It doesn’t matter whether you take cannabis through smoking, edibles or vapes. The cannabinoids are chemical compounds that regulate memory, pain, appetite and emotions when combined with the receptors in the body and the brain. The compound that brings about a calm, peaceful feeling is cannabidiol (CBD) which is non-psychoactive.
Also, it has been proved that marijuana can increase tissue oxygenation, increase concentration and reduce muscle spasms during, before and after an athletic event.
Currently, the World Anti-Doping Association has a ban on competing while being high. The WADA cites some studies that show that marijuana can reduce anxiety and act as a bronchodilator by increasing airflow to the lungs which will make athletes breath better. This could mean that the WADA is considering marijuana as doping. This is quite exciting to ponder as they think that marijuana improves the performance of athletes.
People are now starting to see that cannabis can become part of the lifestyle of athletes.
There is not much research available to show how marijuana affects performance so it is very difficult for researchers in the field to study its effects.
The Magic of College and College Football
Photo by CC user Rdikeman on wikipedia.org
One of the biggest draws the major colleges have over the smaller universities is college football game day. At places like Michigan you have more than 100,000 fans packing the stadium on Saturday. Fans and alumni travel from miles away. The sound of the marching band reverberates throughout the campus. There are tailgate parties, before and after the game, and the entire state becomes football obsessed. Indeed, the magic of college and college football in America is spellbinding to the uninitiated.
Also, as a student at one of the major colleges, there is Heisman Trophy hype as football writers and commentators spend countless hours discussing the favorites to win the most storied individual trophy awarded in American sports. You want the full college experience? Choose one of the top programs in the country, and you can’t go wrong. In particular, if you are a student at Alabama, Ohio State, or Clemson, you are in for especially exciting fall. The top betting sites throughout the country think that they’re the best bet to finish the season as NCAA Champions.
The race for the Heisman Trophy, however, might be a little harder to pinpoint. Discussion are in the works to eliminate the kickoff, citing the injuries that are caused by the high-speed collisions that most often occur on special teams plays. But think about former winners like Tim Brown, Desmond Howard, and Charles Woodson, who were all aided in the quest for the trophy by their kick return prowess. It would render their type of on the field stardom obsolete.
The verdict on the kickoff and what might replace it are still to be determined.
Also in the works is Big 12 conference expansion. Forgetting for a moment that the conference currently only has ten members, instead of the twelve it’s named for, its place at the table of the power conferences is solid. So expect the competition to be fierce among the universities on the short-list for addition. And the waves created by a possible expansion would be roll across the country, potentially altering the landscape in the Pac-12 and ACC. For students, fans, and gamblers alike, the more teams that take up residence in the power conferences, the better.
Early candidates being talked about for addition to the Big 12 are the Houston Cougars and the Tulane Green Wave, which would be welcome news for fans in Houston, the nation’s fourth largest television market, and New Orleans. But as with everything done in the Big 12, none of it will happen without the approval of the Texas Longhorns.
How to stay healthy during college
If you are choosing your meals like this gal, then you know a few things about how to stay healthy during college!
Despite the fact that you are as young as you’ll ever be, your body isn’t invincible. Put it under enough stress and fail to take the proper precautions and beer bellies will sag, fatigue will drain your energy stores, and diseases/illnesses will compromise your health. College can (and should) be a fun time in your life, but don’t neglect the foundation that supports everything that sits upon it.
There are several areas to which you should pay special attention to when looking into how to stay healthy during college; ensure that the following five areas are taken care of, and your life in college will be every bit as vibrant as it should be.
1) Maintain a balanced diet
This point is repeated so often that many glaze over when they hear it. But would it be mentioned so often if it wasn’t a fundamental cornerstone of your overall health? In college, cafeterias serve up many fried foods on their buffet lines, allowing students to go back for as many helpings as they desire.
Limit the amount of fried, carb heavy food you eat, instead opting for meals composed of whole foods (weighted towards greens/lean protein) as much as possible. Don’t go back for seconds, and when you’re back at the dorm, limit ordering out for pizza to your cheat day (once per week), and avoid snacking outside of meals the rest of the time.
2) Get plenty of sleep
In college, quality sleep can be at a premium, but that doesn’t diminish its importance, as it is this rest time that allows your body to properly heal from the physical and mental stresses that it endures during the day. Try to seek out accomodation where getting undisturbed sleep can be had more often than not. If it is a night where extraneous noise is unavoidable, wear earplugs and an eyemask to ease you into your slumber.
Avoid using alcohol to induce sleep, as it messes up your sleep patterns to the point where you often wake up feeling just as tired as you were when you fell asleep. Another trick to get the rest you need is to wash your face before retiring, as a going over with face moisturizer may make you feel more at ease physically, thus easing your transition to dreamland.
3) Drink moderate amounts of alcohol
Remember back in #1 where we contraindicated consumption of simple carbs? Well, beer and many forms of alcohol are basically bottled bread, making them the fastest pathway to the dreaded Freshman 15 weight gain. This doesn’t mean you have to abstain from booze while your friends live it up, but it does mean you have to be conscious of the effects of what you’re consuming. As a consequence, limit your consumption to once per week, and don’t drink to get blackout drunk (just a few will do). Nights out are more fun when you remember them, anyway!
4) Engage in physical activity on a regular basis
While following a protein-dense diet will help keep the weight off, it won’t build a strong body capable of getting through the stressors of daily life in college with ease. In order to get a bod that will back you up no matter what any given day will throw at you, you’ll need to engage in regular physical activity.
Simple ways to do this include walking, hitting the gym, and registering for intramural sports. Not only will this reinforce your health, you’ll improve your looks and make new friends in the process … winning!
5) Practice safe sex … every time
Don’t delude yourself that you can ride raw “just this one time” and you’ll be fine. It’s during unprotected encounters like this where debilitating diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea and even HIV can be passed between partners. Always wrap it up when you get lucky, and if you forgot to bring one like an idiot, then no intercourse for you … period.
