Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Can you Use Pre-Workout and Weed together

Cannabis products and weed before you work out is not necessarily a smart idea, since there is no studies on the effects in place. But some compounds that are in both may work well together, and some may have bad effects. 

What does Pre-Workout Do? 

This is a supplement people take about 30 minutes prior to their exercise to boost their workouts through increasing the oxygen and blood flow, offering a variety of benefits. Some of these include the following: 

  • A boost in energy 

  • Better stamina 

  • Better focus 

  • A better athletic performance 

Typically pre-workout has a couple of ingredients. First is caffeine, which improves your blood flow, your endurance, and power, in order to make the workouts better usually, they have caffeine that’s the equivalent of around 3 cups of coffee in some cases. The second is creatine, which is used in the liver, kidneys, and your pancreas to help with energy. Red meat, milk, and seafood has that, but it’s usually made in trace amounts to help with strength. 



Creatine is probably the one that’s used in lifting weights, where the exercise doesn’t have a ton of reps, but the power that’s explosive is absolutely needed for the success of the product. Then there are BCAAs, typically found in different amino acid chains, and it’s something that’s essential. While the body can’t make them, they get it in workout supplements, meat, soy, milk, and other products. They’re the main focal points of proteins, and without it, the body doesn’t synthesize it. 

Mixing This 

Right now, this is not regulated safely through the FDA, so a lot of workout supplements do have active ingredients which can get dangerous when you mix cannabis with this. The first is caffeine. It does stimulate your nervous system and boos the heart rate along with the blood pressure. THC is also a stimulant, and because of all of this, it can cause you to shake, increase your heart rate to the point of a heart attack, and hypertension as well, albeit temporarily. 

Creating is another thing. CBD is something that increases energy. Right now, there isn’t research on whether or not CBD and creatine are harmful together, but low levels of CBD before you exercise may also increase the energy. Also, note that CBD does increase the creatine levels, since the waste product that’s formed from the creatine.  The increased levels may affect kidney disease, but it will not affect those who have healthy kidneys. 



Then there is the vasodilation which occurs.  The supplements do contain vasodilators to help with blood flow, and some of the cannabis products also become vasodilators, which increase the blood flow, the amino acid, the oxygen, and also does affect the growth of insulin, which is vital for the growth of muscles. 

It also can reduce blood pressure, but too much of a reduction does result in heart palpitations, blood pressure which lowers, and also blurred vision too, and it can put the body in shock. While there isn’t direct research, it’s best to avoid taking too many of these, since hypotension is a huge risk. Cannabis does offer some benefits as well, and it can be something that works well. However, it also can create psychoactive problems, which can be dangerous when working out. 



It also doesn’t improve the strength during workouts which are intense. However, it can help you go longer make the workout better and also help with recovery. You should, however, stay away from pre workout with cannabis, as it can cause major heart troubles in the process. 


Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Terpenes 101

If you’ve ever been curious about the compounds in cannabis, one that’s definitely quite the kicker is terpenes. What are they? What do they refer to? Let’s dive in and learn a little bit more about terpenes, and what they do. 

What are they? 

Terpenes are basically oils that are within the cannabis plant that are responsible for two things: the smells, and the flavors. Berry, pine, and citrus are all examples of this, and they’re actually a major part of the safety of a plants. They protect the plant from invaders, since they taste awful. 



Ter4penes are usually something that you find in veggies and fruits along with herbs, and they do give off a smell that’s pleasant, even if the animals that try to eat it hate it. The cannabis plant has over 200 of these  bad boys, but only about 30 of them are in vast amounts, and they’re something that gets stored within the leaves, and this resinous glands are what produce it. This is called trichomes, and they’re depicted by the little white or other color tufts along the top of the plant. When you smell a cannabis plant, it’s got a certain scent to it, and how it smells depends on a few things. The genetics are a big part, but also the water, the type of fertilizer, the type of soil, and even the time you harvest or go out to check them does impact this. 

What’s their Purpose? 

The purpose of this is still being studied, but most studies claim it aids in what’s called the entourage effect. This is basically a word that means the cannabinoids, the terpenes, and the flavonoids in this work together to create something better, stronger and more enhanced for the person who is taking this. 



Now let’s take for example the plant.  You know about indica and sativa, but did you know that the terpenes actually are what play a role in the effects. Indica and sativa just describe the anatomy of the plant, with sativa being very tall, with thin and long leaves, and indicas are short, wider, and have broader leaves, and this is something that the terpenes are a part of in this plant. If you look at different terpenes, you notice that they’re fruity, as in the case of terpinolene, since it’s similar to a fruity taste, and in super lemon haze, jack Herer, and others, this one is definitely present. However, it’s also found in indica strains including strawberry cough, OG Kush, and also harlequin, which is more CBD-dominant than anything else. 

What are some popular Terpenes? 

There are a few out there that really stand out. You’ve got myrcene, which is responsible for the earthy, piney scent and you smell this in a ton of beauty products. It’s good for relaxing, sleep, and is found to help with chronic pain along with inflammation, and even helps those with cancer. It’s something that’s responsible for most of the terpene profiles in most strains of cannabis. 



Then you have limonene, which is lemony or citrusy, and this one definitely is good for those who want something that fights bacteria and fungi, as it’s an antifungal along with an antibacterial in terms of properties, and it can even help with tumor reduction too. Finally, there is linalool, which is found in mint, lavender, coriander, and cinnamon, and is basically responsible for the floral and spicy smells you have in cannabis. This is good for those who suffer from different inflammatory conditions, seizures, and also cancer, since this is one that relaxes.