Cannabis and bodybuilding??

[sznake]

I appologize if this subject might not be 100% fit for this section, but I couldn't find anywhere else to put it.

I was just wondering if anyone knows about any interference (at a hormonal level) of cannabis and testosterone (which is vital for body-building )?

I mean I've only managed to find a few references claiming that THC lowers testosterone and increases the female hormone in men, and (supposedly ) does the opposite for women , but that was just among arguments of the "anti" propaganda, so I would like to know some facts if anyone can help me with that, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

I don't know about any of the technical stuff, but I do know that a lot of pros use it to increase their appetite when they are bulking up.

IMO it is also great to help you sleep and soothe your joints after a hard workout.

My 2 cents
GCG

 

[Reality]

For about 5 months now I've been working out every other morning. After every workout I drink my protein drink and smoke a nice bubbler. Makes you feel great, and I always feel alive and awake after it.

 

[pico]

arnold smoked reefer

 

[headees]

I think it all comes down to how much you smoke. For me anyway when Im smoking in excess I find it harder to lift to my full potential. Also I have trouble keeping on the muscle I built, and the "pump" fades quicker.
Im not sure if its the pot itself or the way it affects my lifestyle. See when I smoke in excess I usually dont eat the right diet to maintain my physique as I should. I usually just eat junk food. Also pot affects my sleep alot and usually end up staying up real late and not getting enough sleep. Not to mention when I start puffing alot, I have trouble going to the gym in the first place, lol.
But when I keep it in moderation, it doesent have too much of a negative affect on me. I think it really depends on the person and their body chemistry. I do know that alot of bodybuilders puff, then again alot dont.
I would like to know how marijuana affects your testosterone and estregen levels. My guess is that it really does lower testosterone and increase estrogen in males. I just try to keep it in moderation these days, I spent 10 years of my life smoking way too much extremely potent herb, and it really wasnt very positive for me. But it was a whole lot healthier for me than some of the other stuff I used to put into my body.

 

[mars2112]

From http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/

Myth: Marijuana Interferes With Male and Female Sex Hormones. In both men and women, marijuana can cause infertility. Marijuana retards sexual development in adolescents. It produces feminine characteristics in males and masculine characteristics in females.

Fact: There is no evidence that marijuana causes infertility in men or women. In animal studies, high doses of THC diminish the production of some sex hormones and can impair reproduction. However, most studies of humans have found that marijuana has no impact of sex hormones. In those studies showing an impact, it is modest, temporary, and of no apparent consequence for reproduction. There is no scientific evidence that marijuana delays adolescent sexual development, has feminizing effect on males, or a masculinizing effect on females.

 

[BudgetBud]

100% with headees, Moderation keeps your motivation.

 

[MrDank]

A old friend of mine was into serious bodybuilding and he smoked a small bowl before working out. He said it put him into the zone for a 1h30min workout. Then when he came home he would smoke a lot to relax his joints and muscles, and he would eat a TON! I have never seen anybody eat more than him. All healthy too. He claimed that cannabis was great for him and his workout regimen

 

[Rufid]

Lifting and smoking never worked for me, so I gave up lifting!
Concerning the fertility issue,when I smoked consistantly,no children.When I quit we managed to produce four of them.I now smoke consistantly.

 

[mars2112]

^^ hmm.. that's interesting. my husband and i both use cannabis daily for many many years and it only took us 2 months to conceive the child i'm carrying now we never quit or slowed down while trying.

personal experience is highly subjective and can't be used to prove or disprove a scientific theory. there is still no scientific evidence that cannabis use causes infertility. in fact, there was a study a year or two ago that showed cannabanoids have a role in fertility, something to do with aiding the embryo with implanting in the uterus. i'll have to dig that one up.

other factors like poor diet, stress, medical conditions, or certain medications can definitely effect fertility.

 

[coolx]

^^^ well, I usually agree with most of your posts, but ....

sure, personal exp. can't prove or disprove a theory, but I know what it does for me - that's all I go by. I've worked out 45 mins 3 x a week, every week for years, not heavy duty, just enough to keep fit and in shape. When I smoke regularly, my muscles go softer quicker than when I don't. I noticed this way before I read or heard that anywhere else. OTOH, when I smoke, many times it gives me a lot of energy and I go for 5 mile jogs on the beach.

BTW I'm not talking about fertility effects, just feminizing effects.

 

[mars2112]

thanks coolx.. i was responding to Rufid's comment about fertility..

 

[bobblehead]

Maybe you should look at a bodybuilding web site.... Anyway, occasional use will slightly effect hormone levels, but nothing significant. With every day use, your body adapts and hormone levels remain unchanged. I work out very consistently, and smoking after my workouts helps me to get down the protein and carbs I need for recovery. MJ also dilates your veins and induces relaxation. The increased blood flow helps shuttle nutrients to your muscles. The relaxing effect will help to decrease cortisol levels, and cortisol is catabolic (muscle destroying).

Read this, my posts are the last two

http://www.xtrememass.com/forum/tra...marijuana-training-2.html?highlight=marijuana

 

[Luther Budbank]

I've been lifting for decades and during that time I've gone from being a wake-n-baker to abstaining completely to moderate use. I've not noticed any differences. I'm still becoming stronger every day.

 

[meduser180056]

I did some research on this when I first started working out several months ago. Didn't help me though cuz I found there doesn't seem to be a general consensus on whether it affect testosterone levels or not.

The only way to really know would be to test your testosterone levels when abstaining and then have them retested after heavy use with all other variables like diet, exercise, sleep etc being the same when smoking cannabis or not.

One thing I do know is eating is probably the most important element to bodybuilding and for people like me that are underweight and have trouble eating smoking helps me to be able to eat the 3100 calories a day I need to consume in order to gain weight.

I went from a sickly 125 to my current weight of 145. It took me about 90 days. I feel much better at my current weight.

Remember to eat healthy and get lots of protein!

 

[meduser180056]

there's some info in this thread about cannabis and working out. funny thread too lol

matchstick leg syndrome!lol

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=61676&highlight=matchstick+leg

 

[sznake]

Thanks a lot for the input people! I haven't checked back to this thread for a while, but now I see that there was a lot of feedback and the least I owe is a thank you. So, thank you!

Anyways, after some research and the links you provided, I came to the conclusion that pot does have some pro-estrogen "fitosterols" (vegetal prohormones), heck, what we smoke is a female plant after all , but(!) the same kind of pro-estrogens are also found in most culinary herbs like basil, oregano and such, and most of all, they have low BV (biological value) when it comes to animal organisms (which includes humans ..).

Low BV means that when the vegetal pro-estrogen is converted by the human body into human hormone, the conversion rate is low, just like with the biological value of protein.

Vegetal protein will always have a low conversion rate to human protein simply because the structural difference of the involved molecules is huge.That's why you need to eat MEAT when you work out! SOY won't do much for you!

Plants and animals are very different lifeforms and the plant protein is way simpler than the animal protein. I guess it's the same with the plant hormone molecules, they are way simpler than the human hormone molecules, and therefore convert at a very low rate.

I do suspect though that eating a lot of basil has slightly shrunk the size of my balls , as far as smoking, I average once every 2 weeks.. so I actually consume more basil than weed, I literally sprinkle a lot of basil in my salads every day, I love the stuff.

 

[GrowingHigher]

sznake... the concern about cannabis and testosterone rests on the cannabinoids. cannabinioids do have a role in the endocrinology of our sex hormones, and may have effects on testosterone. But like many have said in this thread, the studies that have shown this effect in humans is only a short term reduction, and testosterone still remains within normal ranges. Obviously more research needs done into this area, particularly due to the NIDA testicular cancer study (http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=115103).

With that said, I think cannabis motivates me when I work out and helps me take in more calories. I use it to "reward" myself for working out... something like "if I smoke this hash before I lift I will do 5 sets of squats instead of 4..." and it usually works for me. I zone out and get a lot done. The most important thing about gaining muscle is simply doing the workout... then make sure you eat more calories than your burned.

Also while it is true animal proteins are assimilated differently, you don't need meat. You can get animal protein from eggs and milk. And even if you do eat meat, eggs, and milk -soy protein adds additional benefits you cant get from animal sources. Beyond that the best nutrition is varied, so don't forget the nuts. I have been a meat free lifter for 5 years, and Put on more lean muscle now than before... but (also as mentioned) you can't use personal experiences to prove or disprove anything.

 

[Hundred Gram Oz]

Smoke weed AFTER your workout, if your bulking up it will help lots with all the munchies, that's if you have some self control and eat the right stuff . I'm getting 2 grams of protein per Lb of lean body weight. I'm taking in the following, 45/35/20 Protein/Carbs/Fat for every meal. I'm getting around 3.5k calories per day of good clean food, only downfall is that I eat the exact same meals everyday which can get boring but the routine becomes solid and easier to manage, I prepair the majority of my food the night before and keep it in the fridge for the next day. I Workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. I find it good to take a week off if you've been working hard 4 weeks. Recovery weeks help get your muscles repaired, you come back stronger and with lots more energy. I learned this from the P90X program, which I think is over hyped, they have some good exercises but if you want to put on mass then you need a high intensity compound workout routine, the 5x5 is my favourite.


As for natural testosterone levels, your average person produces 7 grams per day. To get the max from this it would be best to, get 8-9 hours of undisturbed sleep per night, stay away from alcohol (hardest part ), increase your essential fatty acid consumption, 20% per meal should be from good fats, lower your daily stress levels, reduce your intake of soy, work out your legs just as hard as your upper body, I think this is the big one. Your legs are the key The following exercises are a great way to go...

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench Presses
Rows
Chinups
Dips
Leg Presses
Lunges
Military Presses

I personally don't think that smoking cannabis has any effect on your natural testosterone levels, actually if you have too much testosterone it can in fact aromatize into estrogen and give you the related sides of estrogen. If you think you have got too much estrogen then go have some blood work done to fine out how everything is working.


Eat Big
Lift Big
Grow Big

I better shut up now cuz I could talk all day about this


HGO

 

[BongRipkenJR.]

Cannabis in moderation and at the right times is great for a workout! Just not cardio. On your heavy lifting days smoke a couple hits of some FIRE and watch how you get a couple extra lifts. It takes some of the pain out of lifting as well.