Health & Care

Cannabis is showing up in more athlete recovery conversations. Partly because hemp-derived products are now widely accessible, partly because the “no hangover” pitch appeals to people who train and actually care what they put in their bodies. But accessibility isn’t the same as compatibility – and the timing question matters more than most people realize. One thing is worth mentioning first: do not take a  delta 9 gummy before your workout. Not because of some blanket anti-cannabis stance, but because the physiology genuinely works against you. THC raises resting heart rate – typically 20–50 BPM within minutes of onset. Exercise already pushes your cardiovascular system hard. Stack those two, and you’re putting unnecessary strain on your heart before you’ve touched a barbell. Add in compromised coordination and a dulled perception of exertion (so you miss the signals that tell you when you’re pushing too hard), and the risk profile isn’t theoretical. It’s just bad timing. The more interesting question is where cannabis might actually make sense. And the answer is more specific than most articles admit. Sleep Is the Strongest Case Slow-wave sleep – the deep, restorative phase – is when muscle repair happens. Growth hormone peaks. Inflammation from training clears. If you’re sleeping poorly, your recovery ceiling drops, regardless of how well you eat or how much you foam roll. THC does reduce sleep onset time, meaning people fall asleep faster. That part is reasonably well-documented. The complication is that it also suppresses REM sleep, which handles memory consolidation and cognitive recovery. So for athletes whose sport involves skill acquisition or pattern recognition – most sports – trading REM for faster sleep onset isn’t obviously a win. It might help you feel rested without fully recovering your decision-making. The practical takeaway: if sleep onset is genuinely your problem (you […]

Ever felt like your training has hit a wall for no clear reason? You’re eating clean. Lifting heavy. Sleeping well. Working hard…but your endurance still plummets. The more you push, the farther down you sink. Here’s the thing most Athletes never consider: Your thyroid may be why your game is underachieving. Your thyroid regulates your body’s energy production. When it’s out of whack, your athletic endurance suffers. Ever wondered why thyroid problems and athletes connect? Find out how a thyroid function test can be the solution. Let’s jump in! Here’s what’s covered: Why Your Thyroid Controls Your Stamina Why A Thyroid Function Test Matters Signs Your Thyroid Is Holding You Back 4x Ways To Support Better Thyroid Health Why Your Thyroid Controls Your Stamina Your thyroid gland is small. But its effect on your body is tremendous. It pumps out hormones (T3 and T4) that control your metabolism. These hormones decide: How fast you burn calories How much oxygen your cells use How quickly you recover after training How your heart and muscles perform during exercise See where this is going? When your thyroid is low thyroids/stunted (hypothyroidism) you feel tired, sluggish and weak. You have less endurance. You take longer to recover. And no amount of training will change that. If your thyroid is too active (hyperthyroidism), you will burn out quickly. Your heart will pound, your muscles weaken, and you will have no endurance for longer sessions. Either way… Your stamina takes a serious hit. Why A Thyroid Function Test Matters The only way to determine if your thyroid is contributing to your fatigue is with a thyroid function test. A thyroid function test is a simple blood test that looks at important markers including TSH, free T3 and free T4. These indicators will show you if your […]

Improving athletic performance usually means fine-tuning any number of aspects of training, from preparation and nutrition to recovery. Coaches and sport scientists break down countless hours of analysis in cardiovascular training, muscular and movement efficiency, yet still something remains overlooked that is understood to impact every aspect of sports and athletic performance: vascular health. The vascular system is the network of transportation in the body. It manages the transportation of oxygen, and nutrients to the muscle, as well as the transportation of waste. Healthy blood vessels determine the effectiveness in the performance, recovery, and adaptive response of the body from any physical activity. This reliance on vascular health remains even if a person is a professional athlete or if a person is just an everyday active person. Vascular health remains the foundation, and its support of athletic performance goes unnoticed, behind the scenes, while strength, and endurance dominate the spotlight. This dominance of vascular health support is even more pronounced in long-term athletic health and performance. Once athletes recognize and appreciate the support of vascular health, the more they will be able to expand the wellness and health that they will be able to achieve. The vascular system includes the heart as well as arteries, veins, and capillaries. The heart and arteries in conjunction with veins and capillaries work together as blood is full of oxygen and is transported away from the heart to the rest of the body. The wastes that are depleted of oxygen and are returned to the heart from the body via veins as they are exchanged with nutrients in tissues along with capillaries. Athletes rely on a system that functions seamlessly with every movement. Muscles change their demands for oxygen during exercise. To meet the demand, blood vessels enlarge, the heart pumps faster, and blood […]