While it looks like things are looking very good for medical marijuana with more than half of our states legalizing cannabis for medicinal use, what about those that are healthy that use cannabis to further enhance their lives? We all know several successful businessmen, athletes, and artists that leverage cannabis but no one is comfortable speaking publicly about it.
Now that has changed. MMA and UFC fighter, Kyle Kingsbury, is an athlete that has been using cannabinoids to both aid his physical recovery and to enhance his ability to break down film footage of his opponents. Check out the brief interview the Brianne O’Neill from VapeXhale did with Kyle.
The interview:
Q: As an athlete, many consider marijuana to be detrimental to your training, can you tell us why you began using cannabis for athletic performance?
Kyle: In a sport as difficult as mixed martial arts, taking care of your mind and body is very important. We put our bodies thru grueling workouts as we focus on striking, wrestling, submissions, as well as strength and conditioning. After the workouts, my body would be so sore that I was always popping 3-5 ibuprofens just to go to bed. While this helped with muscle pain, taking that many Advils can really irritate the stomach so I began researching other natural ways to help my body heal and began researching cannabinoids.
Q: What cannabinoids do you use?
Kyle: That is the great thing about cannabis, there are so many strains that have different effects so I am able to get specific strains for each scenario. When it comes to aiding physical recovery, CBD has tremendous anti-inflammatory properties and is what I use post workout. Many times, this allows me to recover enough to fit in a few extra training sessions per week. When you are performing at the highest levels, each training session could be the difference between getting the knockout or being knocked out.
Q: Do you use any non-CBD specific strains as well?
Kyle: Yes, but only at night time. I have used cannabis enough times now where I understand what strains are best for my body in different scenarios. When it comes time to sleep, I will use a heavy indica along with CBD to help with rest. I find that the CBD does a good job of making my body relaxed but a little indica will then relax my mind to the point where I can fall asleep and let my body recuperate.
Q: How do you consume your cannabis, seems like smoking would be counter productive to being an athlete correct?
Kyle: There are many different ways to consume cannabis that affect your body in unique ways. I have always liked eating my cannabis because there is no negative impact on the lungs. More recently, I have been looking for ways for my body to absorb CBD more efficiently as it can get really expensive when you take it orally. Studies have shown that we absorb about 8% CBD if taken orally and over 20% if inhaled. I’ve been using a VapeXhale EVO as it is the most efficient vaporizer that I have found on the market and it works for both flowers and oils. I’ve tried a bunch of different vaporizers but found that this one delivers the best taste and potency while using the least amount of material. As much as I work out, I definitely see a huge savings doing it this way.
Q: Any last words for our readers?
Kyle: Last words- whatever your reasons are for using cannabis be sure to have a clear intention and respect for the plants. It is always important to start slowly with new strains and different means of ingestion. It’s fun getting blasted on occasion but nothing feels worse than having too much. But with a little fine tuning and self-experimentation you can find the happy medium between having medical benefits, feeling good, and waking up sharp. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Kingsbu
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