Smoking THC before exercise raised post-workout pulse pressure but did not affect performance during exercise
In a within-subject study, smoking THC-dominant cannabis elevated post-exercise pulse pressure and altered cardiac function during recovery, but blood pressure and heart function during exercise were unaffected.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Smoking THC increased post-exercise pulse pressure (50 vs 41 mmHg) and reduced isovolumic contraction time; vaping THC or CBD had lesser or no effects; blood pressure and cardiac function during exercise were unaffected by any cannabis condition.
Key Numbers
n=14 main protocol, n=22 stress echo; post-exercise pulse pressure: control 41+/-7, S-THC 50+/-9 mmHg; IVCT reduced in S-THC vs control (p=0.048); no differences during exercise.
How They Did This
Within-subject design; participants inhaled cannabis via smoking (high THC), vaporizing (high THC), or vaporizing (high CBD); cardiovascular measures at rest and after 20-min maximal cycling (n=14); stress echocardiography separately (n=22).
Why This Research Matters
Athletes and exercisers increasingly combine cannabis with physical activity, and this study suggests the cardiovascular risk window may be during recovery rather than during exercise.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis and exercise both independently affect cardiovascular physiology, and understanding their interaction is important as co-use becomes more common in recreational sports.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample sizes; within-subject but not blinded to route; acute single-session design; healthy participants may not reflect those with cardiovascular risk factors.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does the post-exercise pulse pressure increase translate to cardiovascular events?
- ?Is the recovery period a higher-risk window?
- ?Does chronic use alter these responses?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Post-exercise pulse pressure rose to 50 mmHg after smoked THC vs 41 mmHg in control
- Evidence Grade:
- Within-subject design with multiple cannabis conditions, but small sample and single-session design limit conclusions.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025
- Original Title:
- The acute cardiovascular response to dynamic exercise and recovery following cannabis use.
- Published In:
- American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 329(6), H1655-H1665 (2025)
- Authors:
- Cheung, Christian P(4), Baker, Ryleigh E(2), Coates, Alexandra M(2), Burr, Jamie F
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06209
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is it dangerous to exercise after using cannabis?
Blood pressure during exercise was not affected, but post-exercise recovery showed elevated pulse pressure after smoking THC, suggesting the recovery period may carry more cardiovascular risk.
Did CBD have similar effects?
No. Vaporized CBD-dominant cannabis did not produce the post-exercise cardiovascular changes seen with smoked THC.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06209APA
Cheung, Christian P; Baker, Ryleigh E; Coates, Alexandra M; Burr, Jamie F. (2025). The acute cardiovascular response to dynamic exercise and recovery following cannabis use.. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 329(6), H1655-H1665. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00608.2025
MLA
Cheung, Christian P, et al. "The acute cardiovascular response to dynamic exercise and recovery following cannabis use.." American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00608.2025
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The acute cardiovascular response to dynamic exercise and re..." RTHC-06209. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/cheung-2025-the-acute-cardiovascular-response
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.