A narrative review found cannabis and exercise share overlapping effects on brain inflammation, vascular function, and neuroplasticity through the endocannabinoid system, with potential for both synergistic and opposing interactions.
Athletes considering cannabis use, sports medicine physicians, exercise scientists, endocannabinoid researchers.
3 overlapping brain health pathways identified
What the researchers found
The review identified mechanistic overlaps between cannabinoid and exercise effects on brain function through three key pathways: inflammation (both can be anti-inflammatory), vascular function (both affect cerebral blood flow), and neuroplasticity (both modulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synaptic plasticity). The interactions could be additive, synergistic, or opposing depending on timing, dose, and context.
Why it matters
As cannabis use becomes more common among athletes and recreational exercisers, understanding how these two brain-active interventions interact is crucial. The endocannabinoid system responds to both exercise and exogenous cannabinoids, creating potential for beneficial or harmful interactions that are largely unstudied.
The numbers in context
Review covered literature since 2010. Three focal pathways: inflammation, vascular function, neuroplasticity. Both exercise and cannabinoids modulate the endocannabinoid system.
How the study worked
Narrative review emphasizing research since 2010, including randomized clinical trials, observational studies, preclinical work, and related review articles. Focused on overlapping physiological mechanisms through which cannabinoids and exercise affect brain function.
What this study cannot tell us
Narrative review without systematic methodology. Most evidence is indirect, comparing separate cannabinoid and exercise literatures rather than studying their combination. Limited human data on combined effects. Animal and in vitro findings may not translate to human athletic contexts.
How to read the evidence
Preliminary: narrative review identifying plausible mechanisms but lacking direct evidence of combined effects.
When this study was published
2025 study
The bigger picture
Exercise itself activates the endocannabinoid system, sometimes called the "runner's high" effect. Adding exogenous cannabinoids to an already-activated system could either enhance or blunt the brain benefits of exercise. This distinction matters as cannabis companies increasingly market products to athletes.
Questions still open
- Does cannabis use before exercise enhance or diminish exercise-induced neuroplasticity? Could CBD specifically enhance anti-inflammatory benefits of exercise? Does regular cannabis use blunt the endocannabinoid system's response to exercise over time?
Common questions
Does cannabis affect the brain benefits of exercise?
Should athletes use cannabis?
Read the original research
Considering the Effects of Cannabinoids and Exercise on the Brain: A Narrative Review.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 13(9)
Citation
Rajaei, Amir Yahya; Neary, J Patrick; Thompson, Elizabeth S; Singh, Jyotpal; Mang, Cameron S. (2025). Considering the Effects of Cannabinoids and Exercise on the Brain: A Narrative Review.. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 13(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13090320