Fitness + Cannabis

BY ANTONIO DEROSE

WITH FLAVIE DOKKEN LIT + FIT

Consuming cannabis and exercising may seem like a new concept for many, especially considering the past few decades of lazy stoner propaganda, but it’s much more common than you think, and research is starting to prove it. In fact, in April of 2019, The University of Colorado Boulder published their research focused on exploring the relationship between consuming cannabis and exercise behavior. The research was collected and published as a group effort between the university’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Institute of Cognitive Science. Their study, in the form of an anonymous online survey conducted between January 2017 and July 2018, concluded 81.7% of study participants endorsed consuming cannabis before and/or after exercising. A whopping 67.2% endorsed consuming cannabis both before and after exercise. Although their sample size was less than 1000 people, those are some heavily weighted percentages, and I’m not surprised by the findings. This is why we decided for our Veteran’s Issue, we’d get some tips from U.S. Army Veteran turned competitive ultra runner, Flavie Dokken, who currently consumes cannabis for her performance and recovery as an athlete. Dokken works in the cannabis industry as a Senior Retail Account Manager for BDS Analytics by day, and has fun living the life of a sponsored ultra runner outside the office. A former national level competitive bodybuilder, with a race resume spanning 18 ultra-mountain trail races, including taking home 2nd and 3rd place victories at the Silverton Ultra 50 and Pikes Peak Ultra 50, she is sponsored by Bodyvisions and the well-known cannabis-infused products company, Wana Brands. Dokken, who is originally from France, joined the military to “Take on a duty bigger than myself and from a sense of patriotism,” and she went on to add that she “Is very proud to have become an American Citizen.” Her enlistment got her assigned to the Military Police, and she did a 3 year tour in Alaska before being discharged early due to multiple femur stress fractures resulting from military training. Although she describes her experience as brutal, both physically and mentally, she’s grateful for having served her country, because it was in this service where she says she learned “the true meaning of accountability, teamwork, and resilience,” and “It only strengthened my respect and admiration for everyone who serves in the military.”

After getting out of the military, Dokken eventually got into bodybuilding, and this is where her relationship with cannabis first began. “I first started using cannabis as part of my body building training. My friends who were competitive bodybuilders were partaking after intense training sessions. Weightlifting is pretty hard on the body, and I felt relief from intense training sessions, but also it increased my focus when I consumed cannabis before a session. High CBD and 1:1 CBD:THC products have helped me with pain management and reducing any inflammation.” Now, I’m already a strong believer of cannabis for fitness, but given Dokken’s experience (which I’ve heard from several other athletes in a wide range of sports), along with the recent research data from the University of Colorado Boulder, evidence for cannabis being used with exercise to improve overall health and wellness is starting to stack up. With this topic becoming more mainstream, you may be wondering how to take advantage of cannabis to help with your own fitness goals. Dokken says, “Overall, cannabis products are a great tool to add to training, just like protein, BCAA’s, or coffee.” If you’re new to cannabis, fitness, or combining the two, she says her “best advice is to start with very low doses and see how you feel when you exercise. All body types react differently, and the effects also vary depending on what your mindset is when you consume. There is a wide variety of products out there, so experiencing different ones while sticking to the lower end of dosing is a good start.” Starting slow and paying attention to how you feel are both important for someone starting to add cannabis into a fitness routine, but what about starting a fitness routine to begin with? Dokken tells us the key component for staying in good shape is that she found a physical activity she truly enjoys, and for her, that’s trail running. “It’s important to choose an activity you really enjoy or it might be easier to make excuses when things get tough or life gets in the way. Running for me is a way to go on an awesome adventure and discover beautiful places with my friends. The trail community is full of really cool people and personalities.” In addition to finding an activity you enjoy, Dokken also recommends being consistent in your activity and your nutrition. She trains early in the morning because she finds it easier to not miss training by knocking it out at the start of her day. She suggests setting small daily goals, that all build up to completing your bigger goals. Dokken doesn’t diet, but is regimented in her eating habits. She makes sure to prepare food ahead of time, having everything she needs for each day ready to go. Her final piece of advice for anyone wanting to get fit, whether it be for an ultra marathon, increased mobility and strength, or just longer walks in the park, is to get enough rest. “I turn down many social activities to just chill and nap! I think it has a lot to do with the fact I can still push hard and improve.”