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October 19, 2025

Can Exercising Enhance Your High? What the Science Does (and Doesn’t Say)

Home > Blog > Can Exercising Enhance Your High? What the Science Does (and Doesn’t Say)

Key Takeaways

Exercise triggers the release of endocannabinoids like anandamide, producing a runner's high that shares similar pathways with the THC-induced high from cannabis, as both activate the body's endocannabinoid system.
In regular cannabis users, THC stored in fat cells can be released back into the bloodstream during exercise due to fat burning, potentially causing a 'second high' or amplifying the effects of exercise and cannabis together, although scientific consensus is lacking.
While many users report enhanced workout enjoyment, endurance, and recovery when combining cannabis and exercise, scientific research remains limited and inconclusive, highlighting the need for broader studies to fully understand this interaction.

These days, it's not uncommon to see a package of infused gummies or CBD balm tucked into someone's gym bag. More and more people are exploring the effects of cannabis during physical activity.

According to the growing number of cannabis-loving gym rats, cannabis seems to help with recovery, increase enjoyment, and synergize with a natural runner's high.

But there is also the question of whether that relationship goes both ways. Does exercise increase your high as much as a cannabis high improves the workout? Science has only just begun to unlock the answers to this question, suggesting that yes, exercise does release THC back into the bloodstream, although it might not be the whole story.

Here is a look at what we know (and don't know) about enhancing your high through exercise.

The Runner's High vs. The Cannabis High

For years, scientists believed the "runner's high" was triggered by a release of endorphins during intense exercise. But we now know that endorphins are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, which means they can't actually create that cerebral euphoric feeling.

Newer research has shifted the focus from endorphins to endocannabinoids. It is now thought that during exercise, the body releases a compound known as anandamide and, to a lesser degree, 2-AG. These compounds are small enough to enter the brain, where they dampen pain signals, stimulate dopamine release, and activate CB receptors to build up the sensation of calm euphoria runners know so well.

So, what is the endocannabinoid system? Only discovered in the early 1990s, it's a body-wide network of receptors and chemical communicators that regulates a wide range of essential biological functions, including mood, memory, pain perception, sleep, stress adaptation, and more.

And interestingly, it's activated not only by the body's own endocannabinoids like anandamide and 2-AG, but with phytocannabinoids like THC and CBD, most prolifically produced by cannabis.

This is part of the reason why there is so much comparison between a runner's high and the high that comes from cannabis rich in THC. THC overlaps with the body's runner's high by directly activating the same endocannabinoid system that is central to the famous euphoric feeling associated with intense exercise.

Just like a runner's high comes from an exercise-triggered increase in anandamide, THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, acts on the same receptors in the endocannabinoid system. THC and anandamide are structurally distinct molecules, but both lead to similar effects.

Fat Cells, Exercise, and a "Second High"

For daily cannabis consumers, there may be even more of a connection between these two types of highs. If the most recent research proves true, there is a chance that a daily session could offer a second high during endurance exercise, even if you haven't consumed anything that day.

It all starts with how your body processes THC. Like all cannabinoids, it is highly lipophilic, which means it dissolves more readily in fats than in water. Considering about 60 percent of the human body is water, when THC enters the bloodstream (from smoking, vaping, or consuming edibles), it quickly finds its way into fatty tissues.

The amount of THC that ends up effectively stored in fat tissues depends on many factors, including BMI, how much cannabis you consume, and even genetics. But this storage in fat explains why THC can be detected in the body long after you've taken a THC break.

Now, add in an exercise session, and you could find yourself experiencing all those stored THC molecules for a second time. When exercise leads to burning fat, research has recently discovered that the stored THC finds its way back into the bloodstream.

For example, researchers have measured statistically significant increases in blood THC levels directly after moderate exercise among regular cannabis consumers, usually in the range of 15% to 40% above baseline.

As a 2014 study found, the THC released during exercise was most noticeable when the participants had recently ingested cannabis, within a day or so of working out, as well as for those with a higher body fat percentage.

These human studies confirm the findings of earlier animal research which showed that in rats pretreated with THC, those who fasted or exercised had higher plasma cannabinoid concentrations than the placebo. The reason being, these two activities utilize fat.

Could exercise-triggered release of fat-stored THC be enough to cause a second high? The science is far from settled, but evidence suggests it may raise THC levels in the bloodstream enough to produce a positive result on certain drug tests. Some people theorize that this release might amplify (or at least contribute to) the effects of the traditional runner's high.

Can Exercise Amplify THC Effects?

As many have already discovered, taking a microdose or more before a workout session seems to enhance endurance and motivation. But can the relationship work the other way? Can you amplify the high by working out?

Cannabis-loving workout enthusiasts have long suggested this unique synergy is real. At least anecdotally, there seems to be a two-way relationship where THC boosts the workout experience, and exercise enhances the overall effects of THC.

Our Own Endocannabinoids Increase with Exercise

The explanation may come back to how both cannabis and exercise act on the endocannabinoid system. Research shows that the body's own endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-AG) naturally increase during and after exercise. These rises occur across many kinds of activity and in both healthy and less healthy populations.

Since THC activates the same signaling pathways, the overlap could be synergistic: exercise-induced endocannabinoids may amplify the mood-elevating and relieving properties linked to a serving of THC enjoyed before the workout.

Exercise Increases Circulation = Increased Cannabinoid Dispersal

A second theory stems from the way exercise increases circulation. When you work out, your heart rate and blood flow increase, which helps compounds like THC move through your system more efficiently. For inhaled cannabis, this can mean faster absorption in the lungs and a quicker onset of effects.

For edibles, the relationship is a bit more nuanced. Physical activity redirects blood flow away from the digestive tract and liver toward your muscles. Since the liver is where much of THC is processed before it enters circulation, this shift can influence how quickly—or how much—THC is metabolized.

The result isn’t necessarily a stronger high, but a slightly different one in timing or duration. In short, exercise doesn’t create new effects from THC, but it can subtly change how your body experiences them.

THC and Exercise: Factors That Play into the High

Cannabis, especially THC, affects everyone in subtly different ways. Factors as diverse as age, gender, BMI, health conditions, and even your DNA can influence how you experience THC.

This spectrum of THC experience also holds for getting the most out of cannabis and exercise. The serving that works for you could be dramatically different from what works for your teammate or gym spotter.

Here are just a few of the factors that play into the intensity of the THC-exercise relationship:

Body Mass Index (BMI):

Cannabis lovers with higher body fat percentages may have a larger reservoir of THC that can be slowly released during exercise, potentially synergizing the effects from both the cannabis and runner's high.

Type of Workout:

While all types of physical activity activate the endocannabinoid system, cardio (like running) tends to produce a stronger endocannabinoid surge. This could mean a more noticeable overlap with THC's effects compared to resistance training.

Timing:

When you consume cannabis in relation to your workout also matters. Enjoying cannabis shortly before or immediately after exercise may lead to more potent effects because endocannabinoid levels are already elevated and blood flow has surged.

Cannabis Habits:

Whether you dabble daily or just on the weekends, the frequency of cannabis consumption will factor into how strongly you feel the effects of THC. Over time, our bodies do gradually build up a tolerance to THC, so if you are a regular toker, you'll likely require a bigger pre-gym serving than someone who only occasionally partakes.

Diet:

Your daily diet could also impact how you respond to THC. Different ingredients can impact digestive uptake, liver function, and metabolism. Even subtly different pH levels in your digestive tract will change how effectively edibles are absorbed.

THC and Working Out: What We Don't Know

woman running on a long road with the sun in her face

Of course, like many cannabis topics, there is a lot we just don't know yet about going to the gym high. Yes, countless athletes and gym-goers report benefits for recovery, endurance, and overall enjoyment, but very few of these claims have been tested in rigorous scientific studies.

For example, whether it's a runner's high or a cannabis high, these sensations are highly subjective. What you feel versus what someone else feels can be quite different, and that can be hard to capture within a clinical environment that is accustomed to hard numbers and calculated measurements.

There's also a bit of a debate about whether exercise can trigger a "second high" by releasing stored THC from fat cells. Some studies (mentioned earlier) suggest that it's possible, while others have found no measurable change. This back-and-forth is all a part of the normal scientific process, as researchers tease out which conditions truly influence the effect.

Finally, much of the research thus far has focused on frequent cannabis users—people with higher THC tolerance—with potentially much more THC stored in fat tissue. Less is known about how exercise interacts with cannabis for occasional consumers, leaving a gap in our understanding of how widespread or consistent these effects really are.

Does Exercise Increase Your High? The Verdict

From a scientific perspective, there is not yet conclusive evidence that exercise boosts the effects of THC. Like in nearly all areas of cannabis research, studies have been limited in scope thus far, with a focus on a small group of people who already use cannabis daily. We need larger-scale studies across a broader demographic base in order to draw stronger conclusions about this relationship.

But this hasn't stopped people from exploring the question, "Does exercise release THC?" for themselves. A microdose of THC before or after an intense workout has become a non-negotiable for many.

People report benefits as far ranging as greater endurance, improved mind-muscle connection, and even faster post-workout recovery—all claims that need to be played out in the research before any scientific consensus can happen.

Should you explore this fascinating synergy between THC and exercise? It’s absolutely worth a shot. And Until Next Time, Mind Your Mind.

FDA Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before use. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the statements made regarding these products. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires this notice