THE EFFECT OF DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL ON DELAYED-ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS

Abstract

Many individuals have experienced “muscle fever” or delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after an intense workout. Microtrauma occurs in myofibers commonly involved with intensive eccentric exercises. Due to inflammation from the microinjury, DOMS can occur. As the steady inclination of states across America are legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, companies are beginning to sell delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) containing products that claim to reduce somatic pain and speed up recovery time to allow gym goers and athletes to return to their workouts at a faster rate. The overall purpose of this paper is to take an objective view of whether the literature supports Δ9-THC as a remedy for DOMS. The major results found were that Δ9-THC can be a potential candidate to reduce DOMS after an intense workout through the reduction of pain and anti-inflammatory properties. There are high expression levels of cannabinoid receptor 1(CB1R) in the hippocampus which are involved in regulating nociceptive perception. Upon Δ9-THC interacting with the CB1R, this inhibits neurotransmitter release reducing the signal of pain to the pre-frontal cortex. Since Δ9-THC can bind to the body’s cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) found in the endocannabinoid system, this activates immunosuppression through the induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, and the suppression of cytokine production. Thus, cannabis may represent a promising therapeutic agent to reduce DOMS and allow quicker recovery time from the associated mechanisms of pain and inflammation reduction.