Think of Michael Jordan’s iconic “Flu Game” or Serena Williams’ consistent dominance on the tennis court. These athletes captivate us with their athleticism and the supreme focus and execution they exhibit during clutch moments. All-time great sports performances can sometimes seem unreal based on skill and technique alone. Balancing internal fatigue and concentration against external focus on opponents and tasks is no easy feat, and doing it in front of millions adds to the stakes.
Athletes and other high-performance populations like the military and first responders often find themselves in high-pressure situations where the instinctual responses of “fight or flight” can dictate the outcome of their performance. Many high-performers have alluded to being in “the zone”, which, is characterized by a seamless fusion of mind and body. This state, which scientists term “flow”, is a balance of effortless execution, heightened concentration, and an acute sense of awareness, allowing individuals to transcend their usual limits and perform at their peak. It’s natural to experience fatigue or stress during these high-stakes situations, which is why watching records being broken leaves us in awe as if we were witnessing something “superhuman”. Oftentimes, many athletes recall being “unaware” of the moment in an almost transcendent state, epitomizing being in “the zone,” where everything clicks, and peak performance seems to just…flow.
During these moments, the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) emerges as a pivotal player in performance and mental states. By regulating neurotransmitters like dopamine, crucial for motivation and reward processing, the ECS influences the cognitive processes essential for achieving and sustaining flow states in sports. The presence of cannabinoid receptors in brain regions linked to emotion regulation further supports the ECS’s broader impact on cognitive function. As contemporary research sheds light on the ECS’s involvement in beneficial, altered, mind-body states like the runner’s high, it becomes increasingly evident that understanding and harnessing this system holds promise for building stress resilience and optimizing performance.
Understanding the intricate balance between the ECS and performance provides an opportunity for athletes to optimize flow states and sports performance. This not only elevates but also maximizes performance across diverse disciplines and in turn emphasizes the ECS’s relevance to other elements of human life. As our understanding of the ECS and flow states evolves, the potential of cannabinoid supplementation emerges as a promising avenue for optimizing stress response and nurturing flow states, opening up new dimensions of performance and well-being.
Jackson, S. A., & Marsh, H. W. (1996). Development and validation of a scale to measure optimal experience: The Flow State Scale. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 18(1), 17-35.
Schmidt, S. C., Gnam, J. P., Kopf, M., Rathgeber, T., & Woll, A. (2020). The influence of cortisol, flow, and anxiety on performance in E-sports: A field study. BioMed research international, 2020.
Engeser, S., Schiepe-Tiska, A., & Peifer, C. (2021). Historical lines and an overview of current research on flow. Advances in flow research, 1-29.
Science Educator | Cannabis Researcher | Sports Scientist | Certified Strength and
Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) | Former NCAA DI-DII Strength Coach & Personal Trainer | Sports Cannabis Contributor Writer
Sports Cannabis
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
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