HLOLA
While anecdotal reports indicate psychedelics are useful in artistic and meditative pursuits, users have also reported them beneficial for physical activities dependent on alertness, awareness, and the rapid processing of sensory data — everything from climbing rock pitches to pitching in pro baseball, it seems.
Let’s look at the evidence supporting psychedelic science and how it’s applied to sports performance.
Stress Reduction & Mental Health
Good mental resilience and stress management is essential for making quick decisions and executing precise movements.
There’s evidence that psychedelics, such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, and MDMA, may have the ability to reduce anxiety and stress in individuals with certain mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
One proposed mechanism is that psychedelics can promote “neuroplasticity,” or the brain’s ability to adapt and change in response to new experiences. It’s also involved in learning new tasks and recovering from injuries.
A study found that psilocybin mushrooms improved the cognitive flexibility in test subjects, leading to a reduction of “negativity bias and rumination,” which is when someone has a hard time thinking positive thoughts and gets stuck in negative ones.
Improved Focus & Concentration
Intense focus — also called “flowstates” — are critical for athletic performance because it allows an athlete to tune out all distractions and become fully present in the moment. This sensation is described as the feeling of peak performance or “wu wei” and is highly sought after by athletes.
In this state, athletes can process information more quickly, make split-second decisions, and execute precise movements that push their physical and mental limits further than usual.
Psychedelics change how the brain processes information, and it’s thought that this can help an athlete enter a flow state.
Magic mushrooms and LSD increase the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for motivation and reward-seeking behavior. This may increase the individual’s drive to engage in the task and find pleasure in the process.
Enhanced Creativity & Problem-Solving
The ability to think creatively and develop new solutions could help athletes adapt and perform better in the dynamic and unexpected world of professional sports.
One study from 2019 examined how psilocybin affects people’s ability to think creatively, feel empathy, and be happy .
Researchers found that psilocybin encouraged something called divergent thinking, which involves generating many different ideas or solutions to a problem. The participants also claimed to have a more profound sense of empathy and felt better about their lives up to a week after taking the drug.
The potential benefits of psychedelics for enhancing creativity and problem-solving abilities may translate to improved athletic performance in some individuals.
Creativity and problem-solving abilities are essential not only for athletes during competitions but also in their training. These skills can help athletes identify new training methods and techniques and adapt on the fly to changing conditions.
Reduced Perception of Fatigue
Endurance athletes, such as runners or cyclists, often push themselves to their limits. However, research shows that their brain’s perception of fatigue, rather than actual fatigue, can be a significant obstacle to achieving these goals .
The feeling of fatigue is a complex perception influenced by various factors, including the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles, changes in blood glucose levels, and the release of certain hormones.
Some studies suggest that the perception of fatigue can be a bigger factor than actual muscle fatigue. It can cause an athlete to slow down or stop exercising long before their muscles actually tire.
Endurance athletes must train their minds and muscles to overcome this perception of fatigue and perform at their best.
There have been anecdotal reports from some athletes, such as marathon runners, who claim to have surpassed their personal records while under the influence of psychedelics, attributed to a lack of feeling fatigued.
