Photo credit: Prostock Studio
Psychedelics induce mind-altering states, bringing insights and mystical experiences. But their true utility is as an instigator of change not solely limited to the inner-experience. With these drugs, the world can take on a different meaning. This change in consciousness leads to radical reflection on behaviors and habits.
Psychedelics, at their best, spur shifts in one’s life that exceed the mind—extending even to the body. Already, before the psychedelic “renaissance” of the last decade, research demonstrated that psychedelic use can lead to smoking cessation, as well as curbing other addictive behaviors, such as alcoholism. Recently, studies have explored the link between exercise and psychedelics, with the potential to address conditions such as obesity or improve athletic performance.
While one should be reluctant to designate psychedelics as the next trendy weight loss “fix” or performance-enhancing compound, the newest research shows that their introspective effects offer a novel approach to bodily health and wellness.
Psychedelics for Healthy Weight Loss?
With the explosion of anti-obesity medications (AOM) such as Ozempic, it seems that other interventions are superfluous: The wonder drug of weight loss has arrived. Yet, some have criticized Ozempic as a superficial answer to the struggles of obesity.
Dr. Robert Klitzman, a psychiatry professor, stated in an interview with Columbia University that Ozempic-like drugs may be short-sighted. That’s because they only address the biological aspect of obesity by regulating appetite and metabolism. They do not, however, address other factors contributing to obesity such as “poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, socioeconomic disparities, and the pervasive marketing of unhealthy foods,” he said.
Rather than addressing the issue of weight loss from a biophysical perspective, psychedelics can modify habits and lifestyle changes.
A paper in the Journal of Psychopharmacology identified a connection between psychedelic therapy and healthy lifestyle changes. In a study where 444 participants “claimed to have stopped or reduced cannabis, opioid, or stimulant misuse after a psychedelic experience, 59% endorsed ‘improved diet’ and 58% endorsed ‘increased exercise’ as a result of their psychedelic experience.”
Research in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, similarly linked insightful experiences with a classic psychedelic (such as LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline) to “healthy diet-related and exercise-related health behavior and having a healthy BMI,” according to the study.
Those same researchers suggest that psychedelics might help people change their habits for better health, especially for weight loss.
Evidence suggests that the same reflection that allows psychedelics to initiate changes in addictive behaviors can similarly facilitate shifts in health habits. This is precisely how these substances can convert a sedentary lifestyle into an active one: Through reflection on everyday behaviors from an entirely new vantage.
Self-Determination, Psychedelics, and Health
How exactly can psychedelics contribute to a healthier lifestyle?
Unlike Ozempic, psychedelics rely on an agent—an open, receptive user—to act as the nexus of change. Without a person who initiates or embraces the transformation, lifestyle adjustments are unlikely to happen.
According to the Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology article, the behavior change brought on by psychedelics may be due to an increase in self-determination. In short, self-determination enables one to make reflection-based choices that align with personal motivations.
Researchers believe that the three principles of self-determination (competency, autonomy, and interpersonal relatedness) “are all factors which psychedelics could plausibly influence,” according to the study.
This is what distinguishes a psychedelic intervention from an AOM: A psychedelic holistically affects self-determination. But drugs such as Ozempic work independently of personal autonomy. In some cases, Ozempic may remain the best option. Without an accompanying total lifestyle change, however, an AOM will only be effective for the duration one takes it.
A Trip to Enhance Athletic Performance
Despite having a reputation for mind-melting laziness, psychedelics not only offer the potential for a healthier lifestyle but also may improve athletic performance while one is under the influence.
Research in the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition considered the physical performance-enhancing (or ergogenic) potential of psychedelics. “Psychedelic compounds might serve as a novel ergogenic aid in lieu of precarious stimulant use,” according to the study.
Psychedelics can augment athleticism in two different ways: through its pain-fighting and mental focus qualities.
Many success stories involving athletic feats and psychedelics are self-reported by professional athletes. In 1973, baseball player Dock Ellis famously pitched a no-hitter while on LSD. To contextualize this achievement, the MLB confirmed that there have been less than 350 no-hitters in the over 100-year history of baseball.
Additionally, researchers discovered athletes in sports such as snowboarding, surfing, and other sports report that psychedelics can facilitate unparalleled focus.
Outside of direct athletic performance, psychedelics also offer a unique form of pain management. The same article from the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition found that, “psychedelics have a propensity to attenuate pain symptoms.”
Crucially, unlike opiates, psychedelic drugs do this without the risk of addiction. By allowing athletes to work through their pain, psychedelics may allow athletes to push their physical limitations.
Taken together, the emerging research on psychedelics—and its potential effects on athleticism and a healthier lifestyle—shows that psychedelics can alter not only the mind but also the body. All these studies and self-reports signal an unexpected use of psychedelics: a strange, hallucinatory approach to sports and health.
Leave a Reply