How Microdosing Can Enhance Athletic Performance

Athletics and microdosing may not be a combo you’ve considered before. More associated with mental enhancement than physical, interior processes rather than outward actions. However, turns out, you do need a brain for sports*. The focus that microdosing magic truffles creates can be harnessed to focus on the pitch, court, pool or diving board. And, as the popularity of microdosing grows in the ‘Wellness’ market, (not to mention also in therapeutic research) it was only a matter of time before the athletic industry got hungry for a slice of the microdose pie.

*Just teasing!

An Increase In Cognitive Rather Than Physical Ability

Of course, the sports world is constantly rocked by ‘doping’ scandals. This happens when athletes are discovered to have unfairly improved their skills through performance enhancing drugs. From Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace, to Russia’s 2020 Olympic ban, there is something uniquely ‘dishonourable’ associated with the practice.

Note however, the recent banning of American superstar runner Sha’Carri Richardson from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to testing positive for THC (the active ingredient in cannabis). Although most scientists agree that cannabinoids do not have performance enhancing abilities, they are still banned by the WADA. Richardson’s misfortune has not gone unchallenged, with even President Joe Biden suggesting the the drug testing protocols be reviewed.

Psychedelics are not currently included on the list of banned substances according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This is because they do not bequeath physical advantages on the player that traditional ‘doping’ drugs like steroids do. Rather, in microdose amounts (1/10- 1/20 of a tripping dose) they increase cognitive ability. Microdosing has been reported to improve creativity and productivity— the biohackers of Silicon Valley swear by it. But how can this benefit athletes — from the professional basketball player to the weekend footballer, to the morning jogger?

Anecdotal Evidence

At present, there have been no official studies or research into whether microdosing psychedelics, such as psilocybin, can benefit athletic performance. However, there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence. 

One of these tales of psychedelic enhancement comes from Major League baseball pitcher Doc Ellis. He was called in to play a match on June 12th, 1970. Unfortunately, he had been under the impression it was his day off, and had taken LSD with friends. Ellis played the game under the influence and proceeded to throw a no-hitter. The only one of his career. In fact, in over 175,000 professional baseball games played, only 269 no-hitters have been thrown in history. Ellis recounted

 “…I was psyched... a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the [catcher’s] glove.”

Getting In ‘The Zone’

Many athletes self-report that their stamina and ability are improved at micro or ‘psycholytic’ doses (far less than Doc Ellis had taken!) They are more able to ‘get in the zone’ and focus upon the task at hand. The ‘flow states’ that those who microdose for creativity or productivity report, apply here too. Your chosen sport will receive all your concentration when the mind is quietened and anxieties reduced. Additionally, this focus has been reported to improve endurance, as you are more likely to continue for longer, thus building your stamina. Of course, microdosing improves mood as well — and at the most simple level — being happy makes you more willing to try.

The Point of Perfection

James Oroc, an extreme sports athlete, recently wrote an article for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in which he gushed about the power of the microdose. 

“ According to the combined reports of 40 years of use by the extreme sports underground, psychedelics can increase your reflex time to lightning speed, improve your balance to the point of perfection, increase your concentration until you experience “tunnel vision,” and make you impervious to weakness or pain.”

Release Your Inner Athlete

With such striking claims, backed up by anecdotal evidence, it is likely only a matter of time until scientific institutions start research into the subject.

There is certainly a growing trend for post-career athletes using psilocybin as a recovery tool for trauma due to their sport (such as wrestling and other contact sports.) While on the pitch though? Only time will tell.

However, if you wanna explore how microdosing psilocybin truffles can enhance your sporting performance, why not order some today? Even if you just wanna feel more ‘at one’ with the water while doing lengths at the local swimming pool, microdosing is also for you.  You may just release your inner athlete! Check out our microdosing guide for everything you need to know.