Cannabigerol (CBG) improved grip strength and exercise performance in mice with steroid-induced muscle wasting, according to a new study published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science.
The study, conducted by researchers at Brazil’s Federal University of Santa Catarina, examined CBG alone and alongside resistance training.
Researchers induced muscle atrophy by administering dexamethasone for 12 days, followed by a four-week treatment period. Mice received CBG injections or a control solution, with some also completing resistance exercise using a ladder.
Mice receiving CBG alongside training showed approximately 55% greater ladder-climbing power output in the first week and 87% greater output after four weeks compared with mice that exercised without CBG. CBG also increased peak grip strength by approximately 10%.
Exercise drove most of the recovery in muscle structure and improved fatigue resistance. CBG produced only a modest increase in muscle fiber size, suggesting its performance benefits did not primarily reflect larger muscles.
Among sedentary mice, CBG lowered blood lactate measured after an exercise test by approximately 48%. That difference was not observed among trained mice. Because lactate was measured at a single point, the finding does not establish improved metabolic efficiency.
The experiment involved only male mice, and outcome assessments were not blinded. The steroid-induced model also differs from muscle loss caused by aging, and the findings do not establish that CBG would produce similar benefits in people.
Researchers conclude by stating “These findings show that resistance exercise and cannabigerol exert complementary effects on skeletal muscle─exercise promoting structural recovery and cannabigerol enhancing neuromuscular performance and lowering post-exercise lactate─and support further investigation of cannabigerol as an adjunct to exercise in glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy.”
