Altered States, Enhanced Potential: Psychedelics and Physical Performance
Zane Qarni, Jérémie Richard
June 12, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/txgq2_v2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative content analysis |
|---|---|
| Population | Reddit discussions about psychedelics and physical performance |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Perception Cognition Empirical research Qualitative research Inclusion mineral Consciousness Content analysis Cognitive psychology Clinical psychology Psychological pain Subliminal stimuli Developmental psychology |
| Key findings | Psychedelics are most often described as enhancing physical performance indirectly through altered attention, increased mind-body connection, flow-like absorption, and reduced pain or fatigue. |
Abstract
Interest in psychedelics has expanded beyond clinical treatment contexts, yet little empirical work has examined how users describe psychedelic use in relation to sport and physical activity. This study conducted a qualitative content analysis of Reddit discussions involving psychedelics and physical performance. A Reddit search for “sports psychedelics” returned 253 threads. After screening, 39 threads and 290 comments met inclusion criteria. Analysis identified eight content categories: physical performance enhancement; flow state/automaticity; perceptual and cognitive enhancement; risks, limitations, and safety concerns; reduced fatigue/pain perception; microdosing as strategy; psychological and emotional benefits; and fairness, ethics, and governance. Psilocybin mushrooms and LSD were the most frequently mentioned substances. Across accounts, users most often described psychedelics as enhancing performance indirectly through altered attention, increased mind-body connection, flow-like absorption, and reduced pain or fatigue. Some users reported greater perceived strength, speed, endurance, coordination, or overall capability during activity, while others described effortless movement, reduced self-consciousness, sharper perception, and improved focus. Reports were predominantly positive or mixed, with concerns about overexertion, injury risk, impaired judgment, and fairness in competitive settings. These findings suggest that psychedelics may be understood less as traditional performance-enhancing drugs and more as potential-enhancing substances that alter the subjective conditions under which performance occurs. However, because all accounts were self-reported, it remains unclear whether perceived performance gains correspond to measurable physiological or behavioral improvement. Future controlled research using objective performance outcomes is needed to clarify the relationship between psychedelic use, subjective experience, and physical performance.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study | 2018 | Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis | n = 12 |
| Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD Cluster headache patients who used psilocybin or LSD | 2006 | Qualitative study | n = 53 |
| Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress Adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis | n = 13 |