A scoping review of 42 studies on psilocybin's effects on cognition and creativity in adults found that macrodoses tended to impair cognitive performance and creativity during the acute phase (minutes to hours after intake), while microdoses tended toward creative enhancement. The few macrodosing studies that included post-acute measures (1–85 days) reported primarily null but some positive effects. Psilocybin was mostly administered orally (83%) in bodyweight-adjusted doses (74%) to healthy participants (90%). Only 26% of studies explicitly reported safety outcomes, and among those, only one reported serious adverse reactions. The findings are limited by methodological concerns and inadequate assessment of long-term effects.
Psychedelics were the third most used substance in the past year among athletes (35.8%), though regular use was low (7.5%). In a survey of 175 athletes and staff in Canada and the United States, 61.2% of athletes reported likely engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) for concussion recovery, and 71.1% of staff said they would support athletes using PAT. Attitudes toward psilocybin and knowledge of psilocybin predicted willingness to use or support PAT. The sports community may be receptive to PAT for managing persisting concussion symptoms.