When we first learned about CBD’s advantages, it was mostly employed to cure uncommon ailments like epileptic illnesses. Cannabidiol is now being used to treat a variety of physical and mental health issues. Additionally, CBD products for kids, pets, and even skincare have been developed. Additionally, the most recent advancement in the field of CBD may involve its application for enhancing sports performance. But can CBD actually improve your athletic performance? How does it impact your body while you’re exercising? Here is what the most recent study has to say.
What is CBD.
“Cannabidiol” is abbreviated as CBD. It is a cannabinoid chemical that is present in the cannabis plant and has a number of health advantages. In recent years, we’ve discovered that CBD may be helpful for treating a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, arthritic pain, sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, and even autism.
Our endocannabinoid system gets a boost from CBD, which is how it works. It attaches to receptors all across our body, which can have an impact on things like mood, pain control, and inflammation. The endocannabinoid system is a biological system that includes all of these receptors. CBD works on this system to significantly enhance our general wellbeing. After all, many of the most prevalent conditions are caused by factors like inflammation and mood.
Unfortunately, there is still some misunderstanding regarding what CBD is and its legal position. Despite being from the cannabis plant, CBD does not have any psychotropic properties. In other words, unlike marijuana, it doesn’t provide a “high.” Many nations today, even those where medicinal cannabis is still illegal, have legalized CBD.
The categorization of CBD has undergone a significant modification in recent decades in nations like the United States. Up until a few years ago, CBD was regarded as a “schedule 1 drug,” a substance with no discernible medicinal use and a significant potential for addiction. After it was made legal, a flurry of fresh studies and clinical trials on its applications in psychology, medicine, and now sports science were conducted.
As long as it has less than 0.3 percent THC, CBD is lawful on a federal level in the US. Nevertheless, it continues to be against the law in several states and is not FDA-approved. Before beginning to use CBD, we strongly advise that you speak with a doctor.
What impact does CBD have on sports performance?
Only a small number of research have been done so far on the effects of CBD on athletes. However, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that we are aware of strongly imply that it could be helpful for athletes.
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The benefits of CBD for athletes that are injured are perhaps the most helpful. The body’s overall inflammatory indicators can be reduced by CBD, which is also a reliable painkiller. This implies that it could speed up your recovery from an injury and allow you to continue training without turning to potentially dangerous painkillers.
An investigation of the relationship between marijuana use and sports was conducted in 2018. It was shown that athletes who participated in high-risk activities (like American football or snowboarding) utilized cannabis more frequently than their peers. Despite the fact that the researchers did not believe that cannabis had any “performance-enhancing” benefits for the sportsmen, they hypothesized that cannabis use helped the players cope with the pain and injuries related to their sport.
Muscle aches and CBD
Despite the fact that we typically hear about CBD in its edible form, it may also be used topically with great success. In the last few years, CBD salves have started to appear on the shelves of sporting goods stores, promising to soothe tight muscles. But how effective are these products really? How do they operate?
As we previously discussed, the endocannabinoid system’s receptors are activated when CBD interacts with our bodies. These receptors (CB1 and CB2) are also present just below the skin’s surface. As a result, when you apply a CBD cream, the chemicals are able to connect to those receptors and begin to exert their benefits.
Some athletes even report that frequent CBD use has made it easier for them to cease using NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen). Although those medications may aid in healing, they also carry a long-term risk of causing issues with the heart or digestive system. In addition to being safer and gentler on the body, substituting them with CBD has a few other advantages (like lowered anxiety and better mood).
Have CBD’s advantages for improving athletic performance been overstated?
We have solid evidence that CBD effectively reduces inflammation and discomfort, which makes it likely that it aids in recuperation and eases aching muscles. Although study on the subject is still in its early stages, some athletes contend that it improves their performance. For instance, former Tour de France cyclist Floyd Landis has introduced his own CBD brand (Floyd’s of Leadville) that is targeted exclusively towards athletes. He also offers CBD-infused protein powder and unique lotions for hurting muscles. Although it may be alluring to think that CBD might improve your athletic performance, the available evidence does not support such.
Currently, all that is actually known about how CBD affects athletic performance is that it may help you recover more quickly and maybe avoid the need for NSAIDs.
Is CBD a banned substance during sports events?
In the majority of athletic events, CBD has been accepted as a legal drug since 2018. Although it could have certain advantages, the World Anti-Doping Association concluded that it is no more of an unfair advantage than actions like eating healthily or exercising often.
We may anticipate seeing a lot more study on CBD for sports science in the near future as a result of this recent decision.
Does consuming CBD while exercising pose any risks?
A highly safe medication is CBD. It has fewer negative effects than certain other drugs that sportsmen regularly use, such as NSAIDs or opioids, and it is also safer than some of those drugs. Of course, this does not imply that CBD is compatible with everybody. Some people have discovered that CBD can make them queasy, alter their appetite, and even trigger minute mood changes. However, even at higher levels, experts have not yet discovered any severe, hazardous, or life-threatening negative effects from consuming CBD.
Nevertheless, not all CBD meets the required quality criteria. According to recent research, CBD products typically include more or less CBD than they advertise, as well as more THC than is generally thought, as well as toxic metals and pesticides.
You must carefully read the manufacturer’s paperwork in order to select CBD products that are secure, the appropriate strength, and free of any undesirable ingredients. Businesses selling CBD should employ independent testing to confirm the quality of their goods. A Certificate of Analysis, an official document that details the precise composition of the product, including its CBD content and any signs of bacteria or pesticides, should also be provided by the seller.
It’s important to learn how to evaluate CBD’s quality. It’s the only method to ensure that a product provides you with its full potential advantages. How can CBD benefit athletes?
CBD is available in many different forms, including edibles, vapes, lotions, and oil droppers. Any one of these CBD products might be beneficial for athletes. A smart approach to get CBD into your diet on a regular basis, for instance, is through edible forms of the drug. People who frequently experience inflammation, like runners or athletes who participate in endurance sports, could find this beneficial. After practice, many athletes like smoking CBD.
Vaping CBD is the quickest approach to get relief from it, despite the fact that it always has certain hazards for the respiratory system. Vaping CBD may be the best option if you conclude your workout in discomfort or want to stop an inflammatory response. Finally, using a CBD topical to the skin will help athletes recover from aching muscles. Topical CBD can ease aching muscles and reduce discomfort when massaged into the calves, arms, or backs. But beware, since many so-called “CBD creams” simply contain minute amounts of the compound. Make sure the product you intend to use has a high CBD content; otherwise, you run the danger of not experiencing any of its effects.
Takeaways
Can CBD improve your athletic performance? Not always, or at least not that we are aware of right now. However, CBD has potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties that help hasten the healing process after injury. It can also aid with generalized inflammatory issues, anxiousness, and aching muscles, all of which are common among athletes. Why not try CBD then? It’s not a miraculous product, but it offers enough health advantages to at least take the place of other items that athletes commonly use when working out.