How CBD Can Enhance Your Athletic Performance

Are you an athlete and want a super-boost in your performance? Here’s how CBD supplements can enhance your athletic performance.

Being an athlete is stressful. The routine hours of strenuous exercise is already enough to knock the wind out of one’s lungs, then come the extra hours of workout during competitions, adding to which is the stress and anxiety that comes with it. A situation when all you want is some relief from the seemingly everlasting pain.

CBD: An Overview

CBD is an increasingly trending supplement among athletes. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical extracted from cannabis plants.It has been found to relieve pain and inflammation and reduce anxiety and has proven to be effective in inducing sleep, thus ensuring a healthy mind and body for professional athletes.

You must note that CBD is not to be confused with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)- another compound from cannabis plants. Out of 113 drugs produced from the cannabis plant, CBD is the most effective and the safest one. It is a non-psychoactive drug —meaning it shows its benefits without taking you to the highs. It is because CBD binds very weakly to cannabinoid 1 receptors in the brain, unlike THC which forms strong bonds with brain receptors leading you into the ill-famed highs of marijuana. In fact, CBD is shown to counteract the sensation of being 'high' induced by THC.

Is CBD Legal?

That’s the first concern that bothers every athlete reading the term ‘CBD’. The use of CBD has been controversial among people. That’s because CBD (in fact, everything taken from cannabis) had been illegal for mental-booz associated with its use. But, later on, scientists began to recognize the medicinal properties of CBD and its potential to treat multiple health issues while showing minimum side effects.

However, since 2018, CBD has been declared safe for human intake by the World Anti-Doping Agency and has been removed from the list of prohibited substances. CBD from reliable sources, one that has isolated it from its mirror image, THC, is completely safe and will not get you to test THC positive. Broad spectrum oil is also completely safe, it just has other cannabinoids but no THC. Even the Full spectrum oil has so little THC that it shouldn't make you test positive.

CBD Can Boost Immunity In Athletes

Strong immunity is what makes an athlete excel in his practices. Without a robust immune system, you will fall sick, and a sick athlete is worth nothing. Using CBD helps your immune system timidly fight germs and infections, keeping you healthy and active throughout seven days a week.

Did you know? Our body has been found to make cannabinoids naturally; yes, you read that right. The miraculous body of the human being has produced its own drugs—cannabinoids in the body help maintain its homeostatic balance. CBD, being from the same division, may function similarly and may as well enhance immunity.

A 2009 study published in the Future Medicinal Chemistry has shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in the making of WBC's which are the fighter cells of your body, mostly responsible for a well-functioning immunity.

CBD Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety In Athletes

Following a chaotic routine and balancing workout and life can be pretty hectic. It is normal for an athlete to experience anxiety and stress. Even competitions and training with your coach yelling at the top of his lungs can be menatlly and emotionally exhausting for you. CBD has a stress reduction factor. It reduces stress, giving an athlete a calming effect and helping with his sleep requirements, ensuring a healthy mind and body. A relaxed mind during and post workout helps an athlete stay motivated and passionate during the workouts.

CBD Over Painkillers

The increasing acceptability of CBD has opened new dimensions in the world of medicine and hard-core sports. Excessive use of over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen has shown chronic side effects to vital organs, making it no best choice for athletes.Studies show that pain-killers could be replaced by CBD which can prove just as effective that too with lesser side effects . On the other hand, CBD has been shown to boost immunity, reduce inflammation and increase muscle strength, the three most vital attributes needed in a palliative, specifically for athletes. According to a report published in the Hawaii Journal of Medicine and Public Health, people who use CBD experience 64% decrease in their pain than those who don't use CBD supplements.

CBD Oil For Athletes

Sticking to a healthy diet while burning hundreds of calories on a daily basis can be frantic. If not taking the right supplements, athletes can end up consuming more calories than required and gain weight, which proves burdensome during work out. It is advised to incorporate CBD oil in your regular routines, which has shown to reduce appetite and provide a feeling of 'fullness' even after a light meal.

Unlike THC (which induces hunger and promotes ghoulish appetite), CBD has positive effects during a controlled diet.

For athletes it's also interesting since CBD will help with inflamation for example. We all know what joint pain because of overtraining feels like. CBD can help combat that by keeping inflamation down. In other words it acts as a healthy ibuprofen.

The main reason I started using CBD was actually because of a shoulder injury. The doctor told me to take ibuprofen but it was CBD that was the only thing that helpt me stay injury free in the end.

CBD Dosage and Administration

This is where things get tricky! A dose of CBD effective for an athlete may not work for the others. CBD doesn’t show its progressive benefits in a specific dosage. The effects a person notices in his body after a few simple doses may not be the same for another. There is no standard dosage for the drug to be effective.

Physicians recommend starting from low dosages in the form of capsules and moving on to higher ones.

CBD in the market is available in the form of oil, gummy bear, cookie, recovery drink, tinctures, vapor, and capsules. The capsules are the highly recommended method since the consumer can track the intake in milligrams, and consumers can determine a specific dosage.

Popularity of CBD Among Athletes

With its optimistic results and little to no side effects, CBD has gained popularity among athletes and deservingly. Many popularly known athletes have incorporated CBD in their regular diets and are highly satisfied with the results. The National Football League allowed its players to use cannabidiol for pain relief. Roger Goodell, the National football league commissioner, said he hoped for it to relieve pain and better their performances. Jeff Kwatinetz said in a CBS Sports interview that he hopes for its widespread use; he is the founder and CEO of the BIG3 basketball league.

Takeaway

CBD has shown promising effects among athletes and has helped them maintain a body and mind which delivers peak performance. Not only that, it has shown to aid in relieving post-workout pain, making it an ideal supplement for athletes.

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