Athletes have a powerful sense of resilience to put stress on their bodies. However, it does not mean they are resistant to injury or over-exertion. Increased performance, training stress, and prolonged wear & tear lead them to muscle pain. Here comes a safer pain killer, CBD. Many athletes search for a newfound alternative compound, cannabidiol, to incorporate into a recovery routine. Should you?
Are you searching for the right CBD product to incorporate into your lifestyle? On the other hand, do you want to know the myth behind the enormous popularity of CBD for an athlete? From the best CBD oils to CBD benefits for athletes, you will get the answer to each question.
Well, before diving into further details, let us discuss what CBD is? CBD is a natural cannabinoid of the cannabis plant with psychoactive properties. CBD users do not experience “High” associated with another psychoactive cannabinoid of cannabis, Sativa, i.e., THC.
The legality of CBD for Athletic Events
World Anti-doping Agency has removed CBD from the prohibited substances list due to its beneficial effects. Taking CBD should not cause an athlete to test positive for THC. However, if you are taking full-spectrum CBD products, you may test positive for a drug test as full-spectrum products contain THC.
If you are an athlete and subjected to anti-doping rules, either stop taking CBD or ensure the CBD product contains less than 0.3% of THC. In contrast, you can choose CBD-Isolate products that are free from THC.
The Benefits of CBD for Athletes
An athlete can take CBD in various forms like CBD oil, CBD roll-ons, gummies, tinctures, and topicals. However, using CBD oil will be the best to recover from injury and reduce pain.
1. Alleviate Stress
Whether you are an amateur or expert athlete, you know how stressful playing sports can be. CBD oil may reduce your training stress by interacting with the ECS of your body. CBD is a non-toxic compound that has therapeutic health benefits.
The increased cortisol level during stress can lead to stroke and heart attack. Unfortunately, athletic activities and training are full of stress. Well, fret not. CBD sublingual oil can reduce stress by altering the level of stress hormone in the brain. A few drops of CBD oil under your tongue can relax your nerves to calm your nervous system.
2. Get Help with Inflammation
Overexertion during strenuous activities results in inflammation. Excessive body inflammations lead to chronic pain, illness, and depression. However, you can fasten your recovery time with CBD oils. Cannabidiol being an active anti-inflammatory agent, help reduce inflammation. CBD can suppress the response of the body to inflammatory symptoms of injury & muscle strains.
You can use CBD oil drops to alleviate inflammation symptoms. Instead of oil, you can apply a CBD patch to the injured area for quick response.
3. Can Increase Muscle Relaxation
Whether you are taking CBD for muscle pain or inflammation, CBD will improve your overall health. For an athlete, muscle relaxation is essential. Excessive exercise and athletic activities result in the accumulation of Lactic acid that causes muscle soreness & cramps.
Since CBD is a muscle relaxant, it helps your body to manage lactase concentration. CBD alleviates muscle cramps and soreness by reducing the brain’s neurotransmitters. The massage of CBD oil on the joint makes them healthy.
4. Help Your Nervous System
As an athlete, you may notice your slower actions. It happens because your muscles do not respond to neural firing accurately.
Thankfully, CBD intake can handle this problem. CBD can protect the myelin sheath and support healthy neural signaling. When you take CBD, it helps the Nervous system and ECS to respond well.
5. Improve the Quality of Your Sleep
The endocannabinoid system of our body controls several body functions, including sleep, appetite, and stress. CBD may interact with ECS to improve the quality of sleep. For an elite athlete, it is hard to get enough sleep. However, taking CBD pills and CBD oil can help sleeping better at night.
