If you’re a serious athlete, you know that muscle aches and pains after a workout can be intense. Sometimes it feels like your muscles are straining in every direction and won’t ever recover fully from your last session.
Not all athletes respond to muscle soreness in the same way. While some people experience almost no pain, others will ache for days afterward. This variance is common, and nearly every athlete has a strategy for recovering from a challenging workout and getting back into training sooner rather than later.
And this is where something as simple as CBD comes in handy. Known primarily for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety and help with sleep (among other things), CBD also has a lot of benefits for athletes of any kind who are trying to recover faster after an intense training session or competition.
What Is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it’s a compound that comes from the cannabis plant. While CBD is the second most common compound in the cannabis plant, it doesn’t have any psychoactive effects. CBD is famous for its therapeutic effects on the human body, but it’s also completely legal and safe to consume worldwide.
Unlike THC, the compound most commonly associated with cannabis, CBD has no adverse side effects. This is why CBD is so popular throughout the world as a holistic treatment for various health conditions.
Studies have shown that CBD has the potential to alleviate many severe health issues, but it’s always good to consult your doctor before testing it out for yourself. It’s an incredibly versatile compound that can be taken in multiple ways, including CBD oil tinctures and edibles.
Exercise recovery is one of CBD’s most promising potential uses. CBD’s ability to reduce inflammation and chronic pain naturally make it a powerful tool for athletes looking for an edge in their training and recovery.
CBD And Inflammation
In addition to reducing inflammation, CBD has also been shown to help reduce oxidative stress and promote a healthy immune system. Oxidative stress is a build-up of free radicals in the body that can lead to inflammation and decreased athletic performance over time.
CBD works to help reduce oxidative stress and keep the immune system healthy. These two benefits of CBD can go a long way in helping athletes recover from tough training sessions and competition.
Clinical trials regarding CBD and inflammation are ongoing, but the results have been promising. CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory compound in studies involving rats and mice.
How Does It Help With Muscle Recovery?
There are two main ways that CBD can help with muscle recovery. The first is by reducing inflammation. For many athletes, muscles become inflamed after a tough training session. This inflammation can be caused by a number of different things, including lactic acid build-up, heavy impact on the joints, and even changing weather conditions.
When muscles are inflamed, they cannot recover as quickly as usual. This can create a vicious cycle in which sore muscles lead to reduced activity, making the muscles even more inflamed and painful.
CBD has been shown to help reduce inflammation, which can help athletes recover faster and with less pain. This is especially important if you’re training hard. You’ll want your muscles to be as healthy and pain-free as possible if you want to reach your full potential.
Helps Reduce Acute Pain
Pain relief is another significant benefit of CBD that can help athletes recover from training sessions. Joint or muscle pain can make it difficult to train at your full potential or even get a good night’s sleep.
Another way CBD can help athletes recover from tough training sessions is by reducing acute pain and helping the body recover from injury more quickly. CBD has been shown to interact with receptors in the body that are responsible for pain signaling.
Not only does this help in pain management to reduce pain levels in the body, but it also allows the body to recover more quickly from injuries. This is excellent news for athletes who are prone to injury. You’ll be able to get back into training more rapidly and with less pain and discomfort.
Helps Restore Normal Functioning
Sports recovery isn’t just about reducing pain and inflammation. It’s also about helping the body to restore normal functioning.
CBD is known to help regulate body systems. This means it can help improve normal functioning after a tough training session.
This can go a long way in helping athletes recover from a tough training session and get back into training faster. You should notice improvements in your performance even after a short time of taking CBD.
Strenuous exercise can take a toll on the body, but CBD can help the body to recover more quickly.
Anxiety Relief
Another thing that CBD is well-known for is its ability to make you feel calm and decrease stress levels. Because of this, CBD can also be helpful for athletes who suffer from training-induced stress.
Some people get nervous before a big game or intense training session and can’t seem to shake it off afterward. CBD can help calm your nerves and reduce the stress chemicals in your body to focus on your training.
The Human Experimental Anxiety Model
Although research seems to be limited, there is constantly more being done each day. In one study, CBD effectively reduced anxiety in people with social anxiety disorder.
In this study, CBD was shown to reduce anxiety’s subjective and physiological symptoms.
How Does CBD Help Athletes Perform At Their Best?
CBD can help you deal with training stresses, recover and stay healthy, and focus better on your performance. This helps ensure that you can perform at your best and reach your fitness goals without being held back by factors outside your control. CBD can help with a wide range of common issues for athletes.
It can help with the stresses of training, improve your mood, and help you to relax. This can help you avoid being held back by stress or other issues that can be common in high-performance environments.
CBD can also help improve your sleep quality, which is essential for recovery. Better sleep can help you perform better over long periods and ensure you have the energy you need to train hard and recover between workouts.
How Does CBD Help After Exercise?
CBD is often marketed as a natural way to help after exercise. The idea is that taking CBD oil before or after exercise helps to recover faster and deal with the aches and pains that can come after a tough training session or game. CBD can help with the aches and pains of exercise by increasing blood flow and decreasing inflammation.
This can help speed up recovery and reduce the pain you experience after a hard training session. CBD may also help to improve your focus and mental state after exercise.
It can help you relax and avoid experiencing stressful situation. This can be useful if you sometimes get nervous before a game or competition, and it can be helpful after as well to help you relax and recover faster.
Delayed onset muscle soreness is one of the most common problems athletes face. CBD can help to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with this condition.
Limitations Of CBD For Athletes
The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) has CBD on its list of banned substances. WADA is the international organization that sets the rules for drug testing in sports.
CBD is banned because it is a cannabinoid, and WADA’s rules state that all cannabinoids are banned. CBD is not currently on the list of banned substances for the Olympics, but this could change in the future. CBD is also not currently banned by major professional sports leagues in the United States.
CBD is legal worldwide, but it is essential to check your local laws before using it.
Side Effects Of CBD For Athletes
Before we move on to the potential benefits of CBD, we first need to look at the possible side effects. In most cases, CBD is considered safe. However, like most things, it does come with a few potential side effects. These include:
- Dry Mouth – CBD can cause dry mouth, which is not great if you are in a sport that requires you to open your mouth a lot, like athletics or swimming.
- Nausea – CBD can cause nausea in some people, which is obviously not ideal when exercising.
- Hypoglycemia – CBD can help with your blood sugar control, but in some cases, it can make it worse. This is something to keep in mind if you are diabetic or have a high risk for diabetes.
Why Is CBD Good For Recovery?
CBD is good for workout recovery for a few reasons. First, CBD can help you relax, which is vital for recovery.
If you are stressed out or tense, it can be harder to recover from exercise. CBD can also help to speed up the process of recovery by reducing inflammation and helping your body repair itself after a workout.
In general, CBD is good for recovery because it is a natural supplement. You don’t have to worry about side effects, and you can use it with other supplements and vitamins to help maximize your results. Muscle fibers can tear during intense workouts. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties can help to reduce the pain and swelling associated with these tears.
Final Words
Athletic recovery is essential, and CBD can help.
CBD is an incredibly versatile compound that can be used for a variety of different things. It’s great for athletes looking to recover faster after a challenging workout and reduce pain and muscle stress from strenuous training sessions.
CBD doesn’t require a prescription and is completely legal in most countries. Plus, it has no severe side effects, and it’s very affordable to buy. If you’re an athlete who is looking for an edge, making CBD part of your daily routine is a great way to go.