CBD and Athletic Performance: How CBD Can Impact Performance

The popularity of CBD as a natural alternative therapy has increased with the legalization of cannabis worldwide. People all over the globe are taking benefit from this natural non-psychoactive compound. Similar to others, athletes use it to reap potential health benefits. You might have noticed that your fitness trainer uses CBD oil for workout recovery. But what’s the relationship between CBD and athletic performance?

Physical activities provide strengthening, longevity, and wellbeing, but over time they impact moving parts. Intensive exercise or workout influences the entire body, from bones to muscles. Typically, physical activity promotes health, but it is a stressor too.

That is why athletes always seek ways to improve their performance. It can be a simple massage with oil, a night of quality sleep, or a health supplement. CBD has proved a newer health supplement with dozens of health benefits and zero side effects.

Here are some benefits you should know about CBD!

Muscle Recovery:

Repetitive games and events result in the inflamed and sored muscles. Muscle inflammation is one of the biggest problems for athletes as it leads them to chronic pain. Some people might suggest painkillers such as NSAIDs and Opioids that cause several adverse effects.

Contrary to those traditional medications, CBD does not cause any side effects as it is a natural chemical compound. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD reduce the inflammation that worsens the pain condition. You can join your next workout session without any stiffness in joints. You can opt for CBD topicals that are designed for transdermal application.

Mental Focus & Decision Making:

Excellence in sports not only requires peak physical activity, but mental health is also crucial. Being an athlete, you might be familiar that mental health is essential to make decisions. You have to make tons of fast and strategic decisions within minutes. How can you focus on your game with a stressed mind?

To boost mental health, athletes can take CBD energy drinks. CBD energy drinks are a combination of focus elements and CBD properties that help you make an informed decision. Moreover, CBD works by interacting with brain receptors that regulate various body functions.

Pain Treatment:

Dealing with pain and injuries is a part of an athlete’s job. Injuries cause chronic pain that can hinder your performance in a workout session. Well, fret not. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD are effective in treating aches and pain. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system that modulates pain. Its interaction with cannabinoid receptors can change the pain pathway in the brain to reduce pain sensation.

Pain and post-workout recovery tend to go hand in hand, and if left unattended, lingering pain from the wear and tear of physical activity can get bad enough to prevent any activity at all. 

Anxiety Reduction:

There is already a significant body of evidence suggesting CBD’s efficacy for anxiety relief, but how could this apply to CBD oil for athletes? Athletes, just like the rest of society, suffer through periods of anxiety, perhaps related to competition, fears around injury recovery, or just the pre-game jitters. There may be a need in sports to explore what CBD’s anti-anxiety effects could do for athletes.

The literature today shows how CBD oil can reduce anxiety in patients suffering from social anxiety. Another study found that CBD oil could reduce the intensity of fear memories, a challenging symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Finally, in an often-cited study on CBD oil for performance-based anxiety, CBD oil administration reduced the anxiety of participants before and during a public speech. There is a lot to learn from CBD’s ability to reduce anxiety and fear, and many interesting applications for sports and athletics. 

Improve Sleep:

For good athletic performance and workout recovery, a good night’s sleep is crucial. Aside from supplements and massage for muscle recovery, in-depth sleep also works well. Quality sleep allows your muscle to regenerate the muscle fibers and balance hormones.

The journey of an athlete is full of injuries, stress, pain, inflammation, and other factors that can hinder better sleep. However, you can moderate your sleep routine by taking CBD. Its therapeutic effects and health benefits will promote general relaxation for quality sleep.

CBD may improve sleep by:

• Reducing stress
• Alleviating pain
• Promoting relaxation

Are you ready to boost your athletic performance with CBD?

Final Thoughts:

Cannabidiol has taken the sports industry by storm as a natural and effective alternative. You can find various CBD products if you are thinking of taking CBD to boost your athletic performance. There is plenty of cannabidiol-infused products, from CBD oil to CBD topicals, that soothe aches & pain.

Still, there is a lot more to research about the potential health benefits and therapeutic effects of CBD. Therefore, before taking CBD, be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner to ensure safety and quality.