Athletes of all kinds put enormous stress on their bodies. Whether they are long distance runners, power lifters, basketball players, or anything else, athletes push their bodies to extremes. They endure regular muscle fatigue and sometimes major injuries as well. In order to recover from these stresses, each athlete has their own regiment.
While these recovery strategies can sometimes be more legitimate than others, it is important to try new methods as a means of ensuring the best results possible. Researchers have recently looked into the viability of CBD and recommend it for athletes, many of whom elect to purchase CBD bath bombs for a variety of healing and health reasons. While the research is still ongoing, the benefits are slowly trickling in and proving to be enormous.
What is CBD?
CBD, or cannibidiol, is a compound found in cannabis plants, such as hemp and marijuana. CBD does not get you high or lead to any psychoactive symptoms, which stem from the compound THC found in marijuana. Most CBD products are made from industrial hemp, which contains less than 0.3% THC and is now removed from the FDA schedule of drugs.
Health Benefits
In 2017, the Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency both decided to remove CBD from their list of banned substances, due to research confirming its health benefits. This has triggered a wave of athletes adopting the substance as a means of treating different aspects of their recovery. These are some of the top benefits from CBD.
- Reducing Cortisol
THC is known for increasing the cortisol levels in users, which leads to the anxiety marijuana can be associated with causing. When taking pure CBD, the substance can actually lower cortisol levels in users, which leads to lower stress levels. Additionally, with lower cortisol levels you are able to push for longer and harder during workouts. This can increase your performance and prevent as much damage to your body.
- Speed up recovery time
CBD is being shown to help speed up your body’s natural recovery time. So instead of doing an aggressive workout and waiting a day or two to recover, taking some CBD can help get you back out there working quicker. This is partly due anti-inflammatory properties of CBD which help the substance work with your nerves, tissues, and bones to recover from any damage. Muscle spasms can be painful and annoying, but CBD is great for quickly healing these. It will still be important to allow time for recovery, but CBD can speed up the process.
- Regulate the Endocannabinoid System
Your body has a process called the endocannabinoid system which regulates a lot of the functions in your cells and body. For instance, your metabolism, appetite, immune system, and sleep cycle all take signals from the endocannabinoid system.
As CBD connects with two of the main receptors for the endocannabinoid system, it is able to help your body get on track. Whether you need to fall asleep, regulate your diet, or simply feel more in-sync, CBD can help you get to a better spot. This will be crucial for your athletic routine.
- Reduce inflammation
As previously stated, CBD has anti-inflammation properties. This allows CBD to help patients
with chronic aches and pains, swelling, and injuries. If your muscles hurt after a particularly hard workout, CBD can help you feel better and recover. If you roll your ankle while running, CBD can reduce the swelling and pain to help you get back out there faster. Overall, CBD will ensure that you spend less down time recovering and more time improving as an athlete.
How to mix it into your routine?
CBD has a wide variety of products that are available for you to take. This can include CBD oils for vaping or ingestion, CBD edibles or groceries, CBD-infused beverages, and even CBD lotion. Actress Kristen Bell, from The Good Place, is known for using CBD lotion after workouts to help soothe her muscles and speed up recovery.
Taking CBD before your workout can help you get a stronger workout in; whether you want to increase the length or intensity of the session. As you may not want to trigger cramping, ingesting CBD oil 30-60 minutes before your workout can be a beneficial step for your workout routine. Additionally, finding a CBD-infused beverage, whether water or sports drink, can allow you to stay hydrated and recover while working. So, consider switching your Gatorade or Preworkout for CBD.
However, if you are looking for CBD to aid in your recovery after working out, look for a variety of CBD groceries to eat as a post workout snack. CBD protein shakes will allow you to bulk up and recover in one tasty drink. Also, CBD bath bombs and CBD lotion are therapeutic and relaxing alternatives that allow you recover in a more meditative manner.
Whatever your sport is or athletic goal, recovery is a critical thing to think about. Ignoring your recovery can lead to long-term damage on your body. CBD is an option for helping you get more out of your workout and recover more quickly after the fact. Try a variety of CBD products to see how they can improve your workout routine.
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