When you think about all the potential performance enhancing substances that athletes can use, you probably wouldn’t think that cannabis would be one of them, but this is currently the case and the entire sports industry is changing due to the power that CBD offers for athletes and all the research that is going into it.
Whilst it might surprise you to see athletes campaigning in support for CBD supplements as a natural enhancer of performance, that’s what is happening—there is a ton of research which backs up these claims and CBD’s use is becoming far more widespread.
#1: What’s the Difference Between Cannabis and CBD?
CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is one of the several derivatives which can be found in the cannabis plant. It is not psychoactive and therefore does not get people “high” like THC and natural cannabis does. CBD is the primary ingredient in a whole host of cannabis-based medical products and supplements such as CBD Isolate.
CBD can help with medical conditions of all types such as aches, pains, chronic problems such as anxiety and mental health issues such as depression. Because cannabinoids trigger the endocannabinoid system, it has medical applications to virtually all illnesses and ailments through the regulation of hormones and relief of inflammation.
#2: How Does CBD Help Athletes?
There are several ways that CBD has the potential to help athletes in terms of their performance. Many of them have started taking up CBD use due to the research-backed benefits which it provides, and, at the moment, sports officials allow its use.
Not only does CBD reduce inflammation, an obvious benefit for sportspeople, but it boosts the immune system to fight off illnesses such as cold and flu, decreases recovery time after intense sports sessions and brings lasting pain relief without the side-effects that come with painkillers such as grogginess.
#3: Is CBD Legal?
CBD is 100% completely legal, even in places where cannabis itself isn’t. It is a medically-approved supplement derived from hemp. However, in terms of whether it is allowed to assist people with sporting performance, that all depends on the rules that govern any sporting teams or bodies which the person belong to. It is important that you do your research.
Whilst many official sporting bodies allow the use of CBD, not all of them do and its use can lead to disqualification in certain scenarios. We predict that as CBD’s research gets stronger and the various health benefits begin to come to better light, more sporting agencies will allow CBD’s responsible and safe use, just like any other sporting supplement.
Last year, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD derived from hemp from its list of substances that they test for.
The medicinal properties of CBD-derived products such as CBD isolate have the potential to provide several benefits for amateur and professional sportspeople. These include decreased recovery time, pain relief, overall better health and relief of inflammation.
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