Do you know a few drops of CBD can provide many health and wellness benefits? Cannabidiol has calming properties that can help alleviate depression and anxiety, combat inflammation, beautify your skin, and improve sleep. But there’s another under-observed yet fantastic benefit of cannabidiol you might not have considered; its impact on your athletic performance. Today, many health professionals and athletes consider CBD a quasi-performance workout supplement.

Although CBD is now legally permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, other cannabinoids are still prohibited in competition.  But for the average person who is physically active or involved in amateur sports, cannabidiol supplements may help. In this article, we’ll discuss how exercising with CBD can enhance your performance and how it can improve your fitness routine and post-workout recovery.

A Quick Overview: How Can CBD Make Your Workout Better?

An in-depth study by the NCBI reveals that CBD has numerous physiological, psychological, and biochemical effects that can potentially enhance your fitness. Another piece of insightful research offers promising evidence that using CBD as an ergogenic aid can improve the efficiency of muscle repair and sport-related fatigue.

Your muscles sustain some damage whenever you are engaged in a strenuous workout. Small tears in your muscle tissue develop every time you exercise.  But while that sounds alarming, the muscle damage is actually a good thing.  It stimulates the repair and regrowth of muscle tissues, which is how stronger muscles are built.  Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is a natural process that helps your body rebuild stronger muscles. 

CBD boasts various benefits that can boost exercise recovery because it can act as an all-natural pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic.  That means it can also help with post-workout aches and soreness. Thus, people of all fitness levels can benefit from CBD muscle repair and performance enhancement.

A Quick Glance at CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is among the significant compounds of cannabis or marijuana. These compounds are also referred to as cannabinoids and can offer different properties, effects, and benefits. Although closely related, various cannabinoids can trigger different responses. The cannabinoid THC can cause psychoactive effects, whereas CBD does not cause a “high.” In simple words, CBD is an active extract of the hemp plant that exhibits no impact of any dependency or abuse potential.

Is Cannabidiol Legal?

CBD is legal across the contiguous United States with varying degrees of restrictions. In December 2015, the FDA eased restrictions on CBD trials.  Since then, more human studies have been conducted about the wellness potential of CBD. 

In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed the Agriculture Improvement Act or the 2018 Farm Bill. The law removed hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, making it legal to buy and possess for medicinal use as a legal supplement.  Most states have fully legalized CBD products.  Some states have conditional legalization of cannabidiol, where you must be a registered patient in the state medical cannabis program to purchase and use CBD.  The states with conditional cannabidiol laws include New Hampshire, New Mexico, Iowa, Mississippi, and Utah. 

Common Benefits of CBD

CBD has been touted for its countless health benefits, including exercise recovery and treating epilepsy syndromes. Let’s take a deeper look at why some people prefer exercising with CBD:

1. Anxiety: Clinical trials and studies vouch that CBD can alleviate anxiety symptoms. Since stress impacts your performance, CBD can help control that.
2. Insomnia: Cannabidiol is well-known for soothing your mind and lulling you into sleep. A study published in the journal NIH reveals that CBD is a more effective treatment for insomnia than THC.
3. Pain Management: CBD has numerous pain-relieving properties that allow it to combat the symptoms of chronic neuropathic pain, acute muscle aches, and arthritis.
4. Addiction: CBD can help lower cravings for tobacco and heroin. Studies on animals also suggest that it can combat cravings for alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and opiates.
5. Reduces Blood Pressure: CBD can help lower blood pressure and anxiety. That way, the supplement improves your performance and promotes healthy blood flow.

Four Fitness Benefits of CBD

For decades, humans have used cannabis for medicinal purposes. Modern research has helped discover how CBD oil, as a supplement, may help with symptom management and wellness goals. 

Some studies also suggest that cannabidiol may provide a boost to human metabolism and enhance fat and calorie burning.  But more research is needed because the evidence, to date, is inconclusive.  But there have been clinical studies that suggest taking CBD may help you enhance your fitness goals in four ways:

1. It May Promote Muscle Recovery

Cannabis’ anti-inflammatory properties make it the perfect treatment for muscle soreness. Because CBD promotes a good night’s sleep, it may help muscles relax and aid recovery. Most of our tissues rejuvenate during sleep, so a better nighttime sleep, alongside CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects, makes it the perfect muscle recovery supplement.  

In fact, a study reveals that CBD can boost exercise recovery due to its neuroprotective, pain-relieving, and anti-inflammatory properties. During the workout, our muscles engage in an inflammatory response to repair the damage.  That is because CBD is anti-catabolic, which means it may help naturally regulate certain hormones in your body, such as cortisol.   When cortisol levels are controlled, it helps the human body increase muscle development and synthesize proteins more effectively. 

2. It May Help Combat Pain and Inflammation

Another fantastic way CBD oil helps athletes and fitness enthusiasts is by helping to relieve pain and mitigating post-workout inflammation. If you’re a health freak, you know that most workouts cause bodily inflammation and pain. However, minimizing this pain and inflammation can help combat soreness, Numerous studies indicate using CBD can alleviate post-workout pain. The researches point to action at specific receptors and an effective reduction in neuropathic pain.

3. It May Help Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Many players get anxious or stressed before games or competitions. Fortunately, CBD can help calm your nerves and give you the confidence to take challenges head-on. But you don’t have to be a professional athlete to get nervous before a game, performance, or marathon.  Even going to the gym can cause a little bit of anxiety when you are starting a new fitness regimen and getting used to working out on a regular basis. 

According to in-depth research by the Cannabidiol Youth Anxiety Pilot Study, 42.6% of all participants experienced a significant reduction in anxiety within twelve weeks of treatment. CBD can also help you get in the right frame of mind for the workout, boost motivation, and increase focus. Another study from  2019 on the NCBI reveals that CBD can potentially treat anxiety, stress, and depression.

Another study also showcases how cannabis can help alleviate nervousness, discomfort, anxiety, and cognitive function in people with anxiety disorders. Taking CBD before your workout can get you in the right mental state, making it easier to focus on your activity. And get the most out of your workout. It can also enhance your performance and helps boost energy levels.

4. It Helps Enhance Your Sleep

It’s no secret that you won’t accomplish much without a good night’s sleep. Many professional athletes understand that sleep is crucial to ensure your body recovers during the night. Since CBD helps alleviate stress and anxiety, it can also improve sleep quality. Because taking CBD can help you relax your mind, enhance your sleep, and improve your performance. While more research is necessary, there is definite potential for CBD to help people with sleep disorders enjoy better quality sleep.

Should You Take CBD Before or After Your Workout?

Depending on your fitness level and the intensity of your workout, you may want to vary the time of day you take your cannabidiol supplement. Remember to consult with the product label to make sure you are not taking more cannabidiol than you should.  And before you start taking a CBD supplement, check with your primary care provider or doctor.

Some types of prescription medications can be contraindicated or conflict with CBD.  You should regularly check in with your doctor about any nutritional or wellness supplement you are taking.

Benefits of Taking CBD Pre-Workout

If you plan to take your CBD supplement before a workout, plan to consume the correct dose (check the bottle) at least two hours before your workout.  Whether you take a tincture, capsule, or CBD gummies.  That allows your body enough time to absorb the cannabidiol into your system.

Sleeping Aid

If you like to end the day by packing your gym bag, consider incorporating CBD into your bedtime shake, herbal tea, water, or hot chocolate. That way, our body can restore its immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems when we sleep.  Taking CBD before bed can help optimize the muscle repair and rebuilding your body does while you are asleep. 

Anxiety Reliever

A fulfilling workout session necessitates emotional, physical, and mental preparation. Anxiety, stress, and arousal are significant issues in sport psychology that can impact physical performance. In a sport setting, arousal links to anxiety, which can cause muscle tension, poor coordination, sweating, and nausea. It, in turn, can hurt your overall performance. Conversely, CBD can help alleviate anxiety symptoms, putting you at ease. That way, you can reduce your blood pressure and get your head into the game.

Taking CBD Post-Workout

If you want to try cannabidiol to enhance your post-workout recovery, it may provide a number of benefits.  Remember to take your CBD supplement (capsule, gummy, or tincture) immediately following your workout.  And where possible, reduce your activity or rest, to give your body a jumpstart to repair muscle tissues and reduce post-workout inflammation and soreness. Taking CBD after your workout may help in two ways:

Relieve Muscle Soreness

Whether a fitness enthusiast or a novice exerciser, you’ll be subject to post-workout soreness and inflammation daily. However, with CBD, you can relieve delayed onset muscle soreness and encourage muscle recovery due to exercise. Since CBD is famous for its healing properties, applying a cream or lotion or ingesting it can help reduce muscle pain, alleviate bodily aches, and relieve inflammation.

Promote Mobility

In-depth research on CBD oil and its pharmacological effects reveals that this compound can promote mobility. According to a study, CBD is anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic, and neuroprotective. Anytime you use your muscles or exert yourself, you cause muscles to release lactic acid.  If you have a heavy workout, you may start to “feel the burn” which is the effect of the lactic acid causing discomfort in major muscle groups.  Typically lactic acid levels drop two hours after strenuous exercise, but this chemical change is responsible for much of the soreness you feel immediately after you work out. 

Several studies suggest that cannabidiol can be very effective as an anti-inflammatory.  And if you reduce the soreness or discomfort you feel after a workout, you are more likely to stick to a daily schedule of physical activity.  Which can help you reach your fitness goals.

Research shows that over a quarter of university, fitness enthusiasts use cannabis-related products. Additionally, over 28% of athletes in contact sports, such as rugby, use CBD to alleviate pain and improve sleep quality. Fitness enthusiasts and health professionals may recommend CBD as a supplement to boost energy, facilitate muscle recovery, and improve performance. It may also help patients undergoing physiotherapy by helping to manage inflammation and pain. 

Cannabinoids, in the proper doses, can calm your nerves, increase mental focus, and increase energy. Natural extracts and terpenes in CBD supplements may also provide additional wellness benefits. 

Should You Use CBD Topical Creams or Ointments for Workout Recovery?

CBD creams and ointments effectively treat pain and inflammation in joints and muscles, which can help reduce muscle soreness and mitigate the risk of injuries. One of the great things about CBD topical ointments for pain is that they can be applied directly to the area of discomfort.  Many people find CBD topicals to be effective to reduce localized muscle pain. 

Why Choose DocCBD to Improve Workout Performance?

Exercising with CBD is a safe and effective way of enhancing your workout performance. If you choose to use cannabis as a fitness supplement, you can alleviate anxiety symptoms, aid muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, and enjoys a better night’s sleep. But before you start ingesting or applying CBD, ensure you talk to a professional healthcare provider first. Make sure that cannabidiol does not conflict with any prescription medications you are currently taking.

At DocCBD, you can discover high-quality and safe CBD tinctures, creams, ointments, and gummies. With our natural extract-infused CBD supplements, you can manage pain, insomnia, inflammation, stress, anxiety, and more. Besides, you can consult our certified and experienced customer service team to answer your queries and concerns. Get in touch by visiting our website today!

Sources:

• https://www.bustle.com/wellness/cbd-and-working-out
• https://www.newphaseblends.com/using-cbd-for-exercise-improvement/
• https://www.goodhemp.com/hemp-hub/should-i-take-cbd-before-or-after-a-workout/
• https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/a40408068/how-cbd-might-affect-your-workout/
• https://www.issaonline.com/blog/post/fitness-benefits-of-cbd-oil-does-it-live-up-to-the-hype
• https://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/can-cbd-improve-your-workout-performance-its-complicated/
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476