CBD and sport: 7 reasons why athletes should use CBD
The therapeutic value of CBD is already pretty well established. The compound has been shown to be an effective painkiller, sleep aid, and general anti-inflammatory.
However, the benefits of CBD go beyond mere disease-related uses. The same properties that lead to renewed health also make CBD an excellent choice for athletes!
Its ability to reduce stress can prevent burnout. As a sleep aid, CBD can shorten recovery time. Even the mechanism of cannabidiol's ability to calm anxiety can lead to athletic benefits.
CBD's health-promoting properties make it an ideal choice for athletes. Here's a list of 7 reasons why athletes choose CBD.
7 reasons why athletes use CBD
- CBD reduces stress
- CBD is an adaptogen
- CBD protects the central nervous system
- CBD improves sleep
- CBD promotes muscle relaxation
- CBD reduces anxiety
- CBD reduces oxidation and inflammation
Reason #1: CBD reduces stress
Perhaps the biggest benefit of CBD for athletes is stress reduction.
That may sound great, but what does it really mean? To answer that, we should first take a closer look at what stress is.
We spend more time addressing reason #1 than the other benefits on this list, because all the others stem from this quality.
What does stress have to do with athletes?
A lot, actually!
This is because athletic activities themselves are a form of stress - they need to be overcome and adapted to just like anything else.
As an athlete, you've probably already experienced this battle. The best training plan carefully balances work and rest, and carefully balances your nervous system on the fine line between freshness and overtraining.
Finding that sweet spot isn't easy, but CBD might make it easier. Consistent daily supplementation of 10 to 20 milligrams of the compound can allow athletes to break through previous stress-induced limitations ... pushing themselves to new limits in the process.
Reason #2: CBD as an Adaptogen
Traditional adaptogens include reishi mushrooms and echinacea, but now CBD has joined that list of stress-reducing and performance-enhancing plants. This is because it fits the definition exactly.
So what are adaptogens?
As Dr. Brenda Powell of the Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine told Time Magazine, adaptogens are non-toxic plants and herbs "designed to bring us back to center."
CBD does activate our endocannabinoid system (ECS), a signaling network of internal substances similar to cannabis, CBD helps promote balance. With ECS activation comes a type of health and vitality where homeostasis can be maintained.
Using adaptogens to promote faster recovery
For athletes, CBD and the rest of cannabis' most active ingredients can help them adapt better to their training. Think of the metabolic state that follows a hard workout: body temperature is high and cortisol levels increase. In addition, muscle proteins have broken down and stored sugar in the form of glycogen is almost completely depleted
It's not quite a picture of balance.
By relieving this stress, the body begins to produce more endocannabinoids, such as anandamide, to cope with the recovery process. Add in other plant cannabinoids like CBD, and these imbalances can be quickly corrected.
Interestingly, this recovery process was described by Hans Selye, who called it the "resistance phase" of adaptation. Resistance to stressors, that is, in order to recover quickly and prevent burnout syndrome.
Fortunately, CBD helps! One study even went so far as to question whether cannabinoids are performance-enhancing drugs that should be banned in professional athletics. And things can get even better when we take CBD along with other adaptogens ...
While research in this area is limited, we do know that most plant adaptogens work through activating enzymes like AMPK to regulate energy balance and upregulate fat burning. It is possible that the joint use of CBD and other adaptogens leads to synergistic effects! In other words, these two types of substances could actually help each other work better.
Reason #3: CBD protects the central nervous system
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord and controls internal communication and perception by sending signals to its nerves and neurons.
It's simple: when there is more stimulus in the body, the CNS is more active, and when there is less going on, the CNS is less active. Sports that involve movements against resistance (think strength training) are particularly challenging for the CNS. Handle it long enough and eventually the initial "spark" of excitatory input to the system begins to "dim". With this loss of firepower comes less efficient muscle contraction and reduced strength.
But now for some more good news: CBD is neurotransmission's best friend. CBD can help synchronize neural signaling and balance pre- and postsynaptic neurotransmitters [2]. The compound can also help nerves maintain their myelin sheaths.
In fact, it is the endocannabinoid system (ECS) that directly supports neuronal health. But it all happens downstream of CBD intake, which has been repeatedly shown to strengthen and revitalize the ECS.
Could CBD protect you from CNS overload? While it's not yet proven, many strength athletes have attributed this power to CBD by helping them avoid the 'jolts' that sometimes come with maximal effort.
CBD can even help a tired nervous system recover and increase flexibility. Why? Because CBD helps endocannabinoids in their role as a 'key modulator of synaptic plasticity' in the nervous system.
Reason #4: CBD improves sleep
One of the first and most obvious effects new users notice is that CBD helps their sleep. In fact, it's not uncommon for a single first dose of the compound to result in a more restful sleep that same night!
A cross-sectional study of cannabidiol users supports these anecdotal reports. The study concluded that "consumers use CBD as a specific therapy for many different medical conditions - including sleep disorders."
According to the same study, it works nearly 36% of respondents said CBD treats their medical conditions "very well on its own."
Given that intense athletic routines aren't always good for sleep, this particular reason has huge benefits for athletes.
CBD can also reduce stress hormones like cortisol that could otherwise interfere with normal sleep cycles.
There's a reason why many elite athletes sleep a lot. More sleep = more time to recover tired muscles! Roger Federer famously said: "If I'm not sleeping 11 to 12 hours a day, it's not right."
If you're not sleeping enough, don't worry, CBD can help you get there. However, unlike conventional sleep aids, it doesn't activate any receptor system enough to induce drowsiness when you're out and about during the day.
For example, 10 mg of CBD at night is likely to make you much sleepier than the same 10 mg dose taken earlier.
CBD = better circadian rhythm?
Another amazing fact: the endocannabinoid system is photo-centered. What does that mean? It means that the function of the system changes with the rising and falling of the sun. Endocannabinoid production is generally higher during the morning hours and lower later in the day.
In recent years, the importance of a healthy circadian rhythm has come to light. Ignore nature's cues about things like working night shifts or overexposure to blue light, and bad things will happen.
But that's probably beyond the scope of this article. More relevant is the fact that many athletes suffer from disruptions in their sleep-wake cycles. These athletes may feel lethargic when they should be energized (and vice versa) and turn to excessive use of coffee or other stimulants. Depending on these substances, further adrenal stress or nervous system breakdown can occur.
We can gratefully say that there is a more holistic option. Regular use of CBD can promote a type of energy balance that works within a person's environment, not against it. Athletes may consider taking an additional 10-20 milligrams of CBD an hour or two before bed if sleep is an issue.
Reason #5: CBD promotes muscle relaxation
Athletes know that after strenuous exercise, lactate-filled muscles are subject to cramping and soreness; even common activities like walking up stairs become difficult.
In these moments comes the really hard part: recovery.
Fortunately, CBD is a powerful muscle relaxant. This is because this compound seems to help GABA (the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter of the nervous system) work better by affecting GABA-A receptors. In other words, CBD may promote muscle relaxation by affecting the system that calms and soothes the body.
CBD can also help active users avoid muscle and joint health problems.
To take advantage of these benefits, try supplementing with a moderate amount (10-20 mg) of CBD each day. External use of a CBD-containing product applied directly to problem areas should also help by reducing localized inflammation.
Keep in mind that the strength of these CBD substances varies, we recommend something that contains 100 mg of CBD per dose or more.
Reason #6: CBD relieves anxiety
The effects of CBD on anxiety are among the most well-known. It seems to be good for chronic anxiety, acute anxiety, and everything in between. Even those who need relief from the fear of speaking in public can benefit from CBD!
Athletes could also benefit further. Anxiety from the pressure to perform in training and competition can be a huge challenge for competitive athletes. The same study that recommended banning THC as a performance-enhancing drug praised CBD for "reducing extinction of anxiety and fear after oral CBD administration" which could "improve athletic performance" without any mental downsides.
Just make sure your CBD product is enriched with the full spectrum, which is often more effective than CBD isolate for anxiety. That's because hemp extracts contain a full spectrum of valuable compounds, such as terpenes and flavonoids, which together enrich the already impressive effects of CBD.
You don't even need much CBD for anxiety relief. Many athletes have seen great results when taking small but consistent microdoses of the plant compound.
If CBD is placed in a very convenient form (like a vaporizer), it can even be used before intense training and competition. Dosages in the range of 3-10 milligrams are usually sufficient to induce a sense of calm and peace.
Reason #7: CBD reduces inflammation and oxidation
Inflammation: it's a potential barrier to optimal health for all of us. While a little inflammation is a good thing, chronic inflammation can lead to pain, illness, and weight gain.
None of these things are good for athletes ... and for them, inflammation is also one of the biggest obstacles to a speedy recovery. Some turn to conventional NSAIDs to reduce pain and inflammation.
The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD are complex enough to ensure that only a small, necessary adaptogenic amount of inflammation occurs in humans. Consistent use of even a small amount of the compound may be enough to effect change.
There is another type of stress that athletes can avoid: oxidative stress. Everyone knows that adequate antioxidant intake is important, but did you know that a better way is to prevent oxidative buildup in the first place?
For that, an internal antioxidant called glutathione is needed. Studies in rodents suggest that CBD can increase levels of this amazing substance, which in turn will reduce oxidative stress even more effectively than vitamin C or E. Interestingly, other adaptogens (like milk thistle and ashwagandha) may also support glutathione production.
With less oxidation comes less muscle pain, better immune function, regulation of cellular recycling, and more. Glutathione may also promote insulin sensitivity, which in turn could allow athletes to improve body composition and use carbohydrates more efficiently. All the best for sports enthusiasts!
The more demanding your training routine, the more inflammation you may have ... and the more CBD you need. Generally, 10-20 mg of the compound is the ideal dose, but more may be needed to help you get through your most intense workout.
It's a good idea to increase your CBD dose slowly and avoid drastic changes. This is because the pharmacological effect of CBD is biphasic, beginning to decrease slightly after a certain dose is reached.
Slowly increasing the dosage amount and frequency will help ensure that you don't exceed the dosage range that is optimal for you. You may also consider diversifying your CBD intake. If 20 mg/day of CBD oil is not enough to relieve inflammation, try adding a topical CBD patch at night or a CBD vape pen.