Can CBD for Athletes Speed up Muscle Recovery?
CBD oil is gaining a lot of
popularity across the country, with people from different fields turning to it
for its health benefits. It’s especially fast becoming the go-to supplement of
many athletes and fitness enthusiasts. This is because of its ability to reduce
soreness and inflammation caused by rigorous training and intense physical
workouts. Let’s take a deeper look at CBD for athletes.
CBD for Recovery
During exercise, especially an
intense one, muscle fibers rub against each other. This creates microscopic
injuries or tears to the fibers, which in turn triggers an inflammatory
response. Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to muscle damage. They are
eventually repaired, which allows the muscles to become stronger, but the pain
will always be unavoidable. What you simply call a post-exercise soreness is
actually an entire process that’s happening inside your body.
Now, to help them manage the pain
occurring after a game or a mad session at the gym, athletes and bodybuilders
(or even occasional gym goers) often pop ibuprofen to keep them going. But with
the stigma attached to hemp-derived CBD beginning to lift, people are switching
to CBD products, like CBD for recovery, which is a safer alternative to
conventional pain medication. Apart from that, CBD oil doesn’t carry the same
side effects that over-the-counter medicines have, a lot of studies have proven
its anti-inflammatory benefits.
How CBD for Athletes Works
How does it work, you ask? CBD
interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), an important system in the
human body that regulates the function of the brain, endocrine, and immune
tissues. As such, CBD for athletes helps soothe aches and inflammation. It also
helps you sleep better, which is actually when a great deal of muscle repair
and recovery happen. It is when the body is asleep that it produces melatonin
and human growth hormones. These are important factors in healing and recovery,
and if you’re not able to get proper sleep (probably because of the pain, too),
then muscles are not given enough time to recuperate.
In short, CBD for recovery helps
in many different areas. It activates our ECS and this activation not only
soothes sore muscles and joints, it promotes a sense of calm. When we are
calmer, the quality of our sleep improves, and sleep is a crucial ingredient in
a faster post-workout recovery. Regular activation of the ECS also helps
minimize the experience of pain in the long term. Daily servings allow athletes
to train harder and stay at the top of their game, making CBD for recovery a
better alternative to traditional supplements.
Finding Your CBD Serving Size
Apart from recovery, the use of
CBD oil also helps in the improvement of an athlete’s performance and can aid
fitness enthusiasts in achieving their goals. While it does help you relax and
sleep better at night, it also gives you an energy boost when you need to keep
yourself awake, alert, and focused on your workout.
It all depends on the serving
size you take. Usually, its calming effects are associated with higher serving
sizes, while its stimulating effects are achieved when it’s administered in
lower servings. Different people have different reactions to CBD, so it’s
recommended to experiment and find out how much CBD you should take.
Other CBD Benefits for Athletes
Another thing CBD oil does, which
is a big factor contributing to one’s physical performance, is that it helps
you manage stress and anxiety. Game-day stress is very common, and high levels
of distress and tension could greatly affect an athlete’s focus. CBD oil helps
calm you down and improve your mood so you can concentrate on completing the
task at hand the best way you know how.
Did you know that this product
also helps with gut issues and nausea? You may overlook the fact that an upset
stomach could ruin a game, but it does happen, especially to endurance
athletes. CBD oil interacts with our endocannabinoid system which helps ease
gut issues, and it also connects with our serotonin receptors to help reduce
nausea.
Overall, CBD oil enhances one’s
fitness routine and athlete’s performance and cuts their downtime by allowing
faster recovery. All of these without the side effects and health risks that prescription
medications often have. Again, different bodies have different reactions to the
product, so the best way to make sure you maximize its benefits is to get the
go-ahead signal from your doctor and find the perfect serving and routine which
works best for you.
Our goal at Made By Hemp is to
educate people about the benefits of hemp-derived CBD for athletes. If you
still have questions, we’d love to talk! Drop us a comment below or contact us
today!
This article originally appeared
on MadeByHemp