CBD For Athletes
Sally Perkins provides advice on the benefits of CBD for athletes
Over the past few decades, research into cannabidiol (CBD) has shown that it has myriad beneficial health effects on the human body. Almost anyone can benefit from using CBD, but some groups of consumers have more to gain than others. CBD can be used as an alternative or complementary treatment for many common diseases and disorders, but it can also be used as a training aid for athletes. Read on to find out about the benefits of CBD for athletes that are helping to drive the recent increase in its use among professional and amateur sports players.
Speed Up Post-Workout Recovery
Both training and playing sports can place a good deal of stress on the body. This stress leads to oxidative damage, too much of which can slow recovery after workouts, leading to mental and physical fatigue. CBD helps to reduce oxidative damage, allowing athletes to recover faster and improve their performance both in the gym and on the field.
Fight Inflammation
Researchers have only recently begun to turn to CBD as a natural treatment for inflammatory pain, but so far, the results look promising. Most consumers still treat inflammatory pain with non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but long-term use of these drugs has been associated with heart, kidney, gastrointestinal, and neurological problems. Switching to CBD can help athletes reduce pain associated with sports injuries or hard training without causing adverse health repercussions.
Promote Good Sleep
Poor sleep hinders recovery after workouts and makes it difficult for athletes to perform their best. Some consumers report getting better sleep after taking CBD, especially in conjunction with other natural sleep aids like melatonin. This may be because CBD helps with pain, anxiety, and other underlying disorders that can make it more challenging to get sufficient sleep.
Manage Weight
Athletes who compete in different classes based on their weight may find that using CBD helps them manage their weight by altering how fat cells work. Research suggests that CBD may help to increase the browning of adipose tissue, which helps the body turn excess white fat cells into brown fat cells. This can be beneficial for athletes who want to keep the pounds off so they can compete in a lower weight range. Since a higher ratio of brown fat to white fat is also correlated with a lower BMI, it can also help athletes maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce Anxiety Before Games
CBD can help athletes with anxiety, depression, or a severe case of pre-game jitters calm down. Mood improvements will not just make it easier to focus on games. Anxiety and depression can have a dramatic impact on motivation, which can make it difficult for those suffering from these mood disorders even to get up the energy to perform necessary workouts. The calming effects of CBD can reduce the symptoms of these disorders, improving motivation, concentration, and performance.
The Bottom Line
Few other healthy consumer groups can benefit as much from taking CBD as athletes. Professional athletes should check with their leagues first about acceptable THC levels for CBD supplements, as THC is still considered a banned substance by most sports leagues and teams. Athletes can get around this problem by buying or making their own CBD isolates or broad-spectrum oils that contain no THC.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- PERKINS, S. (2020) CBD for Athletes [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article594.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Sally Perkins is a professional freelance writer with many years of experience across many different areas. She made a move to freelancing from a stressful corporate job and loves the work-life balance it offers her. When not at work, Sally enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with her family, and travelling as much as possible.