To keep the body and mind fit and sharp, a little physical and mental stress is good. When this turns chronic things can get difficult. Chronic issues can lead to injuries, poor performance, and ultimately, less time doing the things you love. Now CBD can help you overcome these difficulties. CBD is an organic compound found inside hemp and could help improve your athletic performance.
When consumed, it interacts with receptors found in our brain, skin, digestive, immune, and central nervous systems. Together with the help of this vast network, CBD encourages a state of balance. After all, it’s when our body is balanced that it’s better equipped to deal with disease, disorder, and the challenges of an active lifestyle.
How can CBD aid in your sports performance?
As an athlete, there’s a lot to like about CBD. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how exactly the compound supports athletic performance
Soothes inflammation
Inflammation is something we’ve all had to deal with and not always a pleasant idea. However, inflammation is a necessary part of muscle recovery as it helps our muscles take in all resources they need to repair and grow. When inflammation becomes chronic issues can occur.
One of these issues is called DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, a much-dreaded muscle recovery response. If you’ve ever pushed yourself in the gym and wondered why your muscles feel sore, even days after, the answer is DOMS.
This time, researchers from the University of South Carolina found that CBD plays a crucial role in muscle repair by suppressing our inflammatory response. They concluded that exogenous cannabinoids (a fancy term for compounds like CBD) could be a potent ally against inflammatory disorders.
Aids sleep cycle
Sleep is one of the most important and for many people tricky parts of recovery. While we are asleep our body consolidates memories, strengthens our immune system, and builds muscle fibres. The latter being a key part of sports performance, as faster muscle growth means improved performance.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to get the restful sleep you deserve, and that’s where CBD could help. In a study published in FEBS Letters, researchers found that CBD increased wakefulness during the day, supporting our body’s circadian rhythm (our internal clock).
One more strain on sleeping schedule as of quite recent in combination with stress (both physical and mental) is the light from electronic devices. The blue light produced by these devices that we use all day impacts our internal clock and thus making it harder for us to sleep at night. CBD supplements with melatonin could help combat this all too common occurrence.
Keeps you focused
Our minds can be just as big of a hurdle as our muscles or the weights! Focus and determination are essential traits for any aspiring athletes, but again, modern lifestyles can disrupt this focus, giving way to tension, stress, and worry.
In a placebo-controlled trial, patients with generalised social anxiety disorder were administered a single dose of CBD. While the group who took the placebo saw no improvement in symptoms, the CBD control group experienced “significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort”.
If you ever struggled to perform in a competitive setting, or you simply lack the motivation to get into the gym—a few drops of CBD oil could be the answer.
CBD and athletic performance—final thoughts
As you can see, the impact of CBD appears vast. Not only could it influence multiple elements of athletic performance, but it’s well-tolerated and approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Even with the benefits highlighted above, perhaps the most significant advantage for athletes is the rEven with the benefits highlighted above, perhaps the most significant advantage for athletes is the range of CBD products available. While CBD oil remains the most popular option, there’s a growing catalogue of CBD balms, creams, and supplements aimed at anyone looking to stay active and healthy. If you’re interested in making CBD part of your training regime and the different ways of taking CBD learn more from Cibdol.com about how it can support your goals.