CBD for athletes has become a popular topic in the sports industry as a safe and natural alternative to medications. Not only because it is non-toxic (No High) and non-addictive, but also due to CBD's effectiveness in supporting pain relief, better sleep, faster recovery, lower inflammation, and overall health and wellness among athletes.
Many athletes stating they are sick of taking Opioids as it may mask their problems but leaves them feeling intoxicated, unhealthy - plus addiction and overdoses of opioids kill tens of thousands of Americans annually.
In such a landscape, athletes are rightly curious about CBD to promote wellness in your body and have demonstrated to have medicinal properties that are now effectively applied to sports medicine. For athletes, this means they can treat their problems effectively without worrying about risks associated with NSAIDs or opioids.
To make sure you have all the information before you get in on the trend, here's everything you need to know about CBD for Athletes.
What is CBD?
Also known as cannabidiol in the scientific community, CBD is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis Sativa plant. Unlike the most famous cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) CBD does not have intoxicating effects. But it does offer many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-anxiety, anti-seizure properties and scientists are constantly discovering new potential uses for it. Learn More, CBD 101.
What are the potential benefits of CBD for athletes?
Different recent researches of CBD benefits for athletes and CBD for Sports Performance say CBD may be a good payoff for those looking for post-workout relief.
The reviews also note that CBD may support athletes in many ways,
Reduced inflammation and pain
A 2020 review published in Sports Medicine analyzed preclinical animal studies and clinical CBD trials in non-athlete populations. The authors found that CBD may promote physiological, biochemical, and psychological effects potentially beneficial to athletes.
One of the review's key findings is that CBD could help alleviate inflammatory pain associated with tissue damage and neuropathic pain caused by nerve damage or irritation. This could signal a significant advantage for endurance athletes: repetitive, long-distance workouts can provoke inflammation and irritation in peripheral nerves.
Protection against gastrointestinal damage
The above Sports Medicine study also found that CBD may protect against gastrointestinal damage. Athletes who regularly engage in strenuous activity can reduce oxygen and nutrient delivery to their gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
GI stress can negatively influence exercise performance and recovery due to nausea, vomiting, and impaired nutritional uptake. Preclinical research has shown that CBD can reduce tissue damage and restore the permeability of the intestine.
Bone health
The above authors additionally provided evidence that CBD may support healthy bone deposition and help heal fractures. Healthy bones are essential for athletes, and bone health is sometimes compromised by traumatic injuries or inadequate energy availability.
Management of sports performance anxiety
CBD may also help athletes manage sports performance anxiety, according to the Sports Medicine review. Anxiety before a competition can cause sleep loss, increase energy expenditure, and impair nutritional intake.
According to the review authors, studies in non-athlete human populations have indicated that CBD may relieve anxiety in stressful situations. CBD could even be more effective when teamed with psychological interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapies.
Neuroprotective qualities to protect against brain injury
Another 2020 study, published in Pharmacological Research, also weighed the validity and applicability of existing CBD research for athletes.
CBD's neuroprotective properties were singled out for their potential to counteract harm that can occur following a sports-related concussion. These concussions are considered a variation of mild traumatic brain injury and can lead to harmful long-term complications such as neuronal damage.
The study's authors emphasize recent research in an animal model demonstrating that CBD oil could help treat pain, aggression, and depression linked to mild traumatic brain injury. CBD oil also helped to counteract neuronal damage in the brain's prefrontal cortex. CBD additionally inhibits oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, conferring further neuroprotective benefits.
These are promising findings as there are currently no effective pharmacological therapies available to manage mild traumatic brain injury. Repetitive traumatic brain injury can be expected in contact sports and may also lead to chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
Sleep and wake cycles
The same Pharmacological Research study also underlined the sleep-altering potential of CBD, discovering that CBD may be both a sleep-inducing agent and a wake-promoting agent. This ability to produce opposite effects—known as biphasic effects—depends on the dose being used and seems to work most successfully when the natural sleep-wake rhythm has been disturbed.
Lower doses of CBD seem to promote wakefulness, while higher doses appear to sedate and usher in sleep. Both properties may be beneficial: While the quest for a solid night's sleep is invaluable before a big game, staying awake could also be performance-enhancing for athletes.
But do any of these advantages come at a cost to performance on the field? Enhanced recovery and sound sleep may sound attractive, but not if they mean compromised balance or coordination.
According to the Sports Medicine study, however, the answer is no. The researchers assessed clinical trials investigating the impact of CBD on cognitive and psychomotor function and found that current data suggests CBD is unlikely to impact either healthy individual negatively.
Alternative to NSAIDs
Athletes have been consuming over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) for decades. Still, they may not be as safe as we once thought. Ultradistance athletes, in particular, are typically advised to avoid NSAIDs during long training sessions and events due to increased risk of renal damage. But even if your workouts and events are short, long-term, or frequent use of NSAIDs may increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Some athletes have found that the pain-relieving effect of CBD can reduce or eliminate their use of NSAIDS for exercise-related pain, with minimal side effects. According to The Essentials of Pain Medicine, Fourth Ed., “There are no documented deaths from cannabis or cannabinoid-based products. In a systemic review of studies of CBD the majority of adverse events reports were considered non-serious (96.6%).”
Alternative to Opioids
According to the CDC, in 2016, opioids were involved in more than 42,000 deaths in the US. Opioid pain medications (i.e. morphine, codeine, oxycontin) are highly effective for pain management but carry a significant risk of addiction and death by overdose. Cannabinoids are not as effective as opioids for relieving acute, high-intensity pain (5). Still, they may be effective for long-term pain management – either alone or in conjunction with other medications – with far less risk of dependence or accidental death.
Ideal CBD Products for Action Sport Athletes
When it comes to CBD use for athletes, there can be various methods of consumption or application.
CBD Oils and CBD tinctures are the ideal forms of sublingual consumption, entering the bloodstream immediately and producing effects quickly. CBD Oils and CBD tinctures are also ideal for pain relief, mental health, stress reduction, sleep...
CBD topicals are a great choice for effective pain relief, applied directly to an affected area. CBD recovery cold therapy, such as Freeze - Pain Relief 1000mg CBD roll-on, is perfect for targeted application and absorbs through the skin rapidly.
CBD Drinks are another ideal option for on-the-go CBD consumption for athletes. Incorporating CBD into liquids that athletes typically drink is a relatively new endeavor. You can also make your own favorite drink, juice, or even a smoothie and add some drops of your CBD Oil Tincture.
CBD and Drug Testing
Utilizing CBD as a natural alternative for pain relief and inflammation can be ideal because it does not appear on drug tests. Taking an Isolate CBD product shouldn't cause you to test positive for THC on a drug test.
In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its list of prohibited substances, but THC remains on the list.
Though you should always be sure to check label claims and compound amounts, the amount of THC permitted in CBD products must fall under 0.3%, limiting the ability for a "high" feeling and the appearance on a drug test. The risk increases if you take CBD from an unreliable source, so be sure to turn only to reliable and third-party tested CBD companies.
If you are an athlete who undergoes drug testing and chooses to try CBD Isolate as an alternative, rely only on products you can trust. Some CBD companies, such as Legalizing CBD, are catered explicitly for athletes or those with an active lifestyle. Legalizing CBD has a unique process from seed to sale, creating maximum strength CBD strains high in terpenes and phytocannabinoids that facilitate the hemp plant's full potential. Legalizing CBD products hold a high standard in full-spectrum with less tan 0.3 perfect THC, and Isolate CBD hemp oil through primary processing and secondary extraction.
Related reading: 4 Reasons Athletes Use CBD Topicals For Muscle Recovery
Related reading: Is CBD Oil Legal? Can we purchase CBD without breaking the law?
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