Using CBD to Optimize Recovery For Athletes
The recent removal of CBD from the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances has made it one of the most widely utilized compounds for recovery during sports and athletic activity. This is due to the high level of activity exhibited by CBD on the endocannabinoid system without eliciting an adverse side effect. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is responsible for controlling cognitive activities like hunger, appetite, internal balance, pain control, and neurological activities.
CBD For Sports Injuries
Before exploring the roles of CBD in sports injury, it is important that we understand how our body responds to exercise and workouts. During exercise, our bodies are exposed to different levels of stress capable of reducing muscular functions. This stress could result from all athletic activities, including running, weight lifting and push-ups, to mention a few. The accumulation of this stress in the muscles produces damage to the muscle fibers, thus leading to pain.
After the exercise, the immune system will swing into action to repair the damaged muscular fiber; thus, helping you build bigger and stronger muscles that can adapt to your exercise regime. This constant tear and repair of muscle fibers are what makes your normal exercising routine easier and less painful. To build bigger and better muscles, athletes may be required to push themselves further by increasing the usual workload on the muscles, thus leading to frequent pain.
Apart from the usual wear and tear in the muscle fibers, complex hormonal changes, burning up of energy source and loss of fluid are also produced. Although our bodies can deal with these changes in a natural way, scientists have devised a means to promote the natural activity of the immune system and neurotransmitters to recover from workout stress.
One of the most widely identified methods is to promote sleep in athletes. This allows the brain to settle and focus on producing the right hormones and chemicals needed for total recovery. Sleep is also important for promoting internal balance and creating new energy stores. Some of the other methods have been discussed below.
Nutrition and Hydration
Water is life because it is vital for all life processes. Staying hydrated serves to keep your body balanced, thus promoting the level of recovery. There are also cases where athletes are placed on a diet like proteins to enhance the recovery process. The use of dieting comes in handy in providing the necessary nutrients for the synthesis of immune cells and muscles.
Use of CBD
CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant and can play a significant role in the control of cognitive activities like hunger and pain. These CBD products come in different strengths and concentration, which provide the right combination of chemicals to keep your body balanced and ready to recover from sports injuries.
How Does CBD Work For A Sports Injury?
CBD interacts with the CB2 receptors of the cannabinoid system to modulate activities of the immune system. Although the mechanism of activity is not quite known, it is clear that CBD may have some influence in the way the CB2 receptor functions in the body. The functions linked with the interaction between the ECS and CBD have been summarized below;
Promotes Relaxation and Sleep
CBD can trigger the release of feel-good hormones, thus promoting relaxation and sleep. Information from research shows that it can also interact with serotonin and GABA receptors to promote focus and relaxation. Taking a dose of CBD before you sleep will keep the body ready to face any activity.
Anti-inflammatory Activities
CBD possesses a good anti-inflammatory property, which serves to keep the immune system regulated. This can limit the expression of immune cells unless when needed. The anti-inflammatory activities of CBD can also come in handy in reducing the expression of inflammation-induced diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Pain Relief
It is quite impossible to discuss the potential roles of CBD in sports without referencing its ability to trigger pain relief. CBD in interaction with the ECS receptors to stimulate the pain circuit and keep the level of pain to the barest minimum.
Internal Balance
The antioxidant activities of CBD have been widely reported by several scientists. With the activity, CBD can neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals, thus keeping your muscles safe from muscle spasms.
Reduced Anxiety
The high level of tension that builds up in the mind of the players before, during and after the game can throw them into a state of anxiety or depression as the case may be. Exerting too much pressure on the mind can reduce the total amount of CBD in circulation, thus causing the brain to be temporarily overworked, leading to anxiety. The use of CBD to optimize recovery for athletes and CBD related products can go a long way in keeping the total amount of CBD in circulation at psychological levels thus taking care of the anxiety and keeping the athlete as relaxed as possible.
Improved Level of Metabolism
CBD can promote healthy gut movement and the secretion of hormones to promote metabolic activities.
Is CBD Safe?
The use of CBD, in combination with the right dieting, can bring about effective management of sports injuries. At the time of writing this article, the use of CBD has not been linked to any adverse side effects, thus making its use completely legal. Contrary to what is obtainable in over-the-counter prescription medicine and the use of THC, CBD does not tamper with brain activity nor make you high.
Conclusion
Combining CBD with an excellent workout diet will go a long way in promoting your muscular strength, focus and sleep. If you have any questions regarding the use of CBD to optimize recovery for athletes, we would love to hear from you. Given the hectic schedule of athletes, our premium CBD shot might be a convenient fit for your busy routine.
Please note that all items listed in this article are strictly from research and not official statements from the FDA.