CBD for Athletes: 5 Reasons why athletes should consider using cannabidiol oil
Athletes around the world are taking cannabidiol (CBD) oil. It is increasingly becoming a well-accepted therapeutic and general wellbeing supplement in the sporting world, and for good reason. The same qualities that lead to improved health also make CBD for athletes an excellent choice.
CBD for athletes may offer relief from stress, improved sleep patterns, improved recovery times and many other benefits. Continue reading to learn more about how CBD oil may have a positive impact on your sporting performance.
CBD for athletes: helps to reduce stress
The National Institute of Mental Health defines stress as the way the body responds to any demand or challenge. For an athlete, stress may not only be in the form of the mental challenges they experience in terms of pressure to perform, but in the physical athletic activities that they partake in, too. After all, improving athletic performance is all about adapting and overcoming stressors on the body.
CBD for athletes helps the body to reduce stress and anxiety by increasing the amounts of anti-stress hormones produced by the brain. This effectively allows athletes to continue to train past their previous intense training and exercise limits.
CBD for athletes: works as an adaptogen
Adaptogens are essentially herbal pharmaceuticals that help to balance stress in the body; some examples of well-known adaptogens include echinacea and reishi mushroom. Cannabidiol is now also accepted to be an adaptogen, therefore CBD for athletes can be considered as a performance-boosting, stress-relieving plant compound.
When CBD is consumed, it interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, triggering a number of chemical reactions within the body that function to promote maintenance of homeostasis.
Furthermore, CBD for athletes can promote faster recovery, regulate energy expenditure and upregulate fat burning.
CBD for athletes: improves sleep
Sometimes athletic training regimes aren’t ideal for sleep patterns; CBD for athletes can result in a more restful sleep. Since getting more sleep is one of the most effective ways to achieve greater gains from training, this is a significant potential benefit for athletes.
It is thought that CBD helps to improve sleep by inhibiting the reuptake of adenosine, causing it to re-accumulate in the brain faster, making the user feel sleepy sooner. CBD also improves sleep by acting upon the root causes of insomnia, such as stress, anxiety and pain.
CBD for athletes: reduces inflammation
CBD is well-known for its potent anti-inflammatory effects. Whilst some inflammation is beneficial is good for helping to stimulate training adaptations, too much inflammation can hamper recovery and affect athletic performance.
CBD for athletes is therefore beneficial in alleviating the pain and inflammation associated with recovery from training and competition.
CBD for athletes: protective for the nervous system
The central nervous system (CNS) is comprised of the brain and the spinal cord. When there is more stimulus within the body, the CNS is more active, and when there is less, it is less active. Depending on the type of training that an athlete partakes in, the CNS can become less responsive over time. This is commonly referred to as CNS burnout: the athlete feels slower, more sluggish, probably lifts less but the effort required in order to do so is still the same.
CBD for athletes is neuroprotective since it may help to synchronize and optimize neuronal firing and help to balance post-synaptic neurotransmitters. Put simply, this means that through its interaction with the body’s endocannabinoid system, CBD directly promotes neuronal health and plasticity.
Is CBD for athletes legal?
CBD for athletes is legal. In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from it’s list of prohibited substances, both in and out of competition. Whilst CBD has been removed from the list, THC is still prohibited.
Taking CBD should not cause you to test positive for THC. You can have confidence when buying from Transcending Organics that our CBD oil products are THC free. All of our CBD oils undergo stringent filtration procedures to ensure that final product contains no THC. This means that it will not have any psychoactive or addictive properties for the user, whatsoever.
Disclaimer:
The information in this blog post regarding CBD for athletes is intended for educational purposes only. This blog content is not intended to diagnose or treat illness or any medical condition, and it is therefore not intended to be taken as general or medical advice. If you are an athlete and wish to discuss how CBD oil may benefit your sporting performance, we always recommend that you consult with your trusted doctor or health professional.
References:
National Institute of Mental Health, (2021), 5 Thinks You Should Know About Stress, [https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml], accessed 21/02/2021.
World Anti-Doping Agency, (2020), Prohibited List, [https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/wada_2020_english_prohibited_list_0.pdf], accessed 21/02/2021.
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