The times when weed was associated with a lazy stoner on a couch are long gone. Once the CBD component was isolated from a cannabis plant, humanity received a valuable herbal remedy for anxiety, inflammation, and pain. There are a huge number of CBD food products available in dispensaries and online stores, and people grow more trustful of CBD products for body pain, relaxation, and management of various health conditions.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the many cannabinoids contained in weed. It doesn’t have an intoxicating effect on the user but offers many therapeutic properties that set it apart from THC. Thus, CBD use has become wildly popular among athletes as a remedy for pain, stress, and inflammation. Here is a definitive guide on using CBD by athletes that explains all the ins and outs of choosing safe, organic CBD products with minimal health risks.
CBD Benefits for Athletes
Many people benefit from CBD properties, including patients with seizures, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and PTSD. However, athletes can also find much value in regular CBD intake because they are exposed to the intense pressure of competition-related stresses, physical tension, and a tough training regimen. Thus, athletes can use CBD to reap the following benefits.
- Better sleep quality. Professional athletes usually have to comply with a strict regimen, so a good night’s sleep is vital for their productivity. CBD can help you relax and fall asleep faster, feeling more revived the next day.
- Anti-catabolic effects. CBD prevents the breakdown of lean muscle tissue and helps develop healthy body mass by means of catabolic hormone reduction and cortisol blockage.
- Pain relief. CBD produces painkilling and anti-inflammatory effects on the user, thus helping combat acute pain related to muscle spasms, sore joints, and troubling old injuries.
- Cardiovascular health. Consuming CBD is good for your health, as it lowers blood pressure and deals with inflammation in your organism. As a result, users who take CBD regularly enjoy better resilience of their bodies to cardiovascular health problems.
- Better appetite. Athletes can’t gain mass without regular, well-planned nutrition, so they need a good appetite to cover their daily calorie needs. CBD stimulates appetite and helps athletes consume the volume of food and vital supplements they need on a daily basis.
Pros and Cons of Using CBD
If you’re a professional athlete or commit yourself to regular, intense workouts, CBD support may come in handy in your everyday wellness regimen. Still, you should consider a number of strong and weak sides of the decision to use CBD regularly.
Pros
- CBD is legal in most states and can be purchased without a problem, offline and online.
- There’s a wide variety of convenient and tasty CBD products, from CBD gummies to oils and topicals, which makes CBD consumption comfortable and simple.
- CBD can become a safe and effective stress and anxiety relief remedy for your daily use.
- CBD possesses pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, which help with sport-related pain relief and muscle tension.
Cons
- Many CBD products (except for isolates) contain traces of THC, which can cause a positive drug test and ruin your career.
- There’s still little clinical research on CBD’s therapeutic benefits for various health conditions. More studies are required to assess the safety of regular CBD use in patients with different health issues.
Thus, it’s vital to weigh these pros and cons to make an informed decision about including CBD in your set of health supplements.
BD Products for Athletes
There are many types of CBD products that meet athletes’ needs. Here are the most popular of them.
CBD Tinctures
Tinctures are a popular format of CBD use for pain relief after intense workouts. Athletes also use tinctures to ensure quicker recovery from traumas and joint inflammations. The tincture is a concentrated form of CBD liquid that can be dosed with a convenient dropper for application to the aching zone. The athlete can massage the CBD tincture into the aching muscles and joints to enjoy immediate relief or administer the tincture orally as a relaxing, soothing, and painkilling remedy.
CBD-Infused Protein Bars
Protein and CBD form a killer combo so much needed by athletes. Protein supplies the athlete’s body with energy and gives them power for healthy muscle growth, while CBD performs its anti-stress and anti-inflammatory work. Thus, a CBD protein bar works as an ideal recovery snack that satisfies one’s appetite and performs therapeutic activities.
CBD Topicals
CBD topicals are similar to tinctures by texture in some cases; they may also come in the form of creams or gels. One important thing is that they can’t be consumed sublingually; topicals are suitable only for external application to your body’s inflamed or sore zone. They often come with menthol to produce a cooling effect on the muscles and help athletes feel instant pain relief.
CBD Gummies
CBD gummies are a universal product that can help anyone meet their CBD needs. They come in various forms and flavors, including a wide range of CBD doses and additional components to your liking. If you’re on a sports diet, you can choose non-flavored sugar-free gummies for CBD use. Thus, gummies can also become a valuable supportive remedy convenient for consumption on the go.
Guide on Choosing the Safest CBD Products
Regardless of the product type you choose to support your athletic activities or recovery after intense workouts, you should always keep their quality in mind. Here are the essential quality parameters to check for every CBD product you intend to buy:
- Third-party lab tests and a certificate of compliance with ISO 17025 standards.
- The brand’s disclosure of hemp origins (where it is grown, which cultivation practices are followed).
- A THC content of under 0.3% is certified by COA (zero THC content is more preferable).
- A report on the absence of pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, and mold.
Besides these vital quality standards, you should consider the specific product’s criteria, like:
- The brand’s certification and manufacturing approach.
- CBD potency.
- Ingredients apart from CBD included in the product.
- Customer reviews on CBD products.
We recommend buying only FDA-approved products as they have a seal of quality and prove that the company has no issues with FDA certification. However, it’s not an absolute must, as the FDA’s stand on CBD is still ambiguous, and many worthy brands produce top-quality products without an FDA seal.
CBD for Athletes: Q&A
Since there is much hype about CBD use in sports, we’ve prepared a list of the most popular questions answered by experts.
Which athletes can take CBD?
Any athlete can consume CBD for therapeutic purposes, as the substance is no longer on the WADA list of prohibited substances since 2017. Thus, CBD is universally allowed for use even in top-league professional sports.
Does CBD use expose me to a risk of testing positive for drugs?
You will not test positive for drugs if you double-check that your chosen CBD products are zero-THC. It is possible to reduce the risk of a positive drug test with broad-spectrum or isolate CBD products. Don’t consume full-spectrum CBD, as it comes with meager THC doses that can spoil the test.
Can CBD help me grow my muscles?
Actually yes, though this connection might seem weird at first. CBD helps athletes preserve a stable cortisol level during their training sessions, which translates into healthier muscle growth dynamics due to improved protein synthesis in the organism.
Does CBD help with sport-related anxiety?
Yes, CBD is an excellent natural remedy for stress and anxiety. Thus, you can take CBD on a regular basis to reduce stress and relieve pressure related to the approaching competition.
Which famous athletes take CBD?
CBD is not illegal, so many professional athletes of all levels publicly admit to using it. Among the most famous CBD users in sports are Rickie Fowler (golf), Rob Gronkowski (MBA), and Megan Rapinoe (soccer). Many others use CBD in daily recovery practices and have CBD manufacturing facilities.
Should I take CBD before or after the training?
CBD can be consumed before a workout if you want to reduce stress, increase your vitality, and improve your night sleep with CBD. However, you can also take CBD after the training if you feel muscle pain and have inflamed joints; CBD will accelerate your recovery.
What is the legal age to buy CBD products?
The minimum legal age for buying CBD products is 18 years old. In some states, the minimum legal age is 21 years old. Please check the legal requirements for your specific state on the official website.
What is the legal limit of THC in CBD products?
The legal maximum for THC content in non-psychoactive CBD merchandise available without a prescription is 0.3%. All products with more than 0.3% THC are licensed differently and require a medical specialist’s prescription for purchase in a specialized cannabis dispensary.
Is it legal to order CBD products online? Buying CBD products online is legal in the US states that have legalized the medicinal and/or recreational use of CBD in their territories. However, you should ensure that the chosen CBD product contains less than 0.3% THC.
