A Comprehensive Guide to CBD and Working out

If you’re an athlete you may have heard about some of the potential benefits CBD can offer. In fact, it’s become extremely popular among even mainstream athletes due to its inherent benefits. Not only are athletes jumping on the bandwagon, but people looking to improve their health and wellness are, as well.

This is why experts predict the CBD industry will be worth a whopping $2 billion by 2022. What’s more, by the year 2022, the hemp-derived CBD market is expected to be worth as much as $646 million alone. Why is CBD becoming so popular among athletes? And how does CBD help your body after a long and hard workout? These are some of the questions we will be answering in this article. By understanding the effects that CBD may have on working out, you will quickly understand why these products are becoming so sought after among athletes everywhere. 

First, let’s go over why you might consider taking CBD for working out. You may have noticed a lot of fitness enthusiasts taking all kinds of supplements before, during, and after their workout sessions. This could be to help with energy levels, provide a better workout, and even to help with recovery efforts. If you’ve ever worked out hard, you are likely well aware of how sore your body can be even days after your workout session. Let’s take a look at how CBD may be able to help you after working out.

What Happens to Your Body When You Workout?

When you do an intense workout whether it be cardio or strength training, you will be activating muscle fibers throughout your body. In fact, as you are working out and doing strength training exercises, you will actually be ripping your muscle fibers. This is where the familiar term, “no pain, no gain” came from. Without experiencing this type of pain from your muscles, you may not reach the gains you are looking to achieve with your fitness efforts. Muscle soreness can show up anywhere from one to two days after you exercise. And, it can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional athlete or someone just getting started with exercising. You will likely experience muscle soreness after an intense workout. 

Why Does Muscle Soreness Happen?

Your muscles will feel sore after working out because you will be working the muscles past their limitations. This type of soreness is medically referred to as “delayed onset muscle soreness” or “DOMS” for short. As mentioned, this can happen because you are pushing your muscles past their capabilities. But, this can also happen when you are introducing new movements or exercises to your routine. This is typically why many athletes will turn to various amino acids and protein supplements for muscle recovery. After all, your muscles go through protein synthesis. This is a process in which your muscles utilize protein in order to repair the resulting damage done from exercise. Therefore, you may find yourself seeking out various supplements to help muscle recovery. Some of these supplements not only add protein to your body but also essential amino acids. These have been shown to be effective at decreasing muscle fatigue and helping reduce muscle soreness.

How Might CBD Be Able to Help?

Cannabidiol or (CBD) is a compound that can be found in the cannabis or hemp plant. It is actually one of the 100 or more different compounds that can be found in the plants. Many confuse it with THC which is psychoactive. Unlike THC, CBD is not a psychoactive compound and it will not cause a ‘high’ effect. So how might CBD help you after working out?

May Decrease Inflammation

CBD may help address any discomfort that you are experiencing from the inflammation that results from intense exercise. In fact, CBD has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This alone could benefit athletes and anyone who works out because exercise is known to cause and aid in inflammation. Along with this, unaccustomed exercise has been shown to cause both muscle and connective tissue damage, especially if it is performed at a very high intensity and for a significant period of time. Thus, CBD’s potential to directly decrease inflammation throughout the body could be very beneficial for anyone who is looking to work out with high intensity for long periods of time. 

May Help With Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important aspects when you are looking to build muscle and recover from serious exercise. Sleep has been shown to be crucial for strength training recovery and it can help with overall muscle repair after an intense workout. Studies have shown that getting inadequate amounts of sleep at night can negatively interfere with the body’s innate ability to recover after a hard workout. And, it may also limit muscle growth as a result. Unfortunately, many people are unable to get not only the right amount of sleep but the right quality of sleep.

There have been studies that suggest that CBD may help with not only falling asleep but staying asleep for those who have difficulties with both. Because CBD may be so effective at helping you achieve a better night’s sleep, it could subsequently help you feel much more awake and more energized in the morning. This alone could help you feel more energized for your everyday workout. 

May Help Alleviate Pain

Another benefit that is driving CBD use among athletes is its potential to help decrease pain. Various CBD products have shown their potential at managing different types of pain. In fact, when applied topically, it may be able to decrease pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. However, it might also be useful when managing neuropathic pain.

CBD products may offer a natural and non-addictive alternative to opioids. Opioids are highly addictive and quickly becoming an epidemic. Because a lot of student-athletes are at an increased risk for suffering from opioids abuse, CBD may be a promising and safer alternative. And because pain can cause a hindrance to a workout, reducing some of this pain may make it much easier for you to get back to your routine. While many people may avoid working out because they are experiencing pain, CBD may be able to help. 

May Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Another reason athletes into looking at CBD is because of its stress-relieving properties. However, this effect extends beyond athletes. The stress-reducing properties of CBD can be beneficial for anyone no matter if you are an athlete or not. Studies have shown that cannabidiol has the potential to benefit those suffering from anxiety-related disorders. If you are someone who is suffering from elevated levels of stress or symptoms of anxiety, CBD may offer a natural alternative to help address these symptoms.

It’s no wonder why CBD has become such a sought after product for athletes and people who are working out regularly. CBD has many potential benefits to offer if you are routinely active. If you are someone who is working out with high intensity, you are likely going to be looking for something to help with the resulting inflammation and soreness that comes with it. 

Finals Thoughts

Not all CBD is created equal. Not only do you want a high-quality CBD product that is derived from industrial hemp, but you may want to consider one that is full spectrum. This means that the product contains all of the other cannabinoids that are naturally occurring within the plant. These cannabinoids work together to provide the full effects that CBD has to offer. This creates something called the entourage effect which is how these compounds synergistically work with one another.

Findings suggest that THC may elevate the effects of CBD and that CBD may decrease the negative effect of THC. As a result, you can experience the effects of full spectrum CBD products without experiencing the “high” associated with THC. And, high-quality hemp products will not produce any psychoactive effects, as less than 0.3% THC content is the legal amount. And as always, be sure to consult with your physician before adding a new supplement to your routine, including CBD.