CBD For Athletes: And The Potential Benefits of Topical CBD Application

Which athletes use CBD products? How effective are CBD products to athletes? Are there any benefits that come from using topical CBD application? This article explains the potential benefits of topical CBD application by an individual.

Training stress athletes stimulates the adaption and increased performance; however, physical trauma and prolonged wear and tear lead to pain and injuries. There are currently effective means of pain management, but they are also killing people for improved sports recovery and safer pain relief. More people are asking about cannabidiol for athletes. Chronic use of over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen poses a high risk than previously known. Athletes are curious and eager for a CBD type that promises pain relief and reduces inflammation without the risk associated with opioids.

Benefits Of CBD For Athletes

According to Zeiger et al. (2019), CBD works Better For those looking to add a natural edge over their athletic opponent. CBD has become very popular in recent years for providing such a wide array of health benefits. Far beyond many natural medicines. More sports are adopting the use of CBD into their routines. Below are a few examples of the major benefits of these products.

Reduce Stress

While competing in any sport, performing better comes with a certain amount of pressure. Either self-induced by a team or the coach. Reducing stress helps ones perform better, recover quickly, and keep their body in top physical shape. Having a high level of stress hormone in one's blood negatively affects an individual's body. More so in muscle soreness, recovery, and tension. Moltke & Hindocha (2021) stated that CBD is popularly known to reduce stress and anxiety levels when taken properly. So it may be good to try.

Improve Sleep

No matter the activity one participates in, sleep is equally important to their performance. Getting proper sleep allows one to maintain high levels of alertness, increase focus and perform well nearly on everything. Also, it is only during the sleeping hours that the body makes repairs. If one's sport requires strength, muscle growth, or speed, then sleep is an important time for the body to enable it to make the necessary adaptions to its neuromuscular system. According to Moltke & Hindocha (2021), CBD helps promote better levels of sleep by easing anxiety and stress levels, easing discomfort in the entire body, and getting more restful sleep. Individuals can take a dose between half an hour and an hour before bedtime and limit the amount of screen usage. It will enable one to get the most out of their nightly routine.

Reduce Inflammation

Individuals who suffer from chronic pain or discomfort as an athlete can be likely due to high muscle soreness or inflammation levels. Hatchett et al. (2020) stated that CBD is a well-known anti-inflammatory and is used to aid in muscle soreness. Most of the CBD products are in the form of topical creams used to isolate the affected area. Suppose a squash player develops a sore wrist and may begin worrying about carpal tunnel. In that case, the inflammation is reduced by applying CBD cream to the wrist regularly and allowing the athlete to continue playing for a long.

Improving Mood

Mood and cognition are very important factors in the athlete's performance. Suppose one feels like they are not in the right mindset while training for a sport. There has to effect one, and they may not train to their optimal level. Having a negative mind leads to higher cortisol levels, sleep disorders, etc. Kasper et al. (2020) stated that the benefits of CBD lead to better performance and higher concentration during performance or practice.

Aid in Digestive Health

Athletes require a complete and proper diet, and a diet requires digestion for it to be complete and generally the overall health. Eating a proper and high-quality diet is very important in promoting proper gut health; The study also stated that CBD has helped treat inflammatory disorders along the digestion tract. It directly impacts the athlete’s performance, as proper digestion of nutrients is important to competing in any sport.

Lowering Blood Pressure

CBD helps reduce blood pressure and stress, thus aiding recovery and promoting overall health performance. Again, there may be potential benefits to lower blood sugar levels. Although the evidence is not conclusive, researchers have reported a positive impact on blood sugar regulation among users of CBD. As this is contested and found to have effects, it will also greatly affect one's metabolism and overall health.

How To Use CBD For Arthritis Performance

Having known the key benefits of using CBD for athletics, let’s now shift our focus to choosing the right CBD product. The products are so popular and many varieties to choose from.

Avoid Inhalants

Although this seems obvious, the lungs are an important bodily feature in the athletism world, and they are only supposed to breathe in the air. Even though inhalant products are marketed as being completely safe for the lungs, it is good to avoid such products.

Determine Your Needs

If individuals can sleep for nine hours at night completely uninterpreted and wake up excited to go to practice, they may not need a mood booster or a sleep aid. But if one has chronic knee pain or some tension in their bicep, they can benefit from a topical cream to treat the affected area. Individuals can run a small test with themselves and feel how it works. Pay attention to the feeling throughout the day for one week. If one notices anything that requires improvement, physically or mentally, then they will be in a better place to determine the product that may be better for them. After the workout, one needs to know their chosen product and how it works.

How To Determine the Right Dose

Knowing the right dose may depend on several factors, including weight, age, desired strength, and the reason for taking the product. Individuals can study the CBD dosage chart to understand it better.

Conclusion

More research is still needed because there are a lot of unknowns about CBD and its impact on athletes. But research conducted earlier suggests that at least worth further exploration is required. Athletes can find it useful for pain.

Those interested in starting CBD should consult their doctor before starting, especially if they are under medication. Individuals must start with a low dose and wait to see how their body responds before taking more. If it reacts well with one's body, keep adjusting until you get the right dose.

References

Hatchett, A., Armstrong, K., Hughes, B., & Parr, B. (2020). The Influence of Cannabidiol on Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness. Int. J. Phys. Educ. Sports Health, 7, 89-94.

Kasper, A. M., Sparks, S. A., Hooks, M., Skeer, M., Webb, B., Nia, H., ... & Close, G. L. (2020). High prevalence of Cannabidiol Use within Male Professional Rugby Union and League players: a Quest for Pain Relief and Enhanced recovery. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 30(5), 315-322.

Moltke, J., & Hindocha, C. (2021). Reasons for Cannabidiol Use: a Cross-sectional Study of CBD Users, Focusing on Self-perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep problems. Journal of Cannabis Research, 3(1), 1-12.

Zeiger, J. S., Silvers, W. S., Fleegler, E. M., & Zeiger, R. S. (2019). Cannabis Use in Active Athletes: Behaviors Related to Subjective Effects. PLoS One, 14(6), e0218998.