Cannabidiol (CBD) has several health properties that make it effective for athletes to achieve peak performance. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, neuroprotective, antioxidants, and appetite-suppressing properties among others. This makes it effective in easing pain and inflammation that usually comes with intense training. Besides that, it has anti-anxiety effects that help to promote the feeling of calmness and relaxation, especially during competitions. But how does CBD help athletes achieve peak performance?
How CBD Helps Athletes Achieve Peak Performance
Athletes can add CBD to their wellness regimen as an effective supplement. Since CBD products joined the mainstream wellness industry, a lot of athletes have been using them. The results are already promising and here are some of the reasons why CBD is beneficial for athletic peak performance:
Boost Immune System
According to one study by the NCBI, cannabinoids such as CBD have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes them effective in treating and regulating the level of inflammation in the body. Besides that, these properties can help to regulate the production of white blood cells. All these features blend to ensure that the immune system receives a natural boost. Your body will, therefore, stand a better chance of fighting infections and ensuring that you remain healthy and ready for your athletic performance.
Support The Cardiovascular Health
Athletes need to have a healthy cardiovascular system. This makes it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout the body, making the functions of the heartless taxing. It should be noted the efficiency of the heart to effectively facilitate oxygen supply throughout the body helps to improve cardiovascular training. The best thing about using CBD is that it has antioxidant properties that help to improve cardiovascular health.
Facilitate Post-Workout Recovery
Achieving peak performance is everything that any athlete would want. That’s why they must continuously and consistently push their bodies during those intense training sessions. However, there is a lot of strain and pain that sometimes come with training. Injuries and muscle soreness are something that every athlete must be prepared to deal with. However, this can cause slack in training as well as slow performance during competitive activities.
However, taking CBD can be a great way of improving post-workout recovery. Its anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties can be effective in treating sore muscles, sprained joints, and other injuries. As an athlete, you can now use CBD oil to facilitate the recovery process and ensure that you attain peak performance while training and during competitions.
Appetite Control
As an athlete, you can’t just eat anything. Junk foods with lots of fat and sugar will significantly reduce your athletic performance. But the consumption of these foods is usually promoted by binge eating and poor appetite control.
Taking healthy foods and the right supplement is definitely a priority that athletes should consider. However, this is only possible if there is a good supplement that can help to boost performance longevity and a lasting feeling of satiety. CBD has powerful appetite-controlling properties. Taking a supplement with cannabidiol can be effective in eliminating the chances of unhealthy eating that often leads to unwanted weight gain and consequentially, lower athletic performance.
What Type of CBD Products Can an Athlete Use?
CBD is quite versatile and there exists a wide range of products that an athlete can use. you can ingest CBD orally as an edible, sublingually, as a vape product, and topical CBD. The most ideal products that suit athletes include:
CBD Oil/Tincture
It’s a highly concentrated form of cannabidiol that exists in liquid form. You can take CBD tinctures sublingually by applying a few drops under the tongue. You should wait for a few seconds before spitting or swallowing the oil. Besides that, you can add a few oil drops to your favorite food variety and beverages such as smoothies, oatmeal, coffee, tea, and soups.
Protein Bars
CBD-infused protein bars are great snacks, especially after intense workouts. CBD-infused protein bars are effective in facilitating workout recovery and helping you feel relaxed. Besides that, you can use these protein bars for unwinding after busy days.
Topical CBD
They are among the most used types of CBD products by athletes. Topical CBD is designed for external application and this makes it effective in providing a localized effect. They usually come in the form of balms, lotions, and creams. You can use them to treat common and chronic aches/pain.
Is it Legal to Use CBD Products?
Hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC are legal for use federally. For athletes, these are mainly CBD products that contain over 99% cannabidiol content and are without the psychoactive THC content. High-quality CBD minus psychoactive THC content is widely accepted by numerous sporting bodies including World Anti-Doping Agency.
But as an athlete, it’s important that you do a comprehensive product analysis to avoid falling victim to fraud and purchasing contaminated products. Ensure that you only make purchases from reputable manufacturers. Request for independent 3rd-party lab test results and recent certificate of analysis.
How Often Should I Take CBD?
Well, it all depends on the type of CBD product you are using and your wellness needs. wounds and other open injuries may require the ingestion of tinctures at a significantly higher dosage. However, minor muscle sprains may only require a small amount of topical product, etc.
The Bottom Line
Athletes engage in constant rigorous training and intense competitions that end up changing their bodies. They might experience injuries, sore muscles, reduced immune response, and others. All these effects can significantly reduce their performance and make them lose out on important competitions.
However, using CBD can be great in facilitating peak athletic performance. This is because the organic cannabis compound has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help to treat inflammation and improve cardiovascular function. Besides that, using CBD supplements can be great in reducing the post-workout recovery time while promoting healthier eating habits.
