Hemp oil for athletes is an amazing tool for better recovery. Athletes put a lot of strain on their bodies, which can lead to negative and positive effects. The stress of training causes adaptation and improved performance, but prolonged wear and tear can lead to pain and even injury. The current treatment for this is effective, yet it can be addictive and harmful.
As a result, many researchers started looking for a better method to improve sports recovery and safer pain relief. This research has caused many people to ask if cannabidiol (CBD) oil is suitable for athletes. Keep reading to find out if using CBD oil is right for you.
Hemp OIL benefits for athletes
Cannabinoids (CBD) naturally occur in the body in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates many body processes such as immune responses, appetite, and metabolism, communication between cells, and memory.
In recent studies, scientists found that CBD oil will bind with the CB1 and CB2 receptors to stop certain neurotransmitters from releasing. For example, when someone with epilepsy uses CBD, it can reduce seizure activity by reducing excitatory neurotransmitters.
Using CBD supplements your body’s ECS to help maintain homeostasis by regulating neurotransmitters. It can also increase your ECS activity to help relieve the pain and inflammation from the extra stress put on your body as an athlete. However, your ECS may not be able to handle the strain, so using CBD oil can help rectify that. Below you can find some ways this oil can help bring your body back into homeostasis.
Relieves Pain
The legality of marijuana has made researching CBD problematic. However, what current studies show is that many athletes have experienced pain relief. In addition, it’s shown to be effective in reducing muscle and joint pain. As time progresses, we expect to see more data published on the subject.
Alternative to NSAIDs
Many athletes use over-the-counter, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, but constant use isn’t as safe as many people think. Taking these medications can increase your risk of renal damage, heart attack, and stroke. After using CBD oil, some athletes could decrease or eliminate NSAIDs from their pain management plan without serious side effects.
Alternative to Opioids
According to the CDC, Opioids are effective for short-term pain management, but they’re highly addictive and have a high risk of death by overdose. However, research shows that CBD effectively treats long-term pain without the risk of addiction or accidental death.
Reduce Inflammation
Though a small amount of inflammation can help prompt positive adaptations from training, too much can hurt your performance and slow down recovery. CBD oils can reduce inflammation by decreasing cytokine production, meaning that your immune system won’t send out as many alarms telling your body something is wrong after a hard workout.
Improve Sleep Quality
One of the best ways to achieve your training goals is to get enough quality sleep. Athletes who have used CBD oil have reported they had an easier time falling and staying asleep while also feeling more rested in the morning. It’s believed that CBD slows down brain activity to help you feel calm and relaxed so you can fall asleep. It can also reduce anxiety in some people, which also helps them get to sleep and feel more rested.
How To Use CBD
Many CBD products come in several forms, such as oil, capsules, lotions, pills, snacks, drinks, gummies and e-liquid. How quickly CBD takes effect depends on the method you use. Any product you have to digest, like oils and pills, will take longer to take effect, but forms like lotions or sublingual drops will start working quickly.
Finding out how much to use can be tricky; there isn’t a standard dose that works for everyone. In addition, CBD products aren’t regulated well, so the amount of CBD in them can vary. Capsules or milligrams in a tincture are the best way to be precise in the amount you’re using. The form of the CBD you use is also a factor in how well it’ll work. The best way to figure out how much you should take is to start a small amount and increase the amount if necessary.
Conclusion
As more research is done on CBD, it’ll likely become a powerful tool in recovery from training and chronic pain for athletes. However, there’s still a lot to learn about these products and how to utilize them best to enhance athletes’ performances. Although CBD isn’t a banned substance, the most considerable risk is that the product contains other substances not printed on the label. This can lead to doping violations; if CBD oil is something you want to try, you’ll need to research a reputable company.
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