From “Secrets to Athletes’ Success: Hard Work and CBD” by Madeline Taylor
So Why Should Athletes Use CBD?
Move over whey protein, hit the road, energy drinks. It’s time to meet the newest supplement on the block – CBD! Slip on those sneakers, fitness-fan, things are about to get serious. Here we take a look at what CBD can do for you in the gym when combined with pure grit and hard work.
Hey there, athlete – Your body has it tough
As a gym bunny, your body goes through some tough training sessions. There’s wear and tear, high-impact movement, the odd injury and fatigue. You’ve probably felt all these things (and more) after a long gym session or special event. As we’ll cover in a moment, CBD can help with all these things. But before we get into that, there’s something that we need to clear up…
CBD has many, many benefits for the athlete.
No longer is cannabis seen as purely a source for getting high. This valuable resource is far from a preserve only for hippy types. In fact, CBD oil doesn’t contain any psychoactives. This means that you won’t get stoned, no matter how much you consume.
The field of cannabis-related research is continuously growing and gaining traction for showing CBD as being full of health benefits and impressive natural powers. Let’s explore them now…
Benefits of CBD for the Athlete
CBD Fights Inflammation
As an athlete, you may do daily battle with inflammation. CBD is an anti-inflammatory, which can reduce the chance of injury, and drives down the associated symptoms of inflammation (such as pain and discomfort).
Pain Relief Without the Side Effects
Over-the-counter pain killers can serve as an efficient, effective pain reliever, but along with these can come brain-fog (which could quickly lead to the masking of pain that you should be listening to).
CBD provides a far clearer way to overcome pain, while side-stepping the haze and brain fog.
CBD Calms Those Jittering Event Nerves
That big game or important event is coming up, and no matter how hard you mentally prepare, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid those butterflies.
CBD is just about the most effective supplement for gaining a little relief from your performance anxiety. In fact, some even use it as an alternative to conventional anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication – like Zoloft, Xanax, and Prozac.
CBD Shortens Recovery Time
Let’s face it, injuries sometimes go hand in hand with being a sports person. Rather than keeping a stock of painkillers such as Vicodin or Percoset (which only handle the pain), keep CBD on hand to minimize recovery time.
Still doubtful? Then consider this, CBD has been scientifically proven to aid a huge (and growing) variety of medical conditions, such as seizures and Multiple Sclerosis. In short, if it can help and heal those with these serious medical issues, it can be a friend to the athlete who’s looking to speed up his or her recovery periods.
CBD Fights Bugs and Illness
You know how it is – you spent weeks (maybe months) in training. Then, come the week or the marathon or big competition, you become ill and have to take to your bed.
CBD oil is a natural immune system booster that fights off germs and the dreaded pre-match-day lurgy. This is because it’s high in anti-oxidants, which can reduce your chance of picking up an infection. And as a side bonus, this is also good news for your heart health.
CBD oil could also help control your hunger and weight.
CBD is an athlete’s best friend when it comes to supporting your dietary goals. It boosts your workout longevity and performance while keeping your appetite in check.
This may come as quite a shock, given the association between cannabis and the ‘munchies’. To explain this, sudden hunger is the result of the THC found in marijuana, which isn’t present at all in CBD.
CBD Is a Neuroprotectant
Those in high-impact sports training could do far worse than add a dose of CBD oil to their training. This is because CBD has powerful neuroprotectant properties, which assist oxidation and help support brain injury recovery. All in all, this could prove helpful for minimizing the impact of a post-head-bump concussion.
Pump some iron, hit the track, get set for a good gym session, every gym session. With CBD oil, your athletic performance is bound to get a serious boost.