Athletes put their bodies through a lot of stress, which has positive and negative effects overall. The pressure from training stimulates adaption and helps to increase performance. However, prolonged wear and tear, and physical trauma can cause injuries and pain.
CBD products could help athletes with recovery, amongst a wealth of other things.
Current pain management methods are useful, but they can also be very dangerous for people.
Athletes looking for improved sports recover and safer ways of pain relief should consider using CBD to manage their pain.
Pain relief isn’t the only benefit that High quality CBD can offer athletes. In this piece, we’ll look at four ways the famous cannabinoid can improve any athlete’s quality of life and performance.
CBD can relief Pain
Studies have revealed that cannabis (mainly THC and much less CBD) is effective for relieving pain. This includes musculoskeletal pain resulting from exercise and stiff joints. There is only a small amount of research that looks at CBD alone or a 1.1 ratio of CBD to THC.
This is an area where biological plausibility and anecdotal evidence are all we have until research catches up, However, despite lacking hard evidence, CBD products to appear to help effectively relieve pain for many athletes across the world.
CBD is an Anti-inflammatory Alternative
Athletes have been taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen for many years. However, these drugs are no longer as safe as they were once thought to be. Ultradistance athletes are advised to avoid anti-inflammatories all together, due to increased risk of kidney damage. Even with short term use, these drugs can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Some athletes find that the pain-relieving impact of CBD products can eliminate their reliance on anti-inflammatories for exercise-related pain, with little to no side-effects. Many athletes have taken to social media or review sites to sing the praises of CBD products after years of heavy anti-inflammatory use.
Improve Gut Health
Gastro-Intestinal distress causes a lot of discomfort for many athletes. It’s one of the leading reasons that endurance athletes drop out of competitions and races. Although CBD won’t cure stomach problems caused by overheating and dehydration, it can effectively help to reduce symptoms.
There are CB1 and CB2 receptors located in the colon. In tests on mice, symptoms of Colitis were inhibited when CBD products activated these receptors.
Improved Sleep
Getting more sleep, or better sleep is one of the best ways that an athlete can improve their training gains. Athletes who take CBD regularly report finding it easier to fall asleep and having a more restful night’s sleep. One significant reason for this could be that CBD inhibits the reuptake of adenosine.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)) is broken down as our brain burns carbohydrates for energy, and this substance can accumulate in the brain over time.
The more adenosine that binds to neurons, the more neurotransmitters are released, helping us feel calmer and slowing our brain activity down. Our bodies metabolize adenosine as we sleep, and in the morning, low concentrations of ATP help to wake us up, and the process begins again.
CBD binds to the same receptors that ATP would bind to, meaning that it may inhibit reuptake in certain individuals. This helps ATP to accumulate quickly and makes us feel tired and relaxed sooner. CBD can also have an anti-anxiety effect on some people, which can help them to have a more restful sleep.
Here at Enecta, we encourage athletes to experiment with CBD and see if it improves their wellbeing. We offer a range of products that can be used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle. All of our products are sourced and manufactured by our team using organic hemp and 100% healthy and organic processes and compounds. This means that they are the finest quality CBD products available today.
Click here to view our full range of CBD products today.