CBD: a natural support for those who play sports

The benefits of CBD for those who engage in physical activity are numerous.

• Applied topically after a workout, CBD promotes muscle recovery and helps alleviate muscle and joint pain.

• Consumed as CBD oil or capsules, this active ingredient is very useful for supporting the body in cases of pain and for all those muscle and skeletal inflammations related to sports injuries.

• CBD is a formidable natural aid for managing anxiety and stress, which may manifest as performance anxiety for competitive athletes or as discomfort with one's own body for those resuming physical activity after a long break.

• Cannabidiol can assist with sleep disorders, encouraging the proper relaxation necessary for falling asleep and maintaining sleep, essential conditions for those involved in physical activity.

In general, CBD acts to rebalance the endocannabinoid system, helping regulate the production of inflammatory agents and promoting homeostasis.

In March 2023, the first study on the topical administration of CBD in elite athletes was published. This target group is accustomed and trained to deal with sports injuries on a daily basis and carefully assess the safety of the products they use and how they could impact their athletic performance. Topically applied CBD was well-tolerated by athletes, and after six weeks of use, muscle pain decreased significantly with a corresponding improvement in muscle function.

A recent pilot study on the potential of CBD in physical exercise used IL-6, or interleukin 6, a protein produced by the immune system crucial for regulating inflammation, as an evaluative parameter. The research suggests that CBD can help attenuate systemic inflammation, regardless of the dosage. It revealed that by binding to the CB2 receptor, present in our endocannabinoid system, CBD can help avoid the potential cytokine storm that usually occurs after intense muscle trauma, causing pain.

A study on the effects of cannabis on athlete performance highlights how the active ingredient may be relevant for muscle recovery during training and competition. Through its interaction with the endocannabinoid system and receptors involved in pain perception, CBD can support the body during the performance cycle.

Another study on the use of cannabidiol for sports recovery suggests that taking CBD combined with other recovery protocols could help improve physical performance, potentially disrupted by structural imbalance due to exertion. It could therefore be useful in cases of consecutive competitions, to facilitate recovery between one race and the next.

Various preclinical studies on CBD and sports suggest that CBD could benefit athletes in several ways. Besides supporting the body in cases of pain, CBD can help with anxiety and stress and may be useful for better sleep. These features make it a useful active ingredient for athletes dealing with performance anxiety or poor sleep quality.

CBD can be applied topically or consumed as CBD oil. It is a safe product with rare or irrelevant side effects, as this study on the side effects of CBD reveals.

However, as most cited articles specify, it is crucial to use caution and only use certified and legal CBD-based products that are not contaminated with harmful substances and do not contain THC levels above permitted limits.