Widespread legalization of cannabis has helped this potent plant enter many a discussion, especially those related to fitness and health. With more athletes coming forward with their own stories as to how CBD has helped them with their own performance and other aspects of their lifestyle, more amateur athletes and regular gym-goers are also taking an interest in this possible fitness solution. By now, we might as well dub it a trend.
Just a glance at the world’s sports scene, and you instantly notice that some of the most prominent names on the list actually promote the usage of CBD and explain how it has helped them with their own fitness goals. UFC’s Gina Mazany and Nate Diaz are both pro-CBD and have emphasized the positive effects this compound has had on their health and performance. The story is no different in other sports spheres, and more enthusiasts keep showing up to share their stories. Here’s how you can benefit from introducing CBD into your own routine to maximize your fitness potential.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (or WADA for short) has always tried to regulate the usage of substances that might impact the performance of professional athletes, both during, but also before and after the competitions. Cannabis has long been on their prohibited list, and the ban has been lifted in 2018 to enable athletes to consume CBD. It’s important to remember that the psychoactive compound THC is still banned, meaning that competitors still need to make sure that the strains and sorts they are using contain pure CBD.
However, in case you’re not a professional athlete, the legalities of using this substance will differ from one country to another. While the science behind the CBD trend does support its use for fitness enthusiasts, you should first get acquainted with the laws and regulations of usage in your own place of residence. That way, you can locate a trusted, certified seller, and make sure that you’re within your rights.
Moving on to the actual benefits of what CBD can do for you, let’s begin with one of its most significant contributions to your overall quality of life: sleep. Most of us can barely fit a training session into our busy schedules, not to mention the meal prepping, and the hours we spend at work, so the first aspect of our lives to suffer is precisely rest. Every athlete knows that you build muscle and get that desired physique when you give your body time to recover, and more precisely, during sleep. With a haphazard sleeping schedule, you’re depriving your body of the most crucial piece of the fitness puzzle.
Using CBD, for example in the form of quality marijuana flower can help you fall asleep with greater ease and stay asleep without those annoying interruptions in the middle of the night. This is especially useful for people who work out at the end of the day, which may keep you up for longer. Instead, consuming CBD in moderate, controlled amounts that suit your metabolism can help you get ample quality rest and prepare your body for the next day.
A little inflammation never hurt anyone, right? Well, athletes know that inflammation is necessary for your body to adjust to the effort you’re putting in at the gym, and a natural bodily reaction to intense training. However, there’s a key difference between acute and chronic inflammation: the former helps your body adapt to vigorous workouts, while the latter can wreak havoc on your immune system and trigger reactions that will not bode well for your health.
One of the ways in which CBD regulates inflammation and reduces its negative impact on your body is by blocking cytokine production, known culprits of inflammation. While this is an oversimplification of a very complex chemical process that takes part in your body after a workout, it boils down to the fact that CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory solution that can help your body recover faster and more efficiently so.
There’s yet another form of inflammation that may be harmful not just for your fitness routine and performance, but also your overall health and wellbeing. Gastrointestinal (or GI) troubles may have a wide range of causes, from overeating to dehydration, which are very common among athletes. However, when there’s a different underlying cause of GI inflammation, CBD can reduce the symptoms significantly.
Since your colon contains CB1 and CB2 receptors, you can mitigate that unwanted inflammation by activating these receptors with the help of CBD. Over time, it helps protect your GI tract, minimize inflammation, and soothe all those symptoms that may be preventing you from putting your best foot forward in training. Everything from abdominal pain to diarrhea can be resolved or at the very least minimized with the right diet plan combined with the use of CBD.
The world of sports is becoming more open to the idea of CBD every day. Stay informed and educate yourself on the various ways this plant-derived compound can help you improve your fitness game, and you’ll also reap many health perks in the process.
Luke is a fitness and health blogger at Ripped.me and a great fan of the gym and a healthy diet. He follows the trends in fitness, gym and healthy life and loves to share his knowledge through useful and informative articles.