The thought of athletes using CBD used to be so inconceivable. Today, however, it’s a welcome thought. Not too many are still all too familiar with its use and benefits though. If you’re someone interested in taking CBD for athletes, here are some interesting things to note before you get into it.
CBD Use
CBD comes in various forms, from gummies to capsules. If you’re starting out with its use, it’s recommended to first start at a low dose. It’s also important that you take it at appropriate times, which means nowhere near before your workout, and especially not before an actual competition.
Once you familiarize yourself better with the effects of CBD on you, and when is the most opportune time to take it, then you can slowly increase the dose should you feel the need for it. Essentially, though, here are the main reasons why you might be inclined to use CBD.
Pain Relief
One of the foremost reasons to use CBD is to relieve pain. It’s been scientifically found that CBD does help in pain relief and management, especially after rigorous physical activity. It helps alleviate the stress on the joints and muscles, which makes it easier to recover.
As you may very well know, the sooner you recover, the better you can perform in your training. This in the long run helps build your endurance and improve your overall performance.
Improve Gut Health
What’s not as commonly known as a CBD benefit is the improvement of gut health. Gut inflammation is actually one of the most typical reasons why performance athletes suffer. When there is GI distress and discomfort, it impedes the performance and, in some cases, even causes athletes to drop out of their competition altogether.
CBD use, however, can apparently settle the gut and reduce symptoms, thanks to the CB1 and CB2 receptors present in the colon. If you’re the type to frequently suffer from gut discomfort, which affects your athletic performance and training, try taking CBD.
Get Better Sleep
Getting enough sleep is such a crucial part of recovery, especially for athletes. Without the right amount and quality, you can wake up feeling groggy and less like one hundred percent as you would otherwise have been.
Needless to say, having good sleep not only helps facilitate muscle recovery faster, but also maximizes performance. Another benefit of getting good sleep is reducing stress and anxiety.
Anti-Inflammatory Alternative
Last but not least, CBD can serve as a good alternative for NSAIDs. Recent studies have found that anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium may not be as safe as they were once perceived, with a noted increase of risk for heart attack and stroke.
CBD is deemed to be much safer than the typical NSAID because it is more natural, is effective in pain reduction, and has very minimal side effects.