Hemp CBD is shown to provide a multitude of potential health benefits. Because of the way CBD safely interacts with the body, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts consider CBD an essential addition to their fitness regimen. CBD is a natural supplement with the potential to enhance your athletic performance while reducing recovery time.
To understand some of the many potential benefits of CBD for athletic performance, it may be beneficial to understand the basics of how CBD works. The answer lies in the way that CBD interacts with, and supports, the functions of your endocannabinoid system (ECS). Your ECS is responsible for regulating nearly every essential process in your body. This system relies on a complex network of neurotransmitters that influence the receptors to keep your body in a state of homeostasis; therefor it keeps your system balanced.
The messengers (neurotransmitters) of your ECS are cannabinoids. Your body makes two cannabinoids on its own, anandamide, and 2-AG. These cannabinoids are made as your body needs them and are quickly broken down by enzymes. Unfortunately, sometimes the production can’t keep up with the demand, which makes the system no longer efficient. However, it has been discovered that our ECS also responds to the cannabinoids found in hemp plants.
The cannabinoids found in the hemp plants mimic the effects of your naturally occurring cannabinoids. The cannabinoids in hemp oil bind with the receptors of your ECS to keep this vital communication system functioning at optimal levels. The pain or discomfort you feel within the days or weeks after increasing the intensity of your workout is caused by microscopic damage to your muscles. This damage initiates a response from your immune system. Your immune system then responds with pain and inflammation.
Like many other active sports enthusiasts, maybe you have tried over-the-counter medications to alleviate post-workout discomfort. Maybe you rely on prescription medications to keep minor injuries from interrupting your routine. While these medications will likely ease your discomfort, they can also cause side effects such as liver and kidney damage, stomach upset, indigestion, and vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, ear ringing (tinnitus), vision disturbances, skin rashes, blood thinning, and chemical dependency. Since the side effects of over-the-counter medications can be more extreme, many athletes rely on CBD for the symptoms of overworked muscles or minor strains and sprains.
CBD Topical Products Can Provide Targeted Relief
Since hemp CBD will not cloud your senses or impair your athletic performance, many athletes prefer to use a CBD tincture to experience the potential health and wellness benefits, CBD still has a lot to offer to those who prefer a more targeted approach. Many athletes prefer using topical CBD salves and creams so they can zero in on specific areas of their body affected by injury. When applied topically, the cannabinoids in CBD penetrate the skin to provide CES support. Whether applied topically or ingested, CBD is shown to inhibit the breakdown and encourage the production of anandamide (the naturally occurring neurotransmitter is the endocannabinoid linked to pain perception). The more anandamide circulating in your system, the less pain you feel.
Beyond Inflammation and Pain Perception
Although exercise is essential for good health, it puts a good deal of stress and strain on your body. Under the stress and strain of exercise, your body may need more cannabinoids than it can naturally produce on its own. Supplementing your fitness regimen with CBD can restore balance to your ECS and keep vital processes functioning efficiently. Some of these vital processes include:
Improving Sleep Quality
Your body needs rest to gain the full effects of working out. Soon after you fall asleep, your body begins to produce growth hormones, a complex protein that supports your metabolic functions. CBD has the potential to improve sleep quality by reducing stress, easing sore muscles, stabilizing circadian rhythms, and improving your capacity for REM sleep.
Minimizing the Impact of Stress
Challenging your potential can cause stress, physically and mentally. Whether the competition you face is internal or external, stress can cause your focus to drift and your muscles to tighten. Since the moods and emotions that could impact your performance are regulated by your ECS, restoring balance could minimize the effects of stress on your performance. CBD has been shown to have an anxiolytic effect similar to the effects of prescription anxiety medications. Reducing stress also benefits your immune system function and bone density.
Promoting Healing Processes
There is more to fitness recovery than reducing inflammation and minimizing discomfort. Full-spectrum CBD oil contains hundreds of potentially beneficial vitamins, minerals and plant terpenes that all have the potential to facilitate health and healing. CBD is high in vitamin A, C, and E as well as all 20 essential amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Reducing Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasms typically occur after an intense workout or during activities that test your endurance. While some studies indicate that fluids and electrolyte supplements can alleviate or prevent cramps, other studies find little correlation. CBD has been found to have the potential to demonstrate antispasmodic properties.
Your ECS regulates nearly every critical system in your body, from your circulatory system to your moods and emotions. While physical fitness has a distinctly positive effect on your health, vigorous exercise can disrupt the balance of your ECS. Supplementing your ECS with CBD could help to enhance your athletic performance and minimize your recovery time.
Read our previous blog: CBD Coffee Craze – Is it Worth the Money? by clicking here.
