Can CBD Be Used for Recovery from Exercise?

You are likely to be always seeking new ways to improve your workout habits in the fitness world. You are undoubtedly looking into numerous supplements that may help you perform at a high level, in addition to wearing the appropriate attire and warming up properly. CBD is one product that has received much attention recently. In this blog, let’s find out if it is safe to use CBD for recovery from exercise.

Cannabis goods, formerly exclusive to dispensaries, are becoming more widely available. CBD oils, tinctures, and salves appear on supermarket and health store shelves and holistic healthcare websites, promising significant health advantages. First, it is crucial to grasp what CBD is and appreciate how CBD affects workouts. 

In cannabis, there are several different cannabinoids, and one of them is cannabidiol (sometimes spelled CBD). Cannabinoids, which are structurally similar to endocannabinoids, which the body naturally makes (and may be responsible for runner’s high), are well-known for their feel-good effects. 

How Might CBD Help You Prepare For A Workout?

We can only speak about the preliminary study regarding ingesting CBD before exercising. While exercising, those who took CBD had a decreased blood pressure response to stress, as reported in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Given that one usually use CBD to alleviate anxiety symptoms, many individuals feel it may also help them concentrate better during a workout. Many individuals feel that CBD decreases inflammation and so relieves pain, despite the lack of scientific data to back this up. It is common for edibles like gummy bears, tinctures, and oils to take effect within one to two hours, whereas sublingual tinctures take 30 minutes to an hour to take effect.

How Can We Use CBD For Recovery From Exercise?

One can consume CBD after a workout. While additional study is needed, there is some anecdotal evidence that CBD has advantages when administered after an exercise. Although CBD is not a performance enhancer, many athletes confess to taking it for sleep, pain relief, and muscle repair. 

CBD helps alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness and the associated discomfort and immobility in terms of healing. Moreover, it may aid with inflammation, which is sometimes the body’s reaction to exercise and recovery. Furthermore, a study is being conducted to investigate the relationship between CBD and sleep. According to a review of numerous research, two-thirds of individuals reported enhanced sleep while using CBD. Another study discovered that CBD might be useful in treating insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, and excessive daytime drowsiness. Because sleep is essential for muscular healing and having adequate energy for the following day, it’s simple to understand how getting more sleep may help you perform better. 

However, research in this sector is still in its early stages. To obtain the maximum benefit from edibles for post-workout recovery, prepare them as soon as possible before you begin exercising so that your body has enough time to absorb them once you’ve finished. Tinctures work best when taken after a workout, but there are also topicals that you may use if you are in discomfort.

How May CBD Be Able To Improve Your Workouts?

An increasing amount of research suggests that there may be links between CBD and physical performance. However, these links are indirect. Here is what the study presently says about CBD and its fitness-related qualities.

• CBD has the potential to improve your sleep.

CBD and sleep study have given conflicting results, as has CBD and pain studies. According to a 2017 study, CBD may be effective in treating sleep disorders such as REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a sleep disorder in which individuals play out their dreams while they sleep. Because CBD may lower cortisol levels, it may aid in the relaxation and sleep of anxious persons. Although raw cannabis flower promotes sleep, it also includes THC. Thus, CBD alone is unlikely to have the same effect.

• CBD holds the potential to alleviate pain and inflammation.

In laboratory trials, CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. A study done in 2020 by the National Institutes of Health discovered the natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to damage and suffering, and less inflammation typically means less pain. However, research on the direct association between CBD and pain is limited. Researchers also determined in 2020 that CBD may have anti-inflammatory effects that might be effective in the treatment of common illnesses but that “there is a paucity of high-quality, innovative studies evaluating the use of CBD in human musculoskeletal diseases.” One large-scale evaluation of studies published in 2018 examined data from 1975 to 2018 and found that the evidence for CBD as a pain treatment is positive overall. However, most analysis on this area closes with the feeling that additional human research is required to evaluate the benefits of CBD on pain and inflammation.

• CBD may help with muscle recovery.

CBD may assist in muscle rehabilitation since it may help you sleep better and decrease inflammation. Because most tissue regeneration happens during sleep, increased sleep, along with the anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD, makes this cannabis-derived molecule a viable candidate for a muscle recovery supplement.

Conclusion

While there is no evidence to indicate if CBD would increase your exercise efforts, there is no risk in utilizing it since it is safe and well-tolerated by most individuals. Begin with a bit of dose and watch how your body responds before increasing your dosage. Modern research still determines how beneficial CBD oil may be for several health advantages. CBD is now being used to help recovery, increase energy, and improve athletic performance. Is it, however, effective? Although the hoopla may be overblown, the data is varied but essentially good. There is undeniable proof that CBD oil benefits athletes and those who work out daily. However, the evidence isn’t flawless, and the outcomes may vary from person to person.