5 Benefits of CBD Oil for Fitness
Everyone is talking about the benefits of CBD oil for fitness. Is this mere hype or is there more to this?
While CBD is not a miracle cure for everything, it has a place in the fitness world. Walking through your local gym you are likely to spot several CBD products such as oils, muscle rubs, capsules, creams, and CBD infused beverages. The same goes for pro sports locker rooms; even pro athletes are turning to CBD.
This article gives a low down on the potential gains of incorporating CBD into your fitness regime.
Why CBD For Fitness?
Physical exercise places a significant amount of strain on the body; physically, mentally, and even emotionally. If this is not handled well, one is likely to experience burn out.
Traditionally, people have turned to medications such as NSAIDs, opioids, and antidepressants to help them get through workouts. However, most of these remedies present serious side effects in the long run.
CBD is an all-natural compound that works through the endocannabinoid system to promote homeostasis in the body. While doing so, it causes little to no side effects.
If you are a fitness enthusiast and want to know if you should try CBD, here are 5 key benefits to consider.
5 Benefits of CBD for Athletes
1. Relieve Pain and inflammation
Intense workouts are almost synonymous with intense aches and pains.
Why does this occur?
When your muscles are put under strain for a long time they become inflamed and undergo adaptation. This causes microscopic injuries to the muscle. This eventually leads to muscle strengthening because the muscles are forced to heal and replicate. However, the process is painful.
Where does CBD come in?
In a recent survey by the arthritis foundation, it was found that CBD is useful in treating pain and inflammation.
Another study published in the European Journal of Pain showed that CBD applied topically is effective in treating inflammation.
A report from Harvard.edu indicated that CBD can be used to treat different kinds of pain.
CBD can be used to manage pain and inflammation during and after intense workouts.
2. Promotes Muscle Relaxation
Intense exercise may cause muscle pulls, spasms, and fatigue. CBD is a muscle relaxant. It achieves this by stimulating certain (GABA) receptors which are responsible for relaxing the muscles.
This same mechanism has been tapped into in the treatment of muscle spasticity and seizures.
3. Aid Muscle Recovery
For some people, the days after a strenuous workout are usually a nightmare due to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMs). When this occurs, a person is likely to be in pain and discomfort days after the workout.
Eating foods rich in protein and minerals is always very helpful. This helps to repair damaged muscles and replenish mineral stores. However, adding CBD will enhance the recovery process.
During intense workouts, cortisol is released in high amounts. Cortisol is catabolic; it diminishes the formation of proteins and stimulates the breakdown of muscles. CBD counters this effect and consequently facilitates muscle recovery after an intense workout.
4. Promotes Sleep
Full recovery post-workout is not possible without adequate amounts of sleep. The growth hormone is released when one is asleep and this promotes muscle recovery, repair, and growth.
CBD does not directly trigger sleep. However, it can be used as a sleep aid because of its adjuvant effects.
CBD regulates cortisol levels and this helps one fall asleep faster. It also helps to deal with pain which may be another impediment to sleep. Lastly, CBD promotes restful sleep by reducing disruptions such as nightmares during the REM phase of sleep.
By improving sleep, CBD initiates and sustains muscle recovery after an intense workout.
5. Improves Performance
Among the biggest impediments to athletic performance are stress and anxiety.
So, is CBD a performance-enhancing compound?
It depends on what is implied.
In 2018, WADA removed CBD from its list of banned substances. This implicitly gives their verdict on CBD as a performance enhancing compound.
However, some scientists have argued this out in a different way.
CBD quells anxiety and reduces stress. With these two sorted, athletes can perform better on the field.
The rest, you can judge for yourself.
How to use CBD For Fitness
Right now, there are several CBD products in the market.
For muscle pain and inflammation, CBD creams infused with terpenes work best. To promote sleep and enhance performance, CBD capsules and tinctures will give you the desired results.
CBD gummies offer a fun option for taking CBD; teens involved in intense workouts will love this.
When buying CBD products, find out the amount of CBD per serving which should be 10mg-20mg to start with. Also find out which other ingredients have been added and what therapeutic value they add to CBD.
Go for CBD products that are infused with terpenes i.e. full spectrum. Full-spectrum hemp extracts offer enhanced therapeutic benefits.
Where to Buy CBD Oil in the UK
If you are in the UK, you should know that CBD is legal to buy and use, as long as the CBD product contains less than 1mg of THC per product.
Unfortunately, recent reports found that some CBD products can sometimes contain less and or in some cases even NONE of the advertised CBD dosage, so it’s always best you buy CBD from a reputable supplier.
CBD Shopy is a UK-based retailer of high-quality CBD Oil and is offering an exclusive 5% discount to all our readers, simply use coupon code REPUBLIC5 on checkout.
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Good Luck!