How CBD Affects the Athlete’s Body

Athletes endure frequent muscle and joint tension. They work under pressing conditions and need to expand the possibilities of their bodies every day. Naturally, such an exercise regimen is impossible without muscle pain, joint inflammation, and overall stress on the body and mind. 

Which remedy can help athletes manage all these byproducts of intense exercise with minimal risks of doping accusations? The answer is – CBD. This non-psychoactive cannabinoid contained in weed has become wildly popular among lay users and athletes because of its anti-inflammatory, soothing, and performance-boosting effects. Some athletes even claim to experience a performance boost after CBD intake. 

So, is CBD a safe and acceptable option for athletes? Let’s find it out. 

Why Do Athletes Use CBD? 

• So, why is CBD so attractive in the professional sports community? Here are a couple of simple reasons for using CBD instead of riskier substances: 
• CBD can help address pain and muscle inflammation better and in a less addictive manner as compared to conventional painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs;
• CBD can help in sustainable weight control;
• CBD relieves stress and helps balance the athlete’s mood, which is essential during intense training seasons;
• CBD intake reduces an athlete’s exposure to environmental toxins. 
• This way, CBD is a popular herbal treatment option in amateur and professional sports, serving as a viable alternative to chemical medications with a lower risk of doping control problems. 

CBD for Muscle Recovery 

The major problem athletes encounter due to regular training is exercise-induced muscle damage. Sometimes the extent of muscle damage goes far beyond the limit that a healthy human body can tolerate, which may result in chronic inflammation and adverse metabolic responses in the organism. Once these processes are triggered within several days or weeks of peak muscle performance, an athlete can start feeling muscle fatigue. Thus, CBD can help curb this process and give muscles the essential recovery without disrupting an athlete’s training regimen. 

The best way to address sore muscles and inflamed joints (a normal situation after a hard workout) is to use CBD topicals. If you apply the CBD roll-on, pain relief will last longer than with CBD oils and caps consumed orally. The impact of CBD will be stronger in the painful area because it will be topically applied to that zone, while at the same time, little CBD will be absorbed into the bloodstream. 

CBD for Performance Enhancement 

While the mechanism of pain management and stress relief with the help of CBD is clear, one thing remains pretty fuzzy and anecdotal – CBD use for performance enhancement. On the one hand, one may doubt the ability of CBD to enhance an athlete’s physical performance because of its non-intrusive, gentle effect on the human body and mind. On the other hand, CBD is considered one of the most mysterious and under-examined herbal remedies to date. 

So, there may be nothing surprising in its positive impact on the degree of endurance and power an athlete may exhibit after CBD intake. There’s actually some reliable clinical evidence suggesting that CBD indeed works as a performance booster: 

McCartney et al. found CBD to increase mitochondrial function and body temperature regulation, which boosts bodily metabolism. 

Stanley et al. discovered that CBD negates the impact of stress on the athlete’s cardiovascular system, thus enabling longer peak performance. 

CBD for Stress Relief and Pain Management 

The study by Rojas-Valverde conducted in 2021 discovered that athletes could benefit from regular CBD intake in many ways, mainly due to its brain-protecting, anxiety-reducing, and pain-relieving effects that other remedies don’t supply. Besides, CBD products improve cardiovascular function in athletes, which is an essential contribution to athletes’ health and well-being. Besides, a 2022 study by Sahinovic et al. found that CBD causes unique physiological and psychological responses in the human body without disturbing physical performance. Therefore, it is evident that CBD can act as an antidepressant, an energy booster, and a stress relief remedy for athletes without potentially disturbing side effects or repercussions.   

Can CBD Result in Positive Drug Tests? 

If you’re using a CBD pain relief roll-on, there won’t be any risk of testing positive for THC, even with full-spectrum CBD in its content. The reason for this risk-free experience is the low absorption rate of topicals; no matter how much THC your CBD heat relief roll-on pain cream or tincture contains, it won’t be more than the legally allowed 0.3%. 

However, things work pretty differently with CBD vapes and oils – products with higher absorption rates. If you use these CBD product types, it’s better to keep the THC level under control to avoid unnecessary legal trouble. You may opt for broad-spectrum or isolate CBD in this case, thus bringing down the presence of THC in your products to zero. 

Safe CBD Product Selection for Athletes 

As comes from our review, CBD is a safe and natural remedy for athletes, able to help with pain relief (for instance, in the form of a CBD pain relief roll-on) and muscle recovery after intense workouts. Besides, CBD may act as a sedative and stress-relief remedy for professionals who feel nervous and tense before competitions. Many sources also cite CBD’s effect as a performance enhancer, which is also a positive expectation for athletes working hard to push the limits of their physical activity. However, with the risk of positive drug testing in mind, all athletes should take proper care of CoA analysis and study the CBD products’ labels to avoid trace THC. 

Denys Svirepchuk has prepared this material for you. Denys is passionate about CBD research and knows everything about various types of CBD products. He shares the nuances of responsible consumption and explores various CBD product options for your best user experience.