CBD for Workout & Recovery: Does It Work?

by Martin B. · June 30, 2020

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most widely-researched extract of the cannabis plant. It’s one of more than 130 compounds of cannabis (also known as cannabinoids) that medical experts recommend for a wide range of infections. It’s mostly used to treat conditions with main symptoms to include pain, inflammation, anxiety, and seizures.

Besides CBD, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is another popular cannabinoid. The fundamental difference between cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol is that THC contains both psychoactive and intoxicating properties, whereas CBD does not. That explains why CBD is mostly used to manage diseases, whereas THC is popular among recreational cannabis users.

Now, the therapeutic properties of CBD account for its popularity beyond the health and wellness benefits. Other industries that have since incorporated CBD into their products include the beauty and skincare, food and beverages, pet care, and fitness industries. If you are wondering w here t o b uy CBD i solate w holesale then looking for various online options will help you find the best deals on it.

Athletes and fitness trainers can now use various CBD products to optimize their workouts. But just how does it work? This is the focus of this post.

CBD Before Workouts

CBD Alleviates Pain

Pain is the most common condition why experts recommend cannabidiol. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that professional athletes and fitness freaks can benefit from CBD’s analgesic properties. It relieves pain by interacting with your endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The endocannabinoid system maintains your normal homeostatic balance. It plays a crucial role in relieving pain, anxiety, and inflammation, as well as regulating your appetite, mood, and circadian rhythms.

The ECS is made up of a system of endogenous cannabinoids and endocannabinoid receptors. The two main endocannabinoid receptors include CB1 and CB2.

CBD impacts your endocannabinoid system by interacting with your endocannabinoid receptors (particularly CB1 receptors) in a way that changes the chemical structure of these receptors. This means your endogenous cannabinoids can readily bind to these receptors, resulting in relief from pain, anxiety, seizures, and other abnormalities.

In addition to enhancing the endocannabinoid system, CBD also relieves pain by;

Inhibiting the transmission of pain across your brain and spinal cord.
Lowering your sensitivity to pain by working on your vanilloid receptor.

In a 2016 study, CBD was shown to help relieve pain in arthritic rats. Since all mammals have an endocannabinoid system like people, the pain-relieving effects of CBD in rats apply to humans as well. So, a dose of CBD before embarking on your workouts will go a long way in reducing pain during your exercises.

CBD Relieves Anxiety

Anxiety is another condition that CBD can help to manage for improved workouts. CBD works on anxiety the same way it works on pain – impacting your endocannabinoid system.

There are essentially five different types of anxiety disorders, namely;

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Recent studies have already shown that CBD can treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder. It doesn’t matter the type of disorder you’re suffering from, using CBD can help to banish your anxiety for better workouts.

Now, you could be wondering how CBD’s anti-anxiety effects impact your workouts. Well, with those racing thoughts in your mind and butterflies in your stomach, it becomes difficult to focus on your reps. Going into a workout with an unfocused mind is akin to signing your death sentence. The last thing you want is to get into an accident in the gym.

Sport, Push-Up, Strength Training — *Two people working out*

Source: Pixabay.com

CBD After Workouts

CBD does not only improve your performance before workouts, but it also plays a significant role in your post-workout recovery. Here’s how;

CBD Enhances Muscle Recovery

Working out leads to the tearing and damage of muscle fibers. The more strenuous the exercise, the more muscles get damaged. The tearing of muscles results in inflammation. Inflammation is one of the defense mechanisms the body deploys to try and enhance muscle recovery.

Through inflammation, more blood is transported to the damaged tissues. The blood carries with it oxygen and the nutrients required to speed up the recovery process. Increased blood flow to damaged muscles also helps to rid the tissues of damaged proteins, cellular debris, and other byproducts of muscle contraction, such as lactic acid.

CBD also helps with muscle recovery in various ways. The substance contains anti-inflammatory properties that inhibit inflammatory messengers. It is also a vasodilator, which implies that it relaxes your muscles after workouts, thereby increasing blood flow to the damaged tissues.

Lastly, CBD can prevent Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This condition refers to the pain and soreness you experience in your muscles around 24 hours after engaging in a strenuous exercise. Though it normally goes away on its own in two or three days, DOMS can set you back with your workouts big time. Using CBD consistently after your workouts will prevent DOMS from setting in, or at least reduce its severity and duration.

CBD Improves Sleep

This is another post-workout benefit of CBD that you can take advantage of. Sleep is an important part of our existence. It’s while sleeping when the body repairs itself. So, after engaging in a long and high-intensity workout, you want to give your body ample time to heal itself and recover.

However, many people suffer from various sleep disorders such as insomnia, which is associated with a reduction in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). That leads to the differentiation of muscle stem cells, which worsens DOMS and other post-workout muscle pains. Lack of adequate sleep may also increase the levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol.

Thankfully, using a CBD-enriched workout supplement can go a long way in improving the quality and duration of sleep. CBD improves sleep by treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is one of the common hindrances to quality sleep. CBD also helps to suppress the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase of sleep, which is the stage during sleep that’s characterized by most dreams. It’s linked to a disorder known as REM Sleep Behavior, where a person acts out their dreams, leading to poor sleep.

Baby, Child, Cute, Dad, Daddy, Family — *Man and child having a sound sleep*

Source: Pixabay.com

Conclusion

So, is CBD effective for workouts? Yes it is. Not only does the substance optimize your performance during workouts, but it helps speed up your recovery.

Bio
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Martin B.

Ex-smoker, passionate vaper who loves to tell the world about the life-changing potential of vaping. Co-creator of Ecigclopedia with a background in Business & Finance. Prefers a dessert flavored vape and loves to innovate.