How Are CBD Used in Professional Sports?
According to https://askgrowers.com/, CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabidiol found in both hemp and cannabis. According to the World Health Organization, it is completely safe and well tolerated by most people. It does not cause a buzz, but it is successfully used to relieve pain, normalize sleep and well-being.
CBD & sport
Are these two concepts compatible and is it legal for athletes to use CBD? In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances, so that at the moment athletes can legally consume products from this cannabidiol. Recently, more and more athletes are taking advantage of this and note the positive effects of CBD products on the body.
It is worth noting here that THC is still a banned substance for those who are professional athletes.
Benefits of CBD for Athletes
Unlike pharmaceuticals, a natural CBD-based product is completely safe for health and causes virtually no side effects. Consider the main benefits of using CBD in sports.
Reduce pain and inflammation
Pain and inflammation are integral parts of the life of every athlete. In small quantities, they are even useful, but when they become too strong, this is a serious obstacle not only to achieving results, but also to everyday life in general. Many athletes have already begun using CBD sport gel and other non-psychoactive cannabinoid products, seeing positive effects on pain and inflammation.
The ability of CBD to reduce pain caused by damage to nerves and tissues is due to the connection between the substance and CBD receptors in the brain. They give signals to the immune system and create a more comfortable and effective response to heavy loads for the muscles.
Improve sleep
Good sleep is crucial for the health of any person, not to mention professional athletes. It is important for them to get enough sleep, but sometimes there are times when they have to go without sleep for a certain time – for example, during flights or late competition times. Studies have shown that a minimal amount of CBD has a beneficial effect on the quality of sleep and helps to fall asleep quickly. At the same time, a larger amount helps to stay alert for some time in conditions of lack of sleep.
Reduce stress
Professional sport is continuous stress that you need to be able to competently control and not let it take over. This task is perfectly handled by CBD-based products, which allow for minimizing the impact of stress on the athlete’s psyche, which normalizes sleep, improves mood, and, in general, improves the quality of life, and therefore sports achievements.
Muscle and bones health
CBD not only helps with pain and injury but is also an excellent prophylactic against them, as it strengthens bones and muscle tissue. In addition, CBD products help with fractures, as they promote the rapid healing of damaged bones.
Replacement for NSAIDS and opioids
Athletes usually use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain. However, they have side effects and cause heart and kidney problems. Opioids are completely dangerous to health and life because they cause liver problems and addiction and can lead to overdose.
Alternatively, you can use CBD products. They are non-toxic and non-addictive, and their effect of them is no worse than that of the aforementioned pharmaceuticals.
How to Use CBD
There are enough products on the market that contain CBD, and there is always something new. CBD is added to energy drinks and food products. You can also buy it in the form of capsules, tablets, oils, CBD sports balms, creams, and tinctures.
The fastest effects are tinctures and drops that need to be put under the tongue. Also, the effect of creams comes quickly. However, capsules, oils and foods work much more slowly because they need time to digest.
How Much CBD to Use?
There is no universal dosage for this cannabinoid. The fact is that people react to hemp products in different ways, so the dose is different for everyone. CBD companies advise starting with low doses and observing how the body reacts, increasing the dose as needed.
Certain consumption patterns make it difficult to control the amount of CBD consumed. These include food, oil, drinks, vapors. Relatively accurate can be consumption of CBD in capsules or by counting milligrams in a tincture.
