For 2020, many of us have made a New Year’s resolution to embrace healthier habits concerning our wellbeing. A survey conducted by Ipsos for Urban Plates found that more than half of those participating said that their goals are relating to eating healthier (51%) and being more active (50%) [1].
Running is seemingly one of the most popular sports worldwide, and it is practiced for recreational, health, and competitive purposes. Whether you’re starting from the couch or planning to conquer your first marathon, there is extensive information accessible surrounding the benefits of an active lifestyle and how running or jogging can improve your lifestyle and overall wellbeing.
If you’re serious about running, you will no doubt be searching for ways to boost your performance and strength by way of introducing a healthy diet, and suitable supplements. Just like with any other athletic pursuit, the supplement market is packed with products that are geared towards runners.
CBD (cannabidiol) is an excellent natural supplement to boost your sports performance. It can benefit you in many ways from supporting your muscles to heal and recover faster to helping you sleep better. CBD is a natural chemical found in cannabis plants; however, it will not get you high. The high that is commonly linked with marijuana comes from a different chemical in the cannabis plant: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The World Health Organization identifies that CBD is non-toxic, non-addicting, and generally safe [2]. While many athletes are still weary around CBD, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has removed CBD from it’s banned substance list, making it an effective and safe aid for athletes of any proficiency. However, it is essential to note that only CBD has been excluded from the forbidden list. The psychoactive part of marijuana, THC, is still banned in competition, as are synthetic cannabinoids [3].
In this post, we will explore the scientific research behind CBD and highlight the three main reasons why you should consider the use of CBD as your natural supplement in sports recovery aid.
Can CBD help sports induced inflammation?
The muscle tenderness and joint discomfort you experience after running are symptoms of post-workout tissue inflammation. The inflammation is a shielding reaction produced by your body in response to an injury. When you are running, jogging, or participating in any other form of rigorous exercise, you are creating small tears in your muscles. Your body, in turn, automatically activates an inflammatory cataract that alerts your cells to heal the imminent damage. This type of inflammation is generally not a pressing problem as the body is designed to repair this following a workout. The healing is what allows the fibers in your muscles to become bigger and stronger. While muscular inflammation is inevitable when working out; it sadly is a double-edged sword. Too much inflammation can convert a predicament that usually results from too many tough workouts with not quite enough attention on recovery, such as proper nutrition, adequate sleep. This can sequentially negatively impact your performance, and you might be looking to consider medication.
A variety of anti-inflammatory medications are available to help curb inflammation in the body. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most regularly prescribed types of medication for pain and inflammation. Although in many cases, NSAIDs are a necessary choice, various studies show evidence that they often have undesired side effects such as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues, therefore collectively causing more harm than good [4].
CBD serves as nature’s perfect alternative with its anti-inflammatory features, and lack of psychogenic effects. The extensive research of its anti-inflammatory properties is continuing; however, the existing findings are evident and it is indisputable that CBD carries equivalent properties as the NSAIDs , less the negative impacts delivered by the use of NSAIDs, resulting in CBD showing as much safer option [5].
Can CBD reduce chronic pain for runners?
Running, or any other exercise is likely the last thing on your mind if you are suffering from chronic pain. Not all pain is inflammatory pain caused by a temporary injury or an intense training regime. Chronic pain is that which endures for long periods and isn’t anticipated to ease or disappear on its own. There are several types of chronic pain ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to nerve pain, such as sciatica. Chronic pain can feel defeating, especially for athletes and runners. Pain science shows several significant points about chronic pain. Most prominent is that pain seldom equals harm or damage. Seemingly, you can be hurt and robust simultaneously, or have an injury without pain – this can be compared to situations when you find a bruise but have no memory of how it got there. The Institute of Chronic Pain explains that you feel pain when the accumulation of stress exceeds your brain’s perceived ability to cope. This is a condition called central sensitization [6].
In the case of chronic pain, even with an army of drugs, the struggle to get rid of pain can become a long string of losing battles, and hope can get persistently dashed. This is where many turn to natural remedies and nature’s healing.
The use of Cannabis for pain management is traced back to ancient Chinese texts, dating as far as 1900 B.C. The historical texts contain records of Cannabis as medication, promoting it for rheumatic pain, amongst other symptoms. The Chinese merely used cannabis seeds that hold very moderate levels of THC; one of the main compounds in Cannabis believed to have remedial effects. It was not till the beginning of the 19th century that Cannabis began to be explored in Western medicine. Since the 1960s, both recreational cannabis applications and medicinal cannabis use have risen rapidly in the United States. Recently, studies into Cannabis have expanded, and the use of Cannabis for pain has become one of the most widely studied topics [7].
The management of chronic pain is, without a doubt, a complex challenge worldwide. While regrettably CBD is still not the first remedy reached out for when one is in pain, the various recent studies with healthy adults show indisputable evidence to support the understanding that CBD can help with pain management among individuals with chronic pain [8].
Can CBD speed up recovery after running?
Athletes often stretch themselves beyond the point of healthful living. The pressure to produce results can create circumstances leading to deficits in well-being. Overtraining, daily worries, and too little rest can contribute to delayed recovery times and a drop in your sports performance.
Relaxation and adequate sleep are known to be the best remedies for runners to speed up recovery. Sports scientists have come to recognize that if athletes are anxious, their physical recovery and adaptation to discipline can be impaired. Similarly, sleep deprivation has been shown to cause slower reaction times, heightened pain sensitivity, immune system destruction, and weakened concentration.
Recent studies have determined that CBD may help to decrease anxiety and relieve insomnia that often comes hand in hand with anxiety [9]. CBD is commonly used to address stress, and for patients who suffer throughout the misery of insomnia, and research suggests that CBD may help with both falling asleep and staying asleep.
CBD is inevitably a multifaceted supplement that’s becoming well established by research with more evidence emerging that shows real benefits for pain, relaxation, recovery, and much more.
You have many choices when choosing CBD products. To target joints and achy muscles, we recommend salves and creams. Or when inflammation is more sweeping through the body, why not try capsules or tinctures.
For more information and to try out our range of CBD oil, creams, supplements, gummies or to see how CBD can help boost your athletic performance, head over to our store.
References:
[1]https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/urban-plates-ipsos-NY-Resolutions
[2]https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/CannabidiolCriticalReview.pdf
[3] https://www.wada-ama.org/en/questions-answers/cannabinoid
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1855338/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/
[6] http://www.instituteforchronicpain.org/understanding-chronic-pain/what-is-chronic-pain/central-sensitization
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5549367/
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17157290
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
