How To Use CBD With Your Workout Routine

​Whether its yoga, pickup basketball or simply some calisthenics, everyone wants to get a good workout. Maybe you've set some goals for weight loss or gain. Either way, you want to work out properly and that means adequate recovery. 

Now with the rise in popularity and possible capital gains being made in the CBD industry, everyone from skateboarders to martial artists are becoming spokespersons. There might be something to all the pro athletes promoting the substance's healing benefits.

So let us investigate!

​One of the main reasons an athlete might turn to CBD is that unlike medicinal and recreational marijuana, it doesn't deliver the "high" that's attributed to THC – to relieve post-workout soreness, speed recovery from injury and otherwise up their game. It also means that they can pass drug testing regulations set by the league they participate in. While the martial artist and action hero, Bruce Lee, was famously using cannabis to treat inflammation, he was under scrutiny by a governing body of a sports league. 

Over the past three years, there's been an enormous rise in public awareness and acceptance of CBD, and it only makes sense that the remedy would become popular. 

Is it Effective?

CBD, which is short for cannabidiol, is well-known in the medical community by now.  Science can verify so far that it is an effective treatment for certain rare seizure disorders. Animal research has shown promise for its potential to ease pain. now we are hoping to see CBD as a preferable alternative to over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, which come with risks to the kidneys, digestive system and heart. 

Other preliminary research suggests it may be used in the future to treat a variety of medical conditions, including anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, psychosis, and Parkinson's disease. Much of its appeal in all such cases is its minimal side effects and, according to the World Health Organization, non-addictive nature.

Exercise and CBD: Benefits and Risks

There's no specific research yet, though, on how CBD can improve exercise recovery or fitness results, though there's a reason to believe it would help. If it can ease pain, why not sore muscles? If it can fight inflammation, why not the inflammation that running, weightlifting, high-intensity interval training or other types of exercise causes?

Any Athlete is limited by the extent to which they can train and how much time their muscles need to recover. 

If CBD, through its ability to decrease pain and inflammation, could help accelerate recovery, then we would really be onto something.

The research is still sparse at this point though. There is a well-documented connection between the body's endocannabinoid system, pain management, and exercise. We just don't know exactly where and how CBD plays into that role, and it likely needs to include several, if not all, of the cannabinoids present in cannabis. So many experts are telling athletes to search out a full spectrum CBD in this case. 

How To Use CBD in Your Workout Routine

Health professionals also caution that the CBD industry is not well-regulated, and a CBD product may not even be legal in your state if it's derived from marijuana, not hemp. 

A CBD product could also potentially contain more than trace amounts of THC, which in addition to safety concerns related to its psychoactive effects, could jeopardize some athletes' careers.

These are all things to take into account before using CBD. 

If you are dedicated to giving CBD a chance, then we suggest checking with your doctor first since the chemical can interact negatively with other medications. Do as much research as you can. 

The recommended route is by making sure the company you're choosing is American-made, lists the specific milligrams of CBD per serving and contains no mystery proprietary blends. Learning how to use CBD lab results is an extra advantage. 

Finally, consider a trial round with CBD exactly that: a temporary experiment, not a lifelong solution, since the substance's long-term effects have yet to be seen. 

Overall, the research is starting to become more and more clear. The best thing you can do as a consumer is to take measured doses regularly and speak with your physician about the regimen. If you notice unpleasant side effects then adjust your dosage or cease taking cannabidiol. Safety is the number one concern for anyone using these kinds of supplements. 

Happy Information Friday!