Can CBD Oil Affect Your Athletic Performance?
As an athlete, you put a lot of stress on your body, which can have a negative and positive impact on your overall health and well-being. Training stress can boost your performance and stimulate adaptation. However, prolonged wear and tear and physical trauma can lead to pain and injuries.
Although there are various methods to consider for pain management, not all guarantee results.This is why some athletes try CBD oil because of its promising benefits like pain relief.
What makes CBD oil different from over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers is that it does nothave health risks. Taking too much pain relievers can be dangerous because of the side effects associated with such medications. With CBD oil, it promises reduced inflammation and pain relief without any possible health risks. You can check Cheef Botanicals for more details about
various CBD products for athletes.
But, how does CBD oil affect one’s athletic performance?
Relieves Pain
Post-workout recovery and pain tend to go hand in hand. Once left unattended, the lingering pain from the wear and tear caused by physical activity may get bad enough to avoid any activities at all. Athletes can benefit from taking CBD oil in comparison to some pain relievers. It is because a study shows that CBD has no side effects and low-risk. Also, the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oil are beneficial to reduce particular kinds of pain.
Reduces Your Pre-Game Anxiety
Basically, performance jitters are normal for athletes, regardless of their sports activities. It is normal to feel nervous before a competition. There are even some athletes who vomit due to being anxious.
A study shows that CBD can be used for treating anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. With this in mind, taking CBD oil can help you lessen your pre-game anxiety,
which can help boost your performance.
Lessens Stress Hormones Associated With Physical Activity
Your adrenal glands are responsible for producing hormones such as cortisol, steroids, aldosterone, and adrenaline. Such hormones regulate crucial functions such as stress, blood pressure, immune system, and metabolism.
Once you engage in physical activities, your body and adrenal system work harder than they do. Your adrenal system is responsible for regulating the response of the body to physical stressors like exercise through releasing hormones.
During physical activities, adrenal glands boost the amounts of cortisol released in the bloodstream. With CBD oil, it curbs the secretion of cortisol, which minimizes the amount of cortisol in the blood. For that reason, CBD oil can be helpful in reducing the stress you experience from doing any physical activity.
Improves Your Sleep Quality
For athletes, it is essential to experience quality sleep. Better sleep can result in greater achievements during competition and training. CBD oil can help you fall asleep easier while boosting your REM or deep sleep. A research found that people with some sleep disorders have experienced an improvement from using CBD oil without suffering from any side effects.
Sometimes, sleep patterns can be disturbed because of anxiety. Most athletes have concerns over their performance, most particularly before their competition. CBD oil can help lessen anxiety, which can be helpful to enjoy deep sleep or enable athletes to sleep quickly.
Reduces Inflammation
The body needs inflammation to recover from the injuries. Problems happen when there’s too much inflammation since it can stop recovery or slow down one’s performance. Every individual has an endocannabinoid system, which maintains balance in the body.
CBD for athletes works by binding particular receptors, which trigger anti-inflammatory effects through lessening the production of cytokine, a signaling protein. CBD oil then limits inflammation by preventing one’s immune system to go overdrive after a hardcore workout.
CBD oil’s anti-inflammatory effects also benefit your digestive system to avoid intestinal discomfort. With this, you can be assured that your athletic performance won’t be affected as the competition starts.
Helps Maintain Healthy Weight
In a study that involves lab rats, there is a link between CBD and weight management. Based on the results, CBD can regulate weight gain. Researchers believe that it’s likely through the regulation of CB2 receptors. Although more research is needed on this, it can benefit athletes who want to maintain a healthy weight before or after a competition.
Conclusion
There are still lots of unknowns when it comes to CBD oil and its impact on an athlete’s performance, but based on the information above, it is worth a try. Athletes may find CBD oil useful for pain management. However, if you want to incorporate CBD oil in your daily routine, it’s best to discuss this with your doctor before doing so, particularly if you are taking other
supplements and medications. If possible, take a low dose of CBD oil and observe how your body responds to it before you decide to take more.
