CBD for Athletes: Research, Benefits and Side Effects

CBD for Athletes: Research, Benefits and Side Effects
CBD for Athletes: Research, Benefits and Side Effects. Image source: Pixabay

Athletes undergo a lot of physical stress during their intense training. While the stress leads to increased performance and helps them adapt to extreme conditions, it also causes extreme physical duress and trauma. Furthermore, prolonged wear and tear of the body can also cause pain and injuries.

There are several available methods to manage pain which are effective, but they are riddled with serious, and sometimes fatal, side effects. Due to this, there has been a growing interest in alternative substances like cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential to manage pain and other physical traumas that are faced by athletes.

Chronically using pharmaceutical pain relievers like Ibuprofen and naproxen have prolong health risks. Other methods like opioids are a cause of great concern as they can lead to addiction and kill thousands of Americans annually.

There is an urgent need for natural ways to treat pain, and CBD may be the answer.

Understanding CBD

Your body already contains its own cannabinoids. We have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that is instrumental in modulating the activity of our neurons. CBD is a plant-based cannabinoid that occurs naturally in the cannabis and hemp plants.

There are two kinds of cannabinoid receptors present in the endocannabinoid system. The CB1 receptor is present throughout the spinal cord, brain, and other tissues. CB2 receptors are present predominantly in the immune system.

When CBD binds to the CB1 receptors, it affects the central nervous system, and when it binds to CB2 receptors, it helps in reducing inflammation.
Maintaining homeostasis is the primary function of the endocannabinoid system, and it does so by regulating the levels of neurotransmitters in the body.

According to experts at Healthcare Business Today, an athlete undergoes great stress which leads to inflammation and pain, which is out of the normal capacity of the endocannabinoid system to handle and thus supplementing the inner cannabinoids with CBD can help their system by getting the neurotransmitters back on track. A reliable brand like Lazarus should be preferable for an athlete competing at a high level.

Benefits of CBD for Athletes

CBD Relieves Pain

Studies suggest that using CBD can effectively reduce pain, including pain from exercise and stiff joints. CBD interacts with the brain’s centres that are responsible for managing pain and can cause significant relief.

Moreover, as opposed to THC, CBD is not psychoactive and thus acts without causing an impairment to your cognitive senses.

CBD is a Natural Alternative to NSAIDs

So far, athletes have been relying on Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) like naproxen and ibuprofen to treat their pain. However, these drugs are not as safe as once believed.

Ultra Distance athletes are particularly advised to not use NSAIDs due to increased risk of renal damage that may be triggered during their long training events. Even if your workouts are shorter in duration, frequent use of NSAIDs can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

Athletes have experienced that using CBD for its pain-relieving effects has reduced their usage of NSAIDs.

CBD is an Alternative to Opioids

According to the Centre of Disease Control, opioids were the cause of more than 42,000 deaths in the United States in 2016. Opioid pain medications like codeine, oxycontin and morphine may be highly effective for managing pain, they carry a significant risk of addiction and may lead to death due to overdose.

CBD carries no risks of dependency or abuse and is relatively safer, and are effective in managing pain.

CBD Reduces Inflammation

Excessive inflammation can hinder an athlete’s recovery and negatively impacts performance. Cannabinoids that bind themselves to the CB2 receptors have an anti-inflammatory property as they reduce the production of cytokine (cell messengers).

Put simply, CBD relaxes your immune system’s response to heavy workouts and reduces inflammation in the body.

CBD can Settle Your Gut

Inflammation in the intestines can cause a lot of discomfort to athletes. Gastrointestinal distress is one of the leading causes for endurance athletes to exit races. CBD can aid in easing this discomfort if you have underlying inflammation problems.

CBD can be effective in reducing the symptoms as CB1 and CB2 receptors are present in the colon.

CBD Improves Quality of Sleep

Adequate and peaceful sleep are important for an athlete to maximise his/her training gains. Anecdotally, athletes who have consumed CBD report to experience a better and more sound sleep than others. A potential reason is that CBD inhibits the reuptake of adenosine.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the currency of energy, breaks down when the brain metabolizes carbohydrates for energy. Adenosine, the by-product of this reaction, accumulates in the brain gradually.

Accumulation of adenosine can slow down the brain activity by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters. Your body breaks adenosine down in your sleep, making you feel relaxed and active after a good night’s sleep.

By binding to the receptors that normally adenosine would bind to, CBD inhibits adenosine reuptake which helps you feel sleepy sooner. CBD also has anti-anxiety effects, helping people who have anxiety to have a more restful sleep.

Is CBD Legal for Athletes?

As of 2018, CBD has been removed from the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The US Anti-Doping Agency also removed CBD from their list of prohibited drugs for athletes.

It is important to note that only CBD was removed from the list. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive cannabinoid that is also found in the cannabis plant like CBD, continues to be prohibited.

CBD without any traces of THC is absolutely legal for athletes to use.

How Can I Use CBD?

Products containing CBD are widely available in the market. There are several ways of using CBD. These include:

  • Ingesting through Pills, Capsules, and Oils
  • Inhaling it as Vapours
  • Infusing it into Sports Drinks and Recovery Drinks
  • Applying it as part of Topical Creams

How swiftly you experience the effects of CBD in your body depends on the mode via which you use it. If CBD is ingested in the form of edibles, capsules or oils, effects can take longer to kick in as it has to be digested.

Topical creams are quicker to take effect than edibles, but the quickest way is to inhale CBD in the form of CBD juices using a vaporizer.

You can also take CBD in the form of CBD oil sublingually, by putting a few drops under the tongue to be absorbed by skin. This method is faster than oral consumption. However, the effects of CBD last the longest when it is ingested or inhaled.

CBD products also vary, depending upon the concentration and type of cannabinoids present in them.

These are available as :

  • Full-spectrum CBD– containing all the cannabinoids of the hemp plant including THC up to 0.3%.
  • Broad-spectrum CBD– these products on the other hand, do not contain THC but contain all other cannabinoids of the hemp plant.
  • CBD isolate– these products are derived from hemp plants, and contain only pure CBD.

Since THC is a banned substance, it is advisable for athletes to use either broad-spectrum or CBD isolate products, so that it does not appear on a dope test.

Broad spectrum and isolates are the best choices for those concerned about drug testing.

Joy Organics is a popular THC free option and is claimed to be made from only natural ingredients, thus guarding against unpleasant side effects.

Conclusion

CBD has the potential to be a major turning point in the recovery of athletes from the stress of their training. CBD can successfully manage chronic as well as occasional pain.

However, there is much left to learn about CBD and its utilization by athletes. It is also important that you research your product before purchasing it, as it may contain some amounts of THC, which is a prohibited substance and can jeopardize your career.

So far, we know with absolute certainty that CBD has great potential benefits with next to no risks for athletes. However, you must tread with caution and consult your physician before starting on a treatment regimen.

Additional Resources

https://thecannabisradar.com/cbd-oil/coupons/joy-organics-promo/
https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/marijuana-faq/