Athletes usually take some food supplements that provide all the nutrients to their body, along with a balanced diet, in order to improve your performance, providing macronutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins, and micronutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals among some others.
On the other hand, when the body is subjected to high-impact training or sports, it is necessary to have a lifestyle that adapts to the demands of the sport, good nutrition, balance in sleep hours so that the body can recover from the stress. physical wear and tear, resulting in tiredness, muscle pain, fatigue and other elements that negatively influence the athlete's progress.
CBD has reached the world of sports, bringing great benefits to the lives of athletes, however, due to the bad reputation that precedes the plant from which this compound comes, there are still certain misgivings regarding the use of Cannabidiol in the Sports world.
Is the use of CBD legal if you play a professional sport? What benefits does CBD provide to an athlete? What are the effects of CBD on the body? These and many more are the doubts that arise daily regarding this topic. In this article we will solve these unknowns with the help of scientific bases, keep reading and you will be able to obtain all the necessary information that will help you clear up doubts.
Benefits of CBD in sports
CBD has had a positive impact in the world of sports, both professionally and in amateur practice, providing great improvements in a person's performance in different aspects of their life.
The list of benefits that CBD as a dietary supplement brings to the life of an athlete goes beyond providing nutrients, it helps improve many aspects that can turn the person into a better athlete.
Reduces inflammation and pain
Muscle pain and inflammation come hand in hand with high-performance training, triggering other exhausting factors such as fatigue, poor quality of sleep, physical indisposition due to fatigue, reduced performance and many other factors.
CBD has anti-inflammatory properties capable of considerably reducing these problems, in turn, preventing the athlete from having to resort to drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin or diclofenac, which, although they have shown great results in reducing pain post training, they could also have Side effects that worsen over time. Reducing these levels of inflammation also helps to have greater muscle growth.
With CBD you do not run the risk of suffering side effects, it is not a compound that causes addiction and it is not toxic either, all of this has been studied and confirmed by institutions such as the WHO.
Increased muscle mass with CBD
When you want to build muscle, you need to maintain a correct balance between anabolic and catabolic processes of the body, where the first is responsible for helping to have more defined muscle growth through the intake of calories and proteins, while the second is responsible for breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins, in order to obtain more energy, Catabolism can be greater than anabolism, thus achieving muscle degradation.
Use CBD, helps avoid excess catabolism, preventing the loss of muscle mass, causing the same effect that is wanted to be achieved through increased protein intake and a caloric surplus and when food is rationed into several servings per day.
On the other hand, CBD also helps reduce levels of cortisol production, a hormone that, when produced in excess, can trigger muscle protein catabolism. The cannabis compound acts by protecting muscle proteins from hormonally stimulated disintegration.
Reduces hand sizes with CBD
Some people who start in the world of sports usually start with a weight above what is recommended according to their height, so they want to lose it. CBD will be a good ally in these cases, it helps regulate blood glucose levels, which implies that the hormones responsible for storing fat in the pancreas will be reduced and this fat is used in other ways, allowing It is possible to lose weight in a healthy way, always with a balanced diet.
CBD as an antioxidant
In sports such as Boxing, Rugby, American Football, Wrestling, and many others, the athlete runs the risk of suffering a brain injury, which in certain cases can lead to death, and in other cases, triggers neurodegenerative diseases.
Various studies have shown that CBD works as an antioxidant, inhibiting the possibility of cell death caused by a chemical flow, therefore, it also works as a neuroprotectant, helping to protect brain cells when the person suffers from cerebrovascular disease or is a victim of injuries due to sports.
It enhances sleep quality
Every person needs to get the corresponding hours of sleep to be able to allow both body and mind get enough rest, thus achieving a complete day-to-day recovery.
For athletes, it is crucial to be able to meet not only those hours, but it is also necessary that they be of quality, so that the body can generate new cells that help the body. muscle and endurance recovery.
On some occasions, this usually presents a problem for them, since due to all the activity that the body performs during training, it becomes raise cortisol levels, which produces a increased stress, making it more difficult to sleep, resulting in the person suffering from sleeplessness. CBD helps control sleep, considerably reducing insomnia levels and allowing the body to carry out the anabolic processes necessary for better muscle definition..
CBD too increases anandamide levels, the hormone that is responsible for regulating frame of mind, therefore, the athlete may feel more willing and motivated to perform the routine, helping its correct execution, as well as ensuring that, once the routine is finished, they enter a state of relaxation, improving the athlete's mood.
Reduces Anxiety
Before an event or when you want to achieve a goal, due to the pressure on a professional athlete, anxiety levels associated with the fear of failure usually rise. There may also be a rise in cortisol, causing stress due to decision making. and development of strategies that competition requires.
Even after you have achieved your goals, anxiety can persist, reducing your performance and causing your mind to wander. CBD helps control anxiety and stay focused.
Antispasmodic properties
In the case of athletes, it is very common for them to suffer from muscle spasms at any time in their lives, and these usually intensify after a training session, making it difficult for them to do many other daily activities.
CBD works by relaxing muscles and reducing pain, largely avoiding these spasms.
Uses of CBD and Recommendations for athletes
For athletes, it is recommended to use CBD sublingually, in this case taking advantage of products such as CBD Oils, which you should apply 30 minutes before training or once you have finished, so that you can take advantage of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the compound. The most recommended dose is 2.5mg, from there you can increase the dose until you achieve the desired effects. If you want to use it to make better use of your sleep, you should take it 1 hour before going to sleep.
Another way an athlete can take advantage of CBD is with Creams and Balms, applying it directly to areas where you feel discomfort or pain.
In all three cases, the CBD will take effect 30 minutes after being applied or ingested.
It is recommended to verify the percentages of THC in the product you are going to purchase, since, in the case of professional athletes, it is possible that tetrahydrocannabinol could appear in toxicological tests and be harmful to their profession.
CBD has great benefits to improve the lives of athletes, both those with high performance and those who are just starting out in the world of sports.
Is the use of CBD in Sports legal?
There are many athletes who have used CBD and even medicinal cannabis to alleviate certain conditions caused by long training sessions, and it is no secret that cannabis has many legal restrictions in many countries, and in some these restrictions are also applied. to CBD, however, thanks to the fact that it has been shown that this compound is capable of providing great benefits to people, the laws that prohibit its use have been changing.
In the world of sports, it is a delicate topic, because it can sometimes be considered doping, but this is being eradicated little by little within various disciplines, and associations such as WADA have their own beliefs regarding the use of CBD. on the sport.
What does WADA say about CBD in athletes?
The World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its restriction lists, opening the door for athletes to a world where they can use CBD without legal restrictions, in order to benefit their performance and health thanks to this cannabinoid.
This is because CBD does not act as an enhancer of the athlete's abilities, nor does it put their health at risk or violate the laws of sportsmanship as it is not psychoactive.
Many athletes use and defend CBD as an excellent pain reliever, as well as as a product that benefits in various aspects of your health, especially in terms of improving lung capacity, increasing resistance.
The WADA recommended athletes keep in mind that some CBD products may contain high levels of THC, which is a substance that continues to be prohibited within the WADA lists, so if the oil rich in Cannabidiol contains THC it may put the professional life of the athlete at risk.
This elimination of the CBD ban occurred thanks to the WHO issuing a report, giving scientific evidence that the use of CBD can bring great benefits and can be used to treat different diseases and ailments, without running the risk of overdose, addiction or toxicity.
In conclusion
CBD is capable of providing many benefits that improve the life of an athlete without producing side effects, all doing so within the legal parameters required of them to be able to lead a professional life within sports.
CBD can not only improve people's health, but it has given them the possibility of staying away from opioid drugs, used to relieve all discomfort caused by training, but associated with a host of negative effects, both legal and medical. health.
It is still expected that other associations, such as WADA, will join this initiative and help facilitate and protect the lives of athletes, so that they can continue giving their best for many more years.