The benefits of CBD for athletes.
If you are an athlete or do sport for your enjoyment, you may have heard that CBD can help you improve performance and help with the recovery process.

The benefits are indeed real, and for some athletes, they are already an integral part of their daily routine.

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in its simplest sense is a system of receptors and neurotransmitters that harmonize all processes in our body.
For example, studies show that the endocannabinoid system helps to control inflammation, pain, memories, emotions, stress response, metabolism, appetite, sleep, cell growth and death, skin health, immune system, body temperature and overall well-being.

If you are an athlete, how many of these things are important to you?

In fact, the endocannabinoid system is involved in so many aspects of our body that researchers believe it plays a key role in “homeostasis”.

Homeostasis is a state of equilibrium that maintains the proper functioning of body and body processes. This balance can include things like body temperature, water, salt, sugar, protein, oxygen and more.

Researchers believe that this internal imbalance is what makes us sick or resistant to various diseases.

Sport activities activate the endocannabinoid system.
Recent studies show that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in sport and in all its activities.

They have proven that endocannabinoids, such as anandamide, could be responsible for achieving the iconic “runners high” (endorphin-induced euphoria) we usually feel after exercising.

In 2015, a group of German researchers published a study examining the effects of exercise on rats. Researchers noted that animals doing sports provided a “runners high” level characterized by less anxious behavior and increased pain tolerance. The researchers also noted that after exercise, rats had elevated levels of endorphins (which were long thought to be responsible for “runners high” levels in the past) and endocannabinoid levels in their systems.

What is the role of CBD in all this?
CBD can activate the endocannabinoid system in the human body. It interacts with receptors that stimulate endocannabinoid activity.

As a result, it includes anti-inflammatory benefits, reduced pain, increased energy, reduced stress and anxiety, and much more.

And, as you are probably beginning to realize, many of these benefits can directly or indirectly benefit you as an athlete.

CBD benefits for athletes.
CBD can help athletes combat race/game day stress, reduce pain and inflammation from workouts or injuries, and even improve sleep.

Here are some of the ways CBD can help athletes:
1. CBD can help you deal with pain and inflammation.
There are many things we still do not know about CBD, other cannabinoids and ECS (Endocannabinoid System). However, one thing is clear: CBD is great at combating pain and inflammation.

And that’s great news because as an athlete you are not a stranger to pain and inflammation.

When we train, we load our bodies to the limits that make them adapt to become faster, stronger and more efficient. After exertion, our bodies mobilize to repair these lesions, making the muscles bigger and stronger in the process.

Inflammation is a key component of this recovery process, and it is what makes our muscles feel stiff, painful and sensitive day after day.

Thanks to its strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, CBD can help alleviate these symptoms.

You can apply CBD massage oil, creams and ointments to problem areas as they are extremely effective in treating muscles in the most painful areas.

Not only does CBD help relieve tenderness and soreness, but these creams also help your muscles recover faster, which means you can go back to the gym faster.

This is especially important shortly, for example, before major competitions.

2. CBD can help deal with injuries.
Training and competition are not the only reasons why athletes suffer from pain and inflammation. Unfortunately, sometimes athletes also suffer from injuries related to the sport.

Overloading our bodies to the limit is very demanding and our bodies can be under a lot of stress.

Fortunately, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the CBD can help us deal with injuries and bring us back to feeling good more quickly.

Several studies suggest that CBD could be as effective in the treatment of pain and inflammation as over-the-counter pain medication. Best of all, CBD can do this without any side effects.

Synthetic medicines can cause serious long-term side effects, even though they are readily available. These side effects are increased risk of heart attack or stroke, heart problems, stomach and intestinal problems such as bleeding and ulcers, liver damage.

Prescription drugs such as opioids or steroids also have serious side effects, which can include gastrointestinal problems, mental changes (such as mood changes, depression or anxiety), muscle weakness, sleep problems and many more.

More importantly, prescription opioids can be addictive.

So it’s not hard to see why more and more athletes are looking for alternatives as CBD to treat their injuries and do less harm to their bodies.

Former professional cyclist Floyd Landis, for example, uses CBD to deal with chronic pain and depression, as well as the consequences of an accident and disqualification when he was excluded from the Tour De France in 2006 for doping. Landis says the CBD helped him relieve pain without stimulating habits, thus regaining his life and getting back on track, losing the Tour De France title. Landis has now set up his own CBD company to offer the same relief to other athletes.

And Landis isn’t the only one: professional cyclist and triathlete Andrew Talansky, former NFL defensive end Leonard Marshall, UFC fighter Nate Diaz and many other professional athletes have talked about the benefits of using CBD to treat their pain, inflammation, and more.

3. CBD can improve sleep quality.
When do you think our body is recovering the most? Yes, when we sleep.
But as an athlete, you probably already knew that.
Unfortunately, you probably also know that many people do not enjoy enough quality sleep.

There is a lot of research on how CBD can help you fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and wake up easier when you finally feel lively.

The endocannabinoid system has been shown to play an important role in helping us fall asleep and rest during the night’s sleep.

Studies show, for example, that CBD can affect the sleep-wake cycle.

A 2016 study by the US National Institute of Health and Northeastern University had the following conclusions: The study showed that stimulation of endocannabinoid receptors can help improve sleep stability, especially in the non-REM stages of sleep.

4. CBD can reduce anxiety and stress.
Another way CBD can help athletes is to reduce stress and anxiety.

While there are many things we do not yet know about CBD, cannabinoids, and endocannabinoid system, there is indeed a serious body of research that shows that CBD can help calm our stress response and alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

CBD can do this in two ways:
First, CBD can stimulate the same serotonin receptors as some prescription anxiolytic drugs that lift and improve mood, reduce stress, and more.

Second, CBD can increase the levels of serotonin and anandamides (one of the first endocannabinoids discovered in the human body) in the brain by temporarily delaying their uptake via specific receptors.

Both serotonin and anandamide are known to increase our mood and reduce anxiety, fear and stress.

CBD can stimulate the growth of brain cells in certain parts of the brain involved in mood management, stress response and memory.

If you are an athlete, we strongly recommend that you try CBD to help accelerate your recovery, improve sleep quality, and combat anxiety or stress.

Is CBD legal for athletes and can it appear on a drug test?
Are you an athlete considering using CBD to help you train and achieve the best results?

If so, you may have some questions about the legitimacy of CBD in the sports world.

We will look briefly at the legality of CBD use in athletes and whether CBD could appear in drug tests.

Understanding the legitimacy of CBD.
The legal status of the CBD remains different from country to country. Remember that this is general information and you should always consult local laws to make sure that what you are doing is legal.

In fact, CBD products are legal in many countries around the world, given that their THC levels do not exceed the threshold of 0.3%.

We have good news: last year the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from the Prohibited List.

This is a big step for WADA, as it has finally been discovered that CBD brings a wealth of health benefits that can help athletes demonstrate their best performance.

WADA also regulates anti-doping standards in the Olympics, the UFC and many other international sports leagues.

Note: While CBD is no longer a banned substance under WADA, other natural and synthetic cannabinoids and their metabolites (compounds that occur in and participate in metabolic or metabolic reactions in cells of the body) are.

Will CBD appear on drug test?
To answer this question, we’ll go over how drug tests work.

Drug tests look for THC metabolites in the body.
There are 3 basic types of drug tests commonly used at work or by anti-doping organizations; urine tests, blood tests and hair follicle tests.
They all work the same way; by testing a sample of metabolites of a given drug or supplement.

When examining Cannabis, analysts look for traces of THC-COOH (or THC-11-acid), a by-product of your body’s metabolism of THC.

The half-life of THC metabolites is approximately 7 days and in extreme cases can be detected in the body up to 90 days after Cannabis use.

If you have a positive amount of these metabolites in your urine, blood, or hair follicle test, you will usually need to perform a secondary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC / MS) test. These tests are more accurate and take into account the margin of error of the original test.

CBD products derived from Cannabis contain only a small amount of THC, which is unlikely to produce a positive result in a drug test.

However, if you take high doses of CBD (more than 1000 mg daily), you may have a positive result in some preliminary drug tests.

Nonetheless, even if you use such high doses of CBD, GC / MS follow-up results will still be negative.

If you are using Cannabis-derived CBD products with a higher THC content, remember that you are also at greater risk of a positive result.

We encourage you to stick to the broad-spectrum CBD. Or, if you want to be extra careful, consider CBD products made with pure CBD isolate.

CBD is not prohibited, however, athletes should be aware that some CBD oils and tinctures derived from herbal Cannabis may also contain THC and other cannabinoids, which could lead to a positive test for a prohibited cannabinoid.

Types of CBD delivery methods.
To target specific areas of your body, use the CBD products available in your market: massage oil, cream, gel or ointment. These CBD products can be used directly in problem areas to reduce inflammation, moisturize and soothe dry or irritated skin. While it may take 30 minutes to an hour to get the effects to work, the CBD massage oil, lotion, gel usually lasts a couple of hours.

Other treatment options include capsules, drops, tinctures, all of which are easy to swallow or use in daily routines. However, it is worth noting that capsules and other edible CBD products must pass through the digestive system before CBD is absorbed into the bloodstream. This means that their effects will be slower depending on the metabolism of each organism and how much food is already in your stomach. However, CBD capsules and food usually provide the longest relief with an effect of about 4 to 6 hours.

CBD oil drops and tinctures are absorbed directly through the mucosa under the tongue, which means they work much faster than CBD foods or capsules, usually within 30 minutes. In addition, CBD oil drops and tinctures allow better dose control as you can easily take more or less as needed. The benefits of CBD oil drops and tinctures usually last 2 to 4 hours.

CBD oil dosing.
Exposure to CBD oil can be affected by age, weight, and metabolism. Simply put, there is no universal recommended dose for CBD oil. It may take longer to find the right dose of CBD.

It is best to start with the lowest recommended dose for any CBD oil product. If this is not sufficient to produce results, the dose may be increased slowly over time.

The information on the internet about CBD products and their use will be ambiguous, so we always recommend reading safe and reliable sources. We also use websites related to the Cannabis industry, research and education to prepare information.

The content of this site is for informational purposes only. We are not medical experts and this should not be interpreted as medical advice. Be sure to consult your doctor before undergoing CBD or other treatment.

The chemistry of every human body and brain is unique, so the use of CBD to improve mental as well as physical health does not guarantee results. However, many GWEEPRODUCTS CBD oil users have included it into their daily routine as one of the therapies for improving mental, physical health and quality of life.

We’ve covered this topic before, so you can also read this blog post ”CBD and sport”.