CBD is everywhere. It’s been popularized by a multitude of communities centered around health and wellness. Athletes are partially responsible for advancing the popularity of CBD and frequently discussing their CBD use, claiming that it’s the key to perfect post-workout recovery.
Research on CBD for workout recovery is still limited, and it’s far from the only part of the process.
If you’re interested in using CBD for muscle recovery, here’s what you need to know about the way CBD works and the results it’s capable of producing.
What Happens to Your Body When You Work Out?
When you work out, microscopic tears develop all over your muscles and muscle fibers. This leads to soreness, stiffness, muscle tension, or sometimes swelling the morning after a workout, known as delayed onset muscle soreness.
The majority of the time, this discomfort in your muscle tissue is temporary and normal.
Your body uses protein, electrolytes, water, and several key nutrients to repair the muscle. These repaired microscopic tears will, over time, make a muscle larger and stronger. It’s the only way to see and experience noticeable gains in strength and athletic ability.
While using proper form and taking a slow, steady approach to increasing the intensity or duration of a workout routine is optimal for success, slight soreness from time to time is unavoidable. It’s a natural part of seeing your hard work pay off.
This soreness is different from workout-related muscle spasms, which warrant greater attention.
What is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant. Most CBD is derived from hemp plants, which contain minimal THC. The limit for THC in hemp is 0.3% by dry weight, but some CBD products have been found to contain enough THC to cause impairment.
CBD is very similar to substances produced in the human body called endocannabinoids. The body manufactures endocannabinoids on demand, feeding them into the body’s endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system is a series of cb1 and cb2 receptors that exist within almost every important system of the body.
What Can CBD Do For Your Body?
When you use CBD products, the CBD stimulates the endocannabinoid system and provokes a response from the body. The idea behind CBD is that it encourages and supports the body in its natural functions, even helping to calm anxiety and regulate cortisol levels.
Your body wants to perform well, and it’s constantly working to maintain itself. CBD provides the endocannabinoid system with a little bit of additional fuel.
Researchers have proposed studying CBD to improve mobility in patients living with multiple sclerosis. That doesn’t translate to athletics, and it isn’t proof that CBD boosts mobility or lowers inflammation for other people.
CBD has no addictive potential and doesn’t produce intoxicating effects. It’s generally well tolerated, but it isn’t risk-free. CBD itself can cause side effects such as drowsiness, diarrhea and reduced appetite, and it has been linked to liver injury.
You should still ask your doctor before you begin using CBD, as it can sometimes interrupt the absorption of certain medications. Get the green light before you proceed.
How to Use CBD for Workout Recovery
If you plan to use CBD as a part of your workout recovery routine because of its possible anti-inflammatory effects, you have some decisions to make. It isn’t as simple as finding a one size fits all solution. All CBD is created differently, and it may work differently with your body depending on your sensitivity.
Choosing a Form of CBD
CBD oil is the most popular form of CBD for workout recovery. CBD oil comes in a glass bottle with a dropper dispenser. The drops are placed under the tongue and absorb through the soft tissue there, quickly entering the bloodstream.
CBD also comes in a soft gel form, but soft gels are less effective. Anything you take by mouth has to pass through your digestive system and be metabolized by your liver before your body can use it.
This reduces the potency of the CBD within the soft gel while delaying its effects. There are also CBD creams, gummies, and capsules.
How Much CBD to Use
It’s difficult to determine the proper milligrams of CBD to take, mainly because research on dosing is limited. The FDA says it isn’t yet known what level of CBD intake triggers its known risks, such as liver injury.
You’ll get many conflicting answers about how much CBD you should be using daily, with every CBD company referring to its own science for calculating perfect numbers. There is no established dose of CBD for workout recovery, so talk with your doctor before you start or change how much you take.
Using CBD at the Right Time
It doesn’t necessarily matter when you use CBD, just so long as you’re using it. Many people prefer to use their CBD an hour before a workout or immediately after a workout. You’ll know which method will work best for you after you experiment.
It doesn’t hurt to take CBD both before and after your workout, just as long as you’re slipping a daily dose into two parts to prevent unwanted side effects like dizziness, confusion, diarrhea, or sedation.
When Does CBD Kick In?
Although sublingual CBD tinctures will get to work in less than an hour, it can take up to a month of daily use to experience consistent effects. Even if CBD helps with workout recovery, it doesn’t do much to alleviate aches as they occur.
CBD won’t tend to regular aches and discomforts of workouts. It doesn’t act as a reliever, and its effects are much slower to set in. At most, it may support your body while you’re naturally recovering from them. It doesn’t do anything to address the immediacy of a sore muscle or a stiff joint.
