CBD for Athletes: What You Should Know About CBD in Sport

CBD and sport. Two terms that a few years ago probably nobody would have used in the same sentence – certainly not with a positive connotation. Nowadays, however, CBD for athletes is no longer unusual: both competitive and amateur athletes are turning to hemp to optimise their sporting experience or results.

For many people, sport is an indispensable part of everyday life. Whether it’s a walk in the fresh air or a hard workout at the gym – physical activity increases the energy balance in the human body, and both physical and mental well-being can improve as a result. But apart from your inner couch potato, which doesn’t let it get that far in the first place, sport also has its downsides. Intensive training can lead to sore muscles and incorrectly performed exercises can lead to injuries. But a lack of recovery or too little recovery can also have a negative effect on athletic performance. So the question is: can CBD help with sport?

CBD for athletes: support for exercise and sport

Many sports enthusiasts report “flow moments” in their sporting activities - meditative states in which everything flows and the body moves practically by itself. For a long time, studies held endorphins responsible for the feelings of happiness during sport. In the meantime, however, this theory is considered outdated and new studies have gained a hearing in sports science. The spotlight is now on endocannabinoids, serotonin and other messengers such as dopamine and adrenaline.

As already described in the ultimate CBD guide, CBD acts on the body’s own (endo)cannabinoid system. This complex physiological signalling system is part of our nervous system and helps us keep our body in a healthy balance. Movement, mood, well-being, perception and motivation are regulated here.

For body & mind

Many posts on the topic of CBD and sport only refer to physical components. But CBD can also support you mentally in achieving your sporting goals. Especially in the colder months ahead of us, the temptation to hide away within your own four walls is very high. Motivation for physical activity? Zero! CBD can act as a motivator here to become active and declare war on your inner couch potato. During sporting activity, too, CBD can increase perceived well-being and reduce stress levels. This promotes mental performance and minimises the risk of overexertion.

So cannabidiol supports you at three points around sporting activity. On the one hand, it encourages you to become active and increases the positive effects of the physical activity itself; on the other hand, it allows the body a more restful recovery, which is just as decisive for sporting success as the training itself. Sleep in particular is an important component for muscle recovery and growth if you want to achieve sporting success. CBD can help to promote the quality of falling asleep and staying asleep. (More on this in a later blog post.)

Now to the physical components.

The therapeutically useful effects in relation to sport include:

Anti-inflammatory
Antispasmodic
Pain-relieving
Neuroprotective

Although the WHO attributes a good safety profile to CBD, caution should nevertheless be exercised, especially with regard to pain. CBD is not a substitute for therapy and not a cure-all; rather, it acts as an “add-on” to existing therapies. We recommend that customers with concerns consult their doctors.

How can it be used?

CBD is available in many different forms. We recommend our CBDeus line to athletes. CBDeus is water-soluble and is characterised by its high bioavailability. Bioavailability is a measure of the extent to which a substance is absorbed by the organism. As the human body itself consists largely of water, it can absorb water-based products better and faster than, for example, fat-soluble molecules or vitamins (e.g. vitamin D3, K). These are absorbed by our body much more slowly and only in limited quantities.

This high bioavailability also allows the product to be applied externally, as it is well absorbed through the skin. For example, for sore muscles or inflammation in the joints. Simply put one pump into the palm of your hand, mix with a drop of water and massage into the appropriate area. Furthermore, with oral intake our customers report an increase in their ability to concentrate, more focus and more energy.

Is CBD doping?

This is an essential question, especially for professional athletes. We can reassure you! After there had often been a controversial debate about the approval of cannabidiol in the past, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) followed the wishes of professional athletes in 2017 and removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances, thus enabling many athletes to use CBD as a natural food supplement in sport.

So what are you waiting for? Put on your trainers and off you go. We wish you lots of success and fun with your favourite sport.

If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences with us, write to us on Facebook, Instagram or send us an email at socialmedia@magu-cbd.com.