Recovery & Performance: CBD and Sports

Whether you’re playing an afternoon pick-up game at the rec, competing in a professional league, or even just working it out at the gym or backyard, exercising regularly can take a severe toll on your body. Wear and tear can affect joints, muscles, …

Whether you’re playing an afternoon pick-up game at the rec, competing in a professional league, or even just working it out at the gym or backyard, exercising regularly can take a severe toll on your body. Wear and tear can affect joints, muscles, ligaments, and other parts repeatedly exerted during exercise. Over time, physical exertion from training can begin to wear down on anyone’s body, no matter their athletic ability.

While stretching before and after any physical activity can undoubtedly help reduce the likelihood of injury, many athletes and active people still turn to chemical drugs for pain relief. For serious injuries, powerful and addictive painkillers like opiates are even used on a fairly regular basis. For much of history centered around sports, pro athletes have even been encouraged to use prescription medications by team doctors or coaches, making them the industry standard in most injury cases and spreading this down to non-professional sports enthusiasts alike.

The recent boom of interest and research regarding cannabidiol, also known as CBD, has shown promising results for its use as a pain relief solution in the world of spots. This natural alternative does not boast unwanted side-effects, does not have psychoactive capabilities, and has been shown to aid in various wellness and pain management areas.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of many compounds found in hemp or sativa cannabis plants that are together known as “cannabinoids.” Cannabinoids include many compounds, but the two most mainstream are CBD and THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the cannabis element responsible for the “high” feeling that most people associate with the cannabis plant. The majority of CBD products widely available are produced without THC, due to the 2018 Farm Bill that states hemp grown in the US must contain less than 0.3% THC. Cannabinoids like CBD are thought to increase the body’s endocannabinoid system’s efficiency, which maintains stress regulation, pain sensation, appetite, and REM sleep.

It’s these pain-alleviating qualities that have created so much interest in CBD as a tool for sports recovery and athletes. Professional athletes themselves have become some of the most outspoken fans and advocates of using CBD as a powerful recovery and wellness tool.

How To Use CBD For Performance & Recovery

Products like CBD creams and balms are popular because they can be applied directly to a problem area and come in both scented and unscented varieties depending on the brand. The ideal use of a CBD topical is especially useful for athletes because it can be such a targeted application, giving you the exact relief you need in the specific area suffering.

If you’re trying to keep making consistent gains at the gym or up your street-ball game, CBD may give you the natural advantage you’re looking for. Because most CBD products sold in the states are made from hemp plants and must contain less than 0.3% THC, they can be a great alternative that doesn’t jeopardize a drug test. To be sure of your CBD’s best quality, potency, and dose, it’s best to rely on brands with third-party lab test results that support their label claims. Many CBD products contain other rare cannabinoids that could benefit you, but knowing exactly what you are consuming is always important for understanding the effects.

Turn to companies like Real Tested CBD to ensure your CBD purchase is exactly what you are seeking. Real Tested CBD has researched for you, comparing the best CBD products in just about every category you can think of. The next time you find yourself struggling with an aching knee or other problems from an exceptionally tough workout or game, consider using CBD before turning to that bottle of aspirin in the medicine cabinet! To learn more about Real Tested CBD, click here.