Cannabidiol is rapidly growing in popularity across the UK. According to one recent survey, as many as six million Britons have tried the non-psychoactive cannabis compound in hopes of improving their health.
CBD is purported to have a wide range of health benefits, some of which may help athletes recover and protect themselves from injury. Consequently, a growing number of athletes across all disciplines, including MMA, boxing, football rugby, and bodybuilding are beginning to use CBD and endorse CBD companies.
Why is CBD so hyped in sports? How can it help athletes? Is CBD legal? Here's everything you need to know about the next big sports supplement.
CBD: The Basics
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one among more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It's these natural compounds that give cannabis its beneficial health effects. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the cannabinoid most of us are familiar with, CBD is not psychoactive. In other words, it doesn't make you high.
As such, it's not surprising that millions of people across the world are using CBD to reap all the benefits of cannabis without any of the intoxicating side effects.
CBD is typically used in the form of oil that's extracted from hemp, a low-THC variety of cannabis. However, it can also be sold in the form of capsules, edibles, creams, vape e-liquids, infused beverages, and many other products.
CBD's Sports Benefits
CBD is believed to have numerous health benefits. Some of the conditions people use CBD for include pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, migraines, arthritis, nausea, seizures, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
There's some medical research evidence to support these and other uses, but more clinical studies are needed.
As it happens, many of CBD's proposed effects are beneficial to athletes. The main reasons athletes, gym-goers, and other active individuals use CBD are to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and promote recovery, improve sleep, and protect against brain trauma.
CBD and Pain
Pain, soreness, and discomfort are common issues for people engaged in sports. In particular, some of the most popular sports in the UK, such as rugby, are notorious for causing lingering pain and injuries. There's some research evidence that CBD and other cannabinoids can alleviate pain.
The major reason why CBD is growing so popular as a natural painkiller for athletes is that it doesn't cause significant side effects. Whereas standard pain medications such as opioids are known to cause dependency, withdrawal symptoms, and other significant issues, CBD appears to be a relatively safe substance.
CBD and Inflammation
Another major concern for anyone engaged in sports is inflammation and recovery. Although some inflammation is beneficial and leads to positive training adaptations, too much inflammation is arguably the leading cause of poor athletic performance and lingering soreness, pain, and injuries.
As it happens, CBD and other cannabinoids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. As such, CBD can be used to not only relieve pain but also improve recovery by reducing inflammation.
CBD and Brain Protection
Another unique potential benefit of cannabidiol is brain protection. Many contact sports, including rugby, boxing, and American football, are known to cause concussions and other types of brain injury.
In fact, brain damage is such a notorious issue in American football that there has been much controversy about attempts to cover up its association with CTE: a neurodegenerative disorder caused by repeated trauma to the head.
Research suggests that CBD has neuroprotective properties that may protect the brain from concussions and other forms of damage.
CBD and Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important concerns for exercise recovery and overall health. Unfortunately, many people, including athletes, get insufficient sleep due to anxiety, soreness, and other issues. There are some studies reporting that CBD can help with insomnia and other sleep problems, which means athletes can get better quality sleep.
Other Sports Benefits of CBD
Aside from the above benefits, CBD also has lesser-known benefits that can be beneficial for athletes. For example, CBD may help athletes calm their nerves by reducing anxiety, leading to improved performance during competition and better sleep.
Also, CBD may have anticonvulsant qualities that can help ease muscle spasms and cramps that commonly occur during or after exercise.
Additionally, there's some research evidence that CBD can reduce nausea and help with other digestive issues. Such effects would make it easier for athletes and other active individuals to eat sufficiently for optimal recovery and perform better during competition.
Is CBD Legal for Athletes?
CBD products are legal in the UK, provided that they contain THC levels of 0.2% or less, the legal cutoff for hemp plants. However, athletes interested in using CBD also have to contend with sports governing bodies.
CBD's growing popularity among athletes has led to major sports organisations changing their stance on the legality of its use. Most notably, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its list of banned substances in 2018.
In the UK, CBD appears to be legal to use in professional sports. For example, George Kruis & Dominic Day, two British rugby players who are open about their CBD use and have their own CBD company, haven't run into any problems. However, more clarification from British sports governing bodies is needed.
Using CBD for Sports
In sum, CBD is a legal, non-psychoactive cannabis compound that may have multiple benefits for people engaged in sports.
However, it's important to reiterate that the research evidence for these and other benefits of CBD is relatively scarce. More clinical trials are needed before researchers can conclusively demonstrate CBD's health benefits.
If you're interested in trying out CBD oil or another CBD product, we highly recommend doing some research beforehand. Because the UK CBD market is largely unregulated, you have to exercise caution to avoid low-quality products. Be sure to look for brands with positive reviews and independent third-party lab test results.
As one final note, we'd recommend looking for full-spectrum CBD products. Such preparations are thought to be more effective than purified CBD because they contain hundreds of other beneficial cannabis compounds that work in synergy with CBD.
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