Why You Should Use CBD for Sports & Athletic Performance

on Mark Web
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Waarom je CBD zou moeten gebruiken bij sport & atletische prestaties

CBD is used by many top athletes. For example, MMA fighters, the Diaz fighters - Nate Diaz and Nick Diaz are big proponents of using CBD for post-fight recovery.

Not long ago we saw Nate Diaz vaping CBD after his UFC fight against Conor McGregor:

In addition, many athletes are investing in the CBD business, probably also because they find CBD useful for athletic performance and post-workout recovery.

The CBD industry is currently a very popular one that is expected to be worth billions of dollars in the coming years.

Athletes need a good night’s sleep and a quick recovery to perform well. That’s why CBD can be very useful for them, as it helps to deal with insomnia, reduces inflammation and shortens the recovery time of muscles after physical exertion.


What is CBD

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. CBD was dismissed for years because it has no psychoactive properties. However, its medical potential has recently become more apparent and appreciated, including reducing inflammation and anxiety. CBD is even used as a treatment for certain forms of epilepsy and arthritis.

CBD is easily tolerated and even doses of 1500 mg per day are taken by people without problems.


Cannabis and medical use

The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) previously classified cannabis and its constituents as "narcotic drugs". The pharmacological conditions were subsequently amended by the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, signed in Vienna (1971). However, this rule did not affect the previous legislation on "narcotic drugs" (namely the Single Convention of 1961). Many other drugs were added to the table of controlled or strictly prohibited substances as a result.

Both hemp and cocaine were classified as narcotics, and in passing a law on non-narcotic drugs it seemed appropriate to withdraw them from the previous regulations and include them as "psychotropic" substances. This was suggested by many pharmacologists, since the 1971 Convention included amphetamines (medicines closely analogous to cocaine) and also THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) as psychotropic substances. However, by removing them from the "narcotic" legislation the error of the previous classification was recognized and after some private discussion it was decided to leave matters as they were.

Due to the previous prohibition of cannabis and hemp, cannabinoids had largely disappeared from science, so we knew very little about cannabis and its medical uses.

The medical use of cannabis became a political issue in the 1980s at the height of the AIDS crisis. Many people suffering from AIDS campaigned for the use of cannabis as an antiemetic. This was followed by the approval of drugs to treat nausea, such as Marinol and Dronabinol.

There are now also approved drugs such as Sativex to treat pain (active cannabinoid components THC and CBD) and Epidiolex (to treat epilepsy).

Unfortunately, decades of prohibition have significantly slowed the progress of cannabis and its derivatives use.


CBD for athletes and athletic performance

CBD or cannabis is not a performance enhancing drug. It is mainly useful for its pain relieving properties and because it reduces inflammation. Furthermore, CBD does not reduce your physical performance.

On the other hand, THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid, is associated with reduced motor performance. Nevertheless, CBD oils, e-liquids, tinctures contain very low amounts of THC and therefore CBD oils are absolutely not associated with reduced motor performance.


CBD Properties

CBD and athletic performance by athletes are primarily associated with:

  1. Anti-inflammatory properties: this allows the athlete to recover faster and experience less muscle inflammation. In short, you will not experience as much and therefore less muscle pain.
  2. Calming and anxiety-reducing effects: athletic performance can improve once the athlete experiences even less anxiety. CBD for athletic performance is useful for reducing anxiety. In addition, you will also experience more calm, which in turn benefits recovery. 

    Many athletes and top sportspeople also experience anxiety and 'stage fright', which is the fear of doing the wrong thing in front of a group of people. This situation often improves with the daily use of CBD.
  3. CBD and Concussions: CBD may have both neuroprotective and analgesic properties. In other words, it reduces damage to the brain's neuron system. In addition, it can stimulate the growth and development of new neurons.

There are also many other properties associated with CBD that can be useful for athletes. For example, there are some studies that claim that CBD can also help you lose weight.

Nevertheless, it is important to take all CBD news with a pinch of salt sometimes. A lot of CBD news is often exaggerated by CBD sellers. Although we are also part of the CBD business, we want to emphasize that many studies are still in an ongoing phase. We find it very important to inform our customers about CBD products and which studies are still ongoing studies. For example, no one can guarantee that CBD cures cancer, even though there are promising studies about CBD and cancer, for example how CBD can effectively modulate tumor growth. But as mentioned earlier, much more research is needed on this enormously important topic.


How to Use CBD for Athletic Performance

CBD is sold in many forms, such as tinctures, oils, vapes, creams, and/or edibles. There is insufficient information on the correct dosages. The dosage mainly depends on the weight of the person. Some sources suggest starting with a dosage of 5-10 mg and increasing by 5 to 10 mg until you feel pain relief or a decrease in inflammation.


Conclusion: CBD for athletes and athletic performance

We know that CBD is great for treating anxiety. Anxiety is not a good ally to perform well, not only in athletics but also in other disciplines. When we feel anxious or stressed, we do not think clearly. That is why CBD can also help athletes who suffer from anxiety.

There are cases of amazingly good athletes who had to retire early due to anxiety issues. For example, there was the case of Sebastian Deisler, a football player who played for Bayern Munich. Sebastian Deisler was partially vulnerable due to his anxiety. Then there is the situation of Per Mertesacker, a world champion footballer with Germany and a former Arsenal centre back. Per Mertesacker stated that he did not like football and that he suffered from nausea and nervousness before every game. His anxiety did not allow him to enjoy football. These are just two cases of athletes who suffered from anxiety. They most likely could have benefited immensely from using CBD, but unfortunately, CBD was not legal for them at the time.

CBD is not only great for an athlete suffering from anxiety, but also for anyone to reduce inflammation and as a pain reliever. 

 

by Mark Web

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