CBD is not just a hot new trend for people because it is not new. In fact, CBD is quite established, but it is becoming legal in more places and more people who previously would have never tried it are dabbling with it. This includes a surprising group – athletes. While athletes are the supposed pinnacle of health in our society, they still need the right supplements just like the average Joe at your local gym, so CBD has helped step in and acts as a useful one for their performance needs.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is the non-psychoactive chemical in the marijuana plant. This means it is more useful as a medicinal supplement rather than for primarily entertainment purposes like THC. However, CBD is incredibly useful for all kinds of people, and with that, athletes have found out that many of the benefits could be useful for them. Here is the how and why of athletes and CBD use.
Aids With Sleep
Rest and recovery is a major factor in the life of an athlete. When they are not training, working out, eating, or competing, they need to be resting up to repair muscle tissue and be ready to go for the next day. CBD has shown to help with relaxation and sleep, so athletes may use it to get a longer and better sleep to help recharge.
Potentially Legal for Competition Use
CBD is not legal in every country or state, but it is in many because it is an organic chemical and it is not psychoactive. For this reason, it could be allowed in competitive leagues and is not a banned substance. The experts at shopcbdorganics.com show how many forms CBD can come in, with many being organic in nature, which is good news for athletes who want legal supplements. Of course, it depends on the kind they use as well as the rules of the league or competition committee, but CBD offers good benefits while being distanced from the stigma of performance-enhancing drugs.ย
Helps Regulate Appetite
The athletes are on a very strict diet. They need to eat the right foods, maintain a daily routine with their eating, and avoid eating too much or too little. This regulation of their diet could be hard to keep up with, but CBD has shown promise in suppressing appetite and even helping improve appetite. Using it to help avoid overeating or help eat proper amounts according to their training needs is a big bonus for the rigid life of an athlete.
Reduces Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a result of increased stress, which can be caused by the brain releasing the hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol will elevate the heart rate and increase blood pressure, which could be a bad thing for athletes. Maintaining the right heart rate is especially important for endurance sports like long-distance running and cycling, so having a supplement like CBD help reduce blood pressure is very handy. Keeping blood pressure within regulated levels is not only healthy for daily life for everyone, not just athletes, it is also key to avoiding overexertion in sports with long periods of activity.
Helps With Anxietyย
Anxiety is not a mental illness that only affects non-athletes. As superhuman as we may believe these marvels of physical ability to be, they are all humans just the same, which is why they suffer from anxiety too. Performance anxiety is a huge problem for many athletes who can get stage fright or nervous in front of a big crowd or before an event, so CBD is very helpful in this regard. CBD helps lower heart rate (ex. Blood pressure) and keeps the body from becoming overstimulated. Reducing stress hormones helps the brain stay calm and prevent things like anxiety or panic attacks.
Soothe Inflammation and Pain
Any athlete will tell you how many injuries or painful episodes they have gone through during their training periods and competition. Inflammation and pain can be caused by contact, overexertion of the body, and natural or genetic reasons, so having a solution is a priority to maintain proper performance levels. Where CBD has been arguably most effective for athletes is in its properties as a legal pain substance. It is not going to affect an athlete like dangerous painkillers or illegal performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).ย
It is naturally occurring, and when the body sends white blood cells to protect the hurt, swollen, or infected area, CBD helps to soothe the effects of this protective measure of your body. Inflammation is normal and necessary, but it can hamper performance and recovery times, as well as cause pain, so CBD acts as a buffer to keep it from hurting too much.
Boosts the Immune System
The immune system is a foundational part of the bodyโs protective process. It helps regulate white blood cells, defends against infections like viruses and bacteria, and uses the ecosystem of the body to stay healthy. Without a well-functioning immune system, your risk of sickness and weaker bodily functions increases, which is inevitably disastrous for athletes. Eating the right foods that are high in vitamins C and D, drinking a lot of water, and resting up are good ways to keep the immune system healthy, but sometimes you need a little more support.
CBD can help boost your immune system, which is incredibly useful for athletes. While everyone needs a good immune system, athletes are especially in need because their body is under more stress on a day-to-day basis because of physical exertion. This physical exertion, such as inflammation, can result in infection because white blood cells are active elsewhere. CBD helps soothe the pain from inflammation, which triggers white blood cells to act on other bacterial or viral infections instead.
With all of the talk around CBD, it can be intriguing to figure out what purposes it is good for. It can come in handy for just about anyone, but in this context, athletes should be very interested. All of the potential properties offer some surprising benefits which are why athletes may want to take advantage of this natural supplement.
