There are tens of thousands of Americans who passed away every year due to overdose and opioid addiction. A large percentage of the said population is composed of athletes. Athletes tend to suffer from physical stresses that resulted from their strenuous training, making to rely more on analgesics.
However, the chronic use of pain relievers that are commonly bought over the counter could lead to numerous health risks to the athletes. Fortunately, cannabidiol or CBD is now becoming more prominent and has been making changes in the sports industry as well.
Just in 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) excluded CBD from the prohibited substances that athletes mustn’t take in or out of sports competitions. Aside from its non-psychoactive properties, here are the other reasons why.
CBD Relieves Pain
Many medical studies show that CBD products could treat one’s pain more effectively and efficiently compared to other medications. CBD can be very useful for athletes who are physically worn out from their training and are suffering from stiff joints and pains like musculoskeletal pains caused by succeedings heavy exercises.
CBD Can Replace Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Due to NSAIDs’ risk of renal damages such as heart attacks and strokes, many athletes, particularly ultra-distance athletes, are most of the time advised not to use Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) during intensive training before an event and even during competitions.
CBD Substitutes Opioids
Many people tend to use opioids medications like Oxycontin, morphine, and codeine for managing pain for so long. However, these drugs could also increase the risk of addiction and death.
When in terms of managing acute and high-intensity pains, CBD might not be as effective as opioids. However, CBD is way better than opioids when it comes to managing long-term pains such as those felt with sclerosis with less adverse side effects.
CBD Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is beneficial for everyone, especially for athletes as it can stimulate better training results and adaptations. However, too much inflammation could impede recovery and hinder the performances of the athletes. Using CBD can trigger homeostasis or a balance we need in our body system.
CBD Solves Stomach Problems
CBD can treat prevent dehydration and overheating, which are two of the common gut problems of many athletes. Also, due to the endocannabinoid receptors on our colons, CBD products can reduce the symptoms of inflammation problems that cause your stomach problems.
CBD Improves Sleep Quality
Due to its inhibition of the reuptake of adenosine, CBD can provide restful sleep to athletes, making their performances better. When there’s more adenosine binding to neurons, there’ll be more release of neurotransmitters.
The more neurotransmitters released, the faster your brain slows down, which could make you feel calmer that could also induce one’s sleep. Sometime later, there’ll be more adenosine concentrations that could wake you up, and the cycle will start over again.
CBD Acts as Antioxidant and Neuroprotectant
Many medical researchers had already proved the antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of CBD. These two properties could hasten the recovery of athletes, especially those who are associated with diseases related to oxidation such as those doing high contact or extreme sports who suffered from recurring traumas on their heads and bodies.
Means of Consumption
How to Use CBD? There are different ways to use CBD. The most common one is through oils and tinctures, which are both taken with the use of a dropper. The only difference is in terms of ingredients.
People can also intake CBD via edibles or CBD-infused foods and beverages, as well as be put on your meals. In fact, the CBD oils and tinctures can be mixed on coffee, smoothies, and pastries. Just make sure you wouldn’t overheat CBD oils as it would lead to a bad taste.
Moreover, if you can’t ingest nor digest CBD, athletes may use it topically. Topical CBD creams and lotions are believed to make an effective treatment to pain as they immediately work in a specific area on the skin that contains receptors of the endocannabinoid systems.
Athletes could also use CBD skin patches or transdermal patches. Unlike the lotions and creams, these adhesive patches can enter the bloodstream through crossing the dermal barriers. With body heat, small amounts of CBD can be released on an extended time period.
Lastly, as athletes, smoking is mostly prohibited by many sports institutions as it can affect the cardiovascular system of a person. The good thing is, athletes could inhale CBD through vaping without thinking of lung problems.
Takeaway
Many people have been relying on CBD products due to its well-known cure-all and non-psychoactive properties. Nevertheless, still, it’s a must to follow a specific dosage that should be prescribed by a physician or any medical professionals to avoid unexpected outcomes.