Performance and Recovery Benefits of CBD Oil

Performance and Recovery Benefits of CBD Oil

Papa’s Got a Brand New… Dab

Endurance athletes often push themselves both physically and mentally while training for their sport, which can eventually cause exhaustion and even pain. A new option for alleviating some of these symptoms is CBD oil, a natural remedy recently legalized in all 50 states. Yes, even Utah!

What is CBD oil?

Scientifically speaking, cannabidiol is one of the 104 naturally occurring chemical compounds, known as cannabinoids, found in the marijuana plant (aka the devil’s lettuce) and hemp. CBD is related to, but different than, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive compound that causes a person to feel high when consuming edibles or smoking marijuana. You can also extract nearly THC-Free CBD oil from industrial hemp.

How does CBD oil work?

The primary difference between CBD oil and marijuana (aka laughing grass) is that people do not get high from it because it’s non-psychoactive. It’s used as a form of medicine. The human body produces endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors in the nervous system.

Why do people take it?

CBD oil is used as a natural remedy for pain relief, improved sleep function, increased appetite, better immune system response, alleviation of chronic pain, and inflammation reduction. Athletes and amateurs alike benefit from its efficacy.

A recent article in The Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics[1] reported that CBD oil has also been proven to help with anxiety, depression, acne, blood pressure, and can decrease symptoms related to cancer treatments such as nausea, vomiting, aches, and lack of appetite.

Does it help athletic performance and recovery?

According to Dr. Murdoc Khaleighi, the Senior Medical Advisor at Elevate Hemp, “CBD use can be helpful in athletic recovery for several reasons. First, it has been demonstrated to be a potent anti-inflammatory, suggesting it can potentially hasten muscle recovery,” Khaleighi says.

“In addition, CBD has been shown to be the greater pain-relieving component of cannabis. Such pain relief is essential for competitive athletes where pain can be the primary limiter of exertion. Finally, one of the most essential components of fitness is sleep for healing and energy recovery, and CBD can potentially regulate sleep stability.”

Are there other benefits?

Interestingly, a January 2019 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)[2] suggests that the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), has been found to normalize function in brain regions associated with psychosis. Researchers believe that CBD’s ability to act on the endocannabinoid system and other brain signaling systems can also provide benefits to those with neurological disorders such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Are there any side effects to using CBD?

It’s not as though you’ll have to turn the music down to taste your toast like you might have to with traditional THC-infused marijuana (aka giggle smoke), but there are some side effects associated with the use of CBD. These include dizziness, drowsiness, diarrhea, mood changes, changes in appetite, and dry mouth.

How do people take or use CBD oil?

The most common ways to take or use CBD oils are oral drops, called tinctures, as well as capsules and topical balms. These contain small amounts of hemp extracts, known as dabs, of cannabidiol. How you take it depends on your preference and needs for a local or general use.

Tinctures are the most typical form of CBD on the market because they are the purest applications. Tinctures are taken by ingesting a couple of drops on or under the tongue. Capsules are popular among those who can’t get past the taste. It’s easier to regulate the exact dosage with capsules. CBD oils in topicals, such as lotions and balms, are good for regional inflammation, acne, psoriasis, and even slowing the signs of aging.

Is CBD legal?

Yes, CBD is perfectly legal! CBD oil is essentially treated like a vitamin supplement so it is widely available. In June 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[3] approved Epidolex, the first cannabis-derived treatment that contains cannabidiol (CBD).

Epidiolex is the first plant extract that is available in the US, and thus CBD has become accepted for medical use for those with chronic pain or epilepsy. You can even order it online and have it shipped right to your home. As of now, CBD with a THC concentration of less than 0.3% is federally legal to send in the mail.

1. “Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders,” Neurotherapeutics, October 12, 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/ and “Everything you need to know about CBD oil,” Medical News Today, July 27, 2018, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317221.php

2. “Cannabidiol May Help Normalize Brain Function in Psychosis,” JAMA, January 29, 2019, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2722769

3. FDA News Release, June 25, 2018, https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm611046.htm