Why should I use CBD oil for post-workout recovery?
Cannabidiol oil (CBD) has become incredibly popular and it is not difficult to understand why. This non-psychoactive compound found hemp supplements can assist with a variety of symptoms and conditions in a natural and wholesome way.
For example, many people use CBD oil to restore exercise, relieve pain, and heal injuries.
Do you need to take CBD oil after your workout? How does this help control pain and improve post-workout recovery? Is there any evidence that it works?
Let’s take a deeper look into this organic nutraceutical recovery tool.
CBD and other cannabinoids produce their beneficial effects through interaction with the body’s endocannabinoid system. This holistic system helps our body maintain a healthy state of equilibrium called homeostasis.
To this end, the endocannabinoid system controls the processes that are central to our well-being, such as metabolism, cognitive function, pain and inflammation.
In addition, CBD also works with other brain receptors and chemicals that regulate pain and inflammation.
Thanks to these combined mechanisms, CBD oil can promote regeneration after training in various ways, for example by reducing inflammation, providing pain relief and improving sleep which when the bulk of recovery takes place.
Benefits of taking CBD for post-workout recovery
- CBD reduces inflammation
Inflammation can be the central problem in post-workout recovery, as it is often the cause of aches, pains, and persistent injuries.
Exercise causes inflammation in a variety of ways, especially when the muscle tissue has small tears that lead to late muscle pain (DOMS), which is a great advantage to all sports enthusiasts.
More importantly, acute inflammation can easily become a chronic problem if you exercise without sufficient recovery time, which leads to problems such as chronic pain, arthritis and any number of strains and tears, not just of the muscular tissue but also the connective and skeletal tissues as well.
CBD and other cannabinoids have strong anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to be very effective.
For example, an animal study conducted on rats with arthritis in 2017 showed that CBD reduces inflammation and thereby prevents further development of pain and nerve damage in degenerative joint conditions.
More importantly, a 2006 human study reported that Sativex, a cannabis-based drug that contains CBD and THC, significantly reduced the inflammation and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Interesting!
Similar anti-inflammatory effects have been reported in preclinical studies on CBD in a variety of inflammatory conditions, including multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), lung disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
- CBD relieves pain
Pain, aches, and general discomfort that lasts from a few hours to several days is a common consequence of rigorous exercise. Full spectrum organic CBD can help here as well, as several studies have demonstrated.
For example, a 2016 animal study showed that CBD gel administered to arthritis rats significantly reduced pain and inflammation in affected joints without causing side effects.
A 2012 study also found that CBD suppresses chronic pain in mice.
A 2015 human study of the combined drug THC and CBD Sativex also reported improvements in pain, mobility, and muscle spasms in people with multiple sclerosis.
- CBD improves sleep
In addition to a healthy diet, sleep is probably the most important tool to recover from training.
However, many people find it difficult to sleep well at night, especially if they stay awake due to physical and exercise related pains. There are indications that CBD can help provide relief for people who suffer from sleep disorders.
For example, a 2019 study by researchers at the University of Colorado analyzed whether CBD capsules could help 72 people with anxiety and sleep disorders.
The study reported an improvement in sleep in 67% of patients.
In addition, a 2017 review article on cannabis use during sleep showed that preliminary results suggest that CBD could be used to treat insomnia.
- Other benefits of CBD recovery
CBD also offers lesser known benefits during recovery from exercise. Most importantly, CBD has antispasmodic properties that can relieve muscle spasms and cramps that may occur after exercise.
In addition, CBD also has neuroprotective properties that can help treat brain damage and trauma.
These effects can be particularly interesting for people who practice contact sports, such as boxing and football. This is known in retired players with CTE, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by repeated head injury.
Moreover, CBD can indirectly promote physical recovery. For example, the analgesic effects of CBD can combat a racing mind that keeps you awake at night, while the regulatory effect of cannabinoids on the various other systems of the body such as the circulatory system can improve blood flow and oxygen to the affected areas, serving to accelerate recovery efforts and the time taken to heal.
Although more research is needed into the effects of CBD in humans, especially with regard to physical activity, the available results suggest that CBD has several properties that help with recovery from exercise.
How to use CBD oil for recovery.
Many people wonder if they should use CBD oil before or after their training. In general it is better to take CBD oil after your workout.
The reason for this is if recovery is your goal than take advantage of the benefits that CBD offers for recovery rather than performance and treat the effects of stress related activity when it presents and most problems related to exercise such as DOMS and sleep disorders occur after exercise.
In addition, it should be noted that CBD oil tinctures are not the only CBD product that can support recovery. Vaping CBD e-liquids and using topical CBD creams are also effective options.
A benefit of vaping CBD is the speed of delivery. This makes it a good choice when you need immediate relief, such as, if you have difficulty falling asleep after intensive training or from severe painful conditions.
However, the effect of vaping CBD only lasts 1 to 2 hours: the shortest of all delivery methods.
Meanwhile, Topical CBD products such as creams, massage oils and balms are ideal for localized muscle or joint pain because they have no systemic effect.
As such, they work best to relieve pain or inflammation after exercise in a specific part of the body, such as the knees, wrists, back or shoulders.
CBD oil is generally the best CBD product use for recovery after exercise, but it is most effectively used in conjunction with topical applications to increase the delivery to the affected areas from the inside and the outer superficial tissue.
If you are looking for a natural, safe and holistic way to improve physical recovery and overall well-being, certified organic CBD oil is an excellent tool to include in your healthy lifestyle.