Image by Taco Fleur from Pixabay
Interest in fitness and health trends continues to grow as time goes by. Because of this, fitness enthusiasts keep looking for new ways to improve their workout routine somehow. The most common approach today is eating significant amounts of protein, or consuming workout supplements to help people get the most out of their workout. But for others, research and studies have led them to include CBD in their workout routine. Yes, CBD – the hemp-derived substance that is in vogue. Right now, CBD is widely used to treat various symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, and more. In fact, you can read here for more details about the medical applications of CBD. Today we will focus more on CBD's effects on your workout routine.
Although the FDA does not classify CBD as a health supplement, many people are consuming cannabis-infused products to improve their well-being and restore optimal body conditions, which includes muscle recovery and building.
Using CBD before doing workout
Cannabis extracts like CBD are found to have relaxing or sedative effects. That's why most patients seek out this kind of product to reduce their stress and anxieties and improve their sleep quality. On the other hand, the stimulating property of this substance is overlooked most of the time. Studies have shown that CBD increases alertness and wakefulness with a lower dosage, while the relaxing and sedating effects are related to a higher dosage. For people like you who want to increase energy levels and focus, the inclusion of CBD into your lifestyle and workout routine is an advantage.
But before trying CBD as a pre-workout supplement, you must first consider what results you want to achieve. The timing and type of taking CBD play a vital role in how you respond to the hemp-derived substance. For instance, it will take a longer time for your body to absorb CBD when you take capsules or edibles, compared to taking drops or inhaling it, which will take effect faster.
Using CBD after workouts for body recovery
If you want to achieve a chiseled and perfect form, you have to exert tremendous amounts of effort in your workout. After every muscle-building session, pain is sure to follow. This pain is what we call the DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness. The pains and aches that you feel after a rigorous workout is your body's response in healing micro-tears in your muscle fibers, caused by muscle strain and tension during your exercise. Having DOMS may feel uncomfortable, but it is a sign that you are recovering and your muscles are building a more robust fiber, which is more damage resistant.
Though our body naturally recovers from muscle pains, joint pains, and other injuries, it takes time and prevents us from maximizing our physical capabilities. That's where CBD enters.
CBD is known to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. That’s why several people take CBD after doing exercise, to alleviate the painful side effects of muscle recovery. In addition, CBD does not inhibit muscles’ ability to repair themselves.
CBD – Should Athletes take it?
There are several professional athletes that report using CBD, particularly the UFC fighter Nate Diaz. He claimed to have experienced the pain-alleviating effects of CBD, as well as its muscle recovery property. CBD has no reported side effects so far, unlike the traditional prescriptions for pain management, such as Aspirin and Ibuprofen, which have the following harmful long-term effects:
- High blood pressure
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Chronic kidney problems
Aside from the health-threatening effects, your body can also develop a tolerance for this kind of drugs, which will reduce its potency. Subsequently, it will be more difficult to manage pain and inflammation. Studies have also concluded that this kind of medication should only be taken at the lowest effective dosage within the shortest amount of time.
It's safe to say that traditional drugs are helpful for pain, but are not a perfect solution for chronic inflammations. With this kind of issue, experts increasingly consider CBD as a viable alternative for managing pain for patients who wants to reduce their NSAID intake, in spite of FDA not approving CBD-infused products.
Just take precautions when deciding to take CBD for your lifestyle and workout routines. Results may vary for different individuals. Make sure to track the changes that you’ll experience when using CBD for your routines and muscle soreness.