CBD Benefits That Athletes Should Take Advantage Of

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a type of chemical that comes from the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, which is the psychoactive chemical of the plant, CBD does not get you high. What it does provide is a source of medical and healing properties. The CBD has become a very popular alternative medicine in recent years because of the fact that CBD is consumed in various ways to suit your needs. It can be inhaled, eaten, drank or applied through topical forms, like oil. The benefits of this handy chemical are plentiful for most people with regards to certain physical pains they may deal with as well as some psychological benefits as well.

For the purpose of this article, I will be discussing how CBD is beneficial to athletes, and why they should take advantage of it.

Anxiety

Not many people think about the psychological effect that sports or high pressure competition has on individuals. Even though many athletes can handle the big stage, or even just playing in front of their friends and family, it can be stressful to have to perform at such a high level night in and night out. Making sure your mind is in the right state of focus and you are feeling a sense of relaxation is key to putting your best performance forward. The mental aspect of sports is often ignored, even for people who just compete in amateur or rec sports, sometimes you can feel like you’re getting in your own head when you should just be having fun. CBD is a great way to relieve some anxiety associated with performance for big time games or just when trying to have fun at the park.

Pain relief

CBD has been shown to effectively relieve certain physical pains that we suffer from day to day activities. What makes it so much better for an athlete is that they suffer from more pain through physical exertion than most people deal with. The constant stress on the body of an athlete can cause some unwanted aches or pains. One of the biggest issues of the pain that CBD can help deal with is back pain. The back is our largest muscle group so naturally it is being moved, bruised, exerted, and stressed during almost any sport or athletic activity. Running, jumping, fighting, soccer, basketball, you name it and the back is being used. Even outside of your athletic events, making sure your back is not in pain often, or in chronic pain, is vital to living a healthy life without restriction. So, if you are an athlete, consider CBD as a way to prevent nagging pain.

It is discreet

Athletic supplements are aplenty. The problem is, a lot of them can contain trace amounts of a banned substance or something that can be misconstrued as an illegal substance for athletic competition. CBD has been often very discreet because it is a natural substance, and that is important for those of you that need to compete in organized sports or governing bodies of sport that test for these types of substances. Like I said previously, CBD is a very effective pain relief solution, and this bodes well for those of you who need to keep your body feeling its best while also competing under strict guidelines or rules. A lot of the enhancers for your body that relieve pain are categorized under steroids, which are widely banned, that’s why CBD oils and accessories are way safer. Using a CBD vape pen can be done just about anywhere it is legal, and does not require much of any set up time or prep. Unlike those synthesized chemicals, the rules around using CBD for pain relief in sports have become relaxed a little bit because of the research that has come out about it is non-psychoactive, which just means it will not get you high. On that note, CBD is not going to make you smell, which is also one way it is discreet.

Improves sleep

Critically important to athletic performance is how well you are sleeping. We know you need to train with weights and cardio, you need to eat well and eat often, but you also need to sleep well! Athletes need to maximize performance through rest just as much as we need the other aspects of sport preparation, but we do not often consider sleep because it feels like wasted time. It’s not, it’s crucial to your success, in fact and CBD has relaxing properties to help you doze off even when you feel like you will be tossing and turning all night. Having a solid 6-8 hours of sleep each night without interruptions will relax the mind, keep your muscles from getting too sore, and you will wake up ready to give your best effort.

Settle your stomach

Keeping your gut happy is another underrated aspect of athletic performance that can affect you. Making sure your stomach and intestines are working properly, and without any inflammation or discomfort will keep your mind focused on whatever task is at hand. It can reduce those inflammatory problems in your colon that can be irritated during extreme workouts like a long distance run. Keeping the stomach settled is also vital to our dietary needs. When our stomach is telling us it is upset, we’re unlikely to eat, and not getting our nutrients will prevent us from fueling our body. CBD does a great job of keeping our gut happy so we can focus and so our appetite doesn’t suffer either.

Being an athlete is a tough life. Training, diet, and focus are just three of the many components in your life that have to be closely monitored and balanced. It’s hard to properly take care of ourselves all the time when we’re busy thinking about our next race or game. Making sure we are at our best physically as well as mentally is the key to our success, and CBD oils and products are a really healthy alternative to drugs or supplements when we need help with pain, sleep and anxiety relief.