Today more athletes than ever before have discovered just how beneficial CBD is for their regular workout routine. From professional football players and MMA fighters to marathon runners and CrossFit enthusiasts, there are countless athletes (professionals and weekend warriors alike) regularly using CBD.
CBD for CrossFit might just be the next big thing because all the benefits of CBD will help CrossFit get better in every way. If you’re a CrossFit user, you might be interested in seeing how CBD might be beneficial for you.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound extract, comes from the cannabis Sativa plant. CBD has been making news as a wonderful recovery aid. It’s being used to help with aches, pains, inflammations, and muscle spasms. CBD oil is also known for assisting with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Those are all issues that many athletes deal with on a regular basis, especially the physical ailments mentioned. With the help of CBD, athletes can use this wonderful plant extract as an effective recovery tool. You might also be wondering what a CrossFit is all about, let’s do a quick definition of a CrossFit.
What Is A CrossFit?
CrossFit is a lifestyle characterized by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition. CrossFit can help to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone, both people who are just starting out and people who are regularly training. The magic is in the movement.
CrossFit workouts are different every day and you can modify it to help each athlete achieve their goals. The workouts are for people at any age and level of fitness. Off the carbs, off the couch. The CrossFit lifestyle, a combination of sound nutrition and exercise, is the key to fitness and long-term health.
And while all cross-fitters aren’t necessarily working out like the pros, no matter what level they’re at, they must be extremely conscious of what they’re putting in their bodies. From the foods they eat to the supplements they take, CrossFit athletes must give themselves the absolute best to ensure their bodies function at their absolute best.
This is exactly why so many crossfitters have begun to make CBD a part of their regular wellness regime. Whether you’ve just begun to do CrossFit or you’re smashing weights in competitions, knowing about the benefits of CBD for athletes has the potential to be life-changing.
CrossFit is one of the most intense workouts that exists…and as a high-intensity athlete, your body is put to the test. Tears, sore muscles, aches and pains, injuries, and complete and utter fatigue are all a part of it.
Is CBD legal for CrossFit?
Yes it is! Though Cannabinoids are on the list of illegal substances by CrossFit, CBD has been excluded from this list. You can use CBD for its recovery purposes and still competitively in CrossFit.
While CBD is not on the banned list of substances, THC is on the list. Tetrahydrocannabinol is the part of the cannabis plant that is responsible for the psychoactive effects that it gives. This cannabinoid is banned in most states. Products can only have at least 0.3% of THC. Anything more than that is a violation. Be sure to take CBD products from a trusted source, as you may go through drug tests.
Benefits Of CBD for CrossFit
1). CBD Helps To Relieve Pain
Tired of reaching for a bottle of pain relief to soothe pain associated with your CrossFit workout? CBD could be the answer you’re looking for. From research studies and preclinical evidence to countless personal accounts of CBD’s effectiveness for fighting pain, there’s overwhelming evidence that CBD is one of the most beneficial compounds for pain management.
How exactly does it work? To put it in the most simple way possible, CBD has shown to influence the receptors responsible for managing pain. These receptors are in the endocannabinoid system that is responsible for maintaining balance in the body. CBD helps to regulate the body system by influencing receptors found in the endocannabinoid system in the body.
2). It Eliminates Stress and Anxiety
If you’re someone who competes in CrossFit, you know that it’s natural to feel nervous before a competition. If this is something that you’re familiar with, you should understand just how well CBD may be able to help. Aside from its ability to help reduce pain, one of the most popular reasons people use CBD is for anxiety relief.
A 2015 review article found that existing preclinical evidence “strongly supports” CBD as a treatment for several anxiety disorders including: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Could it help decrease performance stress and anxiety, then? We can’t guarantee as everyone is different but it’s certainly worth a try if you’re open to it.
3). CBD Deals with Inflammation In Crossfitters
Inflammation is one of the main things athletes deal with on a regular basis. Research shows that CBD has great potential as a novel anti-inflammatory substance. A 2016 study, for example, found that CBD reduces inflammation and overall pain in arthritic rats. CBD works so well because of the influence it has on the production of cytokines, the signaling proteins responsible for balancing the initiation and resolution of inflammation.
Because of the powerful effect, CBD has on reducing inflammation, it’s an excellent way to reduce pain that comes with swelling. It’s also great for preventing joint injury during your workout.
4). It Helps You Get Enough Rest for Your Performance
Regeneration is a big part of recovery. Getting a good night’s sleep can have a substantial impact on your athletic performance as your muscles recover most during sleep. Although CBD does not have a direct impact on sleep, it does support anxiety relief. Anxiety can lead to a lack of sleep, therefore, CBD can help you sleep better at night and regenerate your muscles.
Conclusion
If you’re serious about CrossFit, CBD is something to look into and possibly add to your arsenal of tools. It will help to improve your overall performance. CBD is available in oil, tinctures, topical that you can apply in case of inflammation. Other products are capsules, tablets, gummies, and so on. There are also some CBD products for athletes in the market that you can try. Make sure to check labels for originality before use.
