Sports, while being a healthy and enjoyable pastime for everyone, can take its toll on our bodies. This is especially true for athletes who regularly engage in competitive sports where they are expected to exert one hundred percent of themselves every time they step onto the floor.
This is why athletes often rely on supplements to make sure that their bodies are getting everything it needs to allow them to perform at the highest possible level. The same can be said for those who engage in sports for fun regularly. Nobody wants fatigue and soreness to afflict their everyday life, but those are the natural effects of playing sports and pushing your body frequently. Plus, supplements also help in actually improving your performance in whatever your sport of choice is.
Why CBD?
While there are a variety of supplements with different effects, such as those for muscle gain, for pain relief, and the other assorted needs of athletes, CBD is something that is not yet in the mainstream for athletes but deserves heavy consideration.
CBD oil is undoubtedly one of the hottest products in the market right now. People left and right are learning about its benefits for practically everyone – athletes included.
Unlike other supplements CBD oil is all natural, being extracted from the stalks, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant. This means that side effects, if any, are minimal. According to WebMD, some of the reported side effects of CBD are low blood pressure, dry mouth, drowsiness, and light headedness. Other than that, CBD oil is generally safe and well-tolerated.
Benefits of CBD for Athletes
The various health benefits that CBD offers will be greatly beneficial for athletes in a number of aspects. If you’re someone who plays sports often, whether in a competitive setting or not, CBD oil can provide you a great deal of advantages when used regularly.
Improves Sleep
Rest is essential for athletes. While the usual trope is that the best athletes work themselves off day and night, it’s what happens behind the scenes that actually leads to improvement and enables them to be at their peak. Without proper sleep, even the most intense workouts will not show its fruits, not to mention that fatigue will hold an athlete back from playing at their best.
CBD oil is a great way to help athletes sleep and improve sleep quality. According to medicalnewstoday.com, a study has shown that CBD was effective in decreasing cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone which usually peaks in the morning, but people with insomnia are prone to having high cortisol levels at night. High cortisol levels are also associated with nighttime awakenings. Through the reduction of cortisol by using CBD, athletes will be able to sleep easier and have unobstructed, high-quality sleep.
Reduces Pain and Accelerates Recovery
While sleep is a great way for the body to recover, it’s rare for an athlete’s body to be back at one hundred percent instantly after a good night’s sleep. Sometimes, even a few days after an intense workout, muscle soreness will still be there and some athletes find it hard to get through their day because of pain that seemingly comes with every minor movement.
Fortunately, CBD oil is a highly effective pain reliever. CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory, and using some CBD oil topically can offer almost instant relief. This way, athletes can go about their days without having to face the problem of struggling with every movement, and they won’t need to mind any pain once they’re about to compete.
Reduces Anxiety
The intensity that sports can offer is unmatched. Whether an athlete is playing for an entire stadium or just in front of a small audience, nobody wants to be the one at the receiving end of an embarrassing play. Anxiety can also creep up in the final moments of a close game, and of course, no one wants to choke and cause their team to lose.
When playing competitively, it’s important to have a clear head when going into a game. CBD can help in reducing anxiety and can help athletes attain an unfaltering winning mentality. According to healthline, there is promising research with regard to CBD’s potential in alleviating anxiety. This may be due to how CBD alters our bodies’ serotonin signals. Low serotonin levels are normally associated with anxiety, and with CBD oil, these levels can be increased and anxiety will thus be reduced.
Strengthens the Immune System
Sickness is one of the worst things that could happen to an athlete. Getting sick will not just cause an athlete to miss games, but can also derail his or her development. Training regimes are reliant on consistency, and nothing can break consistency worse than getting sick. It’s also a bad feeling to not be able to join your team in competing, of course.
CBD works it magic through interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system. While the complex system is not yet fully understood, it’s responsible for multiple physiological functions, such as our mood, sleep, appetite, and memory, as well as the overall maintenance of balance in our bodies, which includes our immunity. The Chicago Tribune has reported that CBD can help you boost your immune system, as it can keep the immune system active when underperforming, thus keeping you away from disease.
Increases Concentration
Athletes excel in their field by giving undivided focus whenever they’re training and whenever they’re at the game. It’s this intense concentration that allows them to make every rep count and enables them to react to and get ahead of the competition. Mistakes in sports are often caused by a lack of awareness and concentration.
Another function of the endocannabinoid system is the regulation of neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Through the use of CBD, the endocannabinoid system receives a boost and our brain performance is enhanced. This can help athletes gain more focus and help them let go of the countless distractions around. In addition, it can also boost energy levels.
