How Does CBD Impact Muscle Recovery?
CBD has been highlighted for helping people worldwide find relief. Recently, athletes have begun investigating how they can incorporate CBD into their routines. After all, regardless of how in shape you are, sometimes your muscles will become sore and inflamed. It’s up to you to promote muscle recovery, so your body can respond and repair itself sufficiently. Here’s how CBD can help.
What is CBD?
CBD is one of the two major active ingredients in industrial hemp. Chemically, CBD is similar to THC. However, unlike THC, CBD won’t get you high. This is significant because users often find that they receive all the health benefits of medical marijuana without the mind-altering effects.
In December 2018, President Trump signed the Farm Bill, which legalized the growth, distribution, and sale of industrialized hemp. This legislation permits industrialized hemp to be cultivated for any use, which includes CBD.
Broadly speaking, this means you’re in the clear to purchase and use CBD in the United States. However, since federal legality doesn’t automatically confer state legality, it is worth checking what your specific state has to say about CBD (just to be safe).
How does CBD help your muscles?
In 2018, Frontiers in Neurology published a review of 132 original studies on CBD. It noted that CBD may help reduce inflammation in the body and improve pain and mobility.
You may also experience pain and inflammation after working out because of microscopic damage to muscle fibers. You’ll feel this in the soreness and stiffness in the following days. The anecdotal evidence is also strongly in favor of CBD decreasing inflammation and reducing muscle soreness. However, the empirical data doesn’t just yet exist.
That said, we know that CBD has useful properties when it comes to muscle growth. By activating the endocannabinoid receptors and promoting an anti-catabolic response, CBD prevents the body from losing muscle mass. This helps your muscles recover and grow faster than they otherwise would. If you’re looking for a way to improve your muscle strength and speed up the recovery process, CBD can help!
Is CBD safe for me to use?
CBD is commonly regarded as safe to use. Just be sure to check with your doctor, especially if you’re taking other medications. With their approval, you can explore all of the options available.
CBD comes in oils, tinctures, infused balms, lotions, capsules, edibles, vape pens, and more. Although this may seem like a lot of options, you’ll just have to decide if you prefer ingesting CBD or if you’d rather rub it onto the site of pain.
Final thoughts
If you’re interested in aiding muscle recovery, you’ll have to gauge whether or not CBD is right for you. In the past few years, it has been shown to be helpful in athletic recovery. Do more research and talk to your doctor if you think CBD is a solid solution for you!