When it comes to substances and sports, not including eSports and gaming, very often there is a tendency to make a great confusion. Anti-doping activities and various sports organizations have always banned any intake of doping substances before a competition and this has greatly affected the careers of many athletes around the world.
In 2014, the main organ of the fight against doping (the World Anti-Doping Agency ) also included Cannabis among the substances prohibited before a competition.
This, in the long run, has created various tensions within the world of sport, both between athletes and between various organizations. The fact that a Cannabis-specific cannabinoid, CBD, actually provided health benefits – quick recovery from injury, aiding sleep, messed up the game.
Unlike THC, which is considered a true illicit substance, the World Anti-Doping Agency has decided to allow the use of pure and isolated CBD also in view of a sports competition, as it is identified as a non-doping substance.
But if you are not into professional sports, then Delta 9 THC is definitely something to look into. It combines all the benefits mentioned above with an extra ‘high’ feeling. When consumed together, the two substances create a more well-rounded feeling of calmness and better sleep.
CBD – a Medicine Not a Drug Substance
The hemp flower was therefore “regularized” to which level pharmaceutical substance was non-dopant. This brings many questions, but also several very interesting answers.
First of all, it is essential to remember that cannabinoids are also partly present in breast milk and are part of a very important nutritional cycle for the baby. Beyond this, the scientific studies of the case have then confirmed the many beneficial properties of CBD flowers.
According to these studies, in fact, CBD cannot be classified as a toxic substance.
When used in isolation from other cannabinoids, it can promote both the physical and mental health acting as:
- anti-inflammatory
- anxiolytic
- neuroprotective substance
- analgesic
So what will be the relationship between CBD and sporting activity? The main benefits are related to physical health and long-term performance improvement.
CBD Against Pain
A study on cannabidiol and sports performance (McCartney, D., Benson, MJ, Desbrow, B. et al. Cannabidiol and Sports Performance: a Narrative Review of Relevant Evidence and Recommendations for Future Research ) once again confirmed that the activity of CBD within an athlete’s body is in favor of biochemical and psychological development. By acting directly on pain and inflammation, hemp oil is a real godsend in case of injuries or physical problems.
Damaged tissue or nerve pain caused by anxiety and stress can be easily fought by using pure CBD in a completely legal way. Furthermore, in these specific cases, the improvement in performance is determined only by a clear improvement in health and not by an energy boost or doping.
What Kind of Pain Can CBD Be Treated?
In recent years, clinical research on the effects of CBD on the bodies of people who engage in physical activity and sports has made numerous advances. Regardless of the direct connection with the lives of athletes and sportsmen, researchers, in particular, have identified some areas in which CBD is highly recommended for pain relief:
- neuropathic pain
- joint pain
- chronic pain
- menstrual pain
- helps relieve pain in the gallbladder
CBD Assists Bones
In the same study mentioned above, we focus on the benefits of CBD on bones. In this case, cannabidiol acts by fortifying the bone tissue and also intervenes in the repair of fractures or bruises.
CBD Cures Performance Anxiety
CBD relieves performance anxiety that can occur before a competition.
In this case, the benefit of CBD is psychological as much as physical: performance anxiety is often the main cause of insomnia and even serious mental problems, which can damage not only the athlete’s health but also his career.
A treatment or a restorative cure with CBD (in communion with a therapeutic treatment) can be very important for the health of an athlete, thus facilitating their performance.
Athletes Who Use CBD: Stu Kam, Michael Phelps and Nick Diaz
Today CBD is used by several athletes – all of them confirm that without it their performance and health would definitely not be the same.
Among them, we remember Stu Kam, an athlete of Jiu-Jitsu, who in an interview tells how the use of CBD is fundamental in his athletic training. Cannabidiol, says Stu Kam, helps him a lot in the phases of rest or recovery after a competition, relieving muscle and mental pain and stress.
Even Michael Phelps and Nick Diaz, fighters of mixed martial arts, make use of CBD to relax the nerves before a competition. And these are certainly not just any athletes, having both competed in the past for the title of world champion.