CBD products like oils and beverages are popping up everywhere. The market for these kinds of products is ripe in the US as consumers everywhere are eager to try out these newly-legalized products to see if they really do have the health benefits people say they do.
While there have been discussion concerning how CBD affects your hormones, body and mind, an important area for further discussion is how it could potentially benefit athletes.
Indeed, some of the beneficial properties of CBD seem to be uniquely suited to athletes and could aid with sports performance and recovery. To explore this topic, let’s look at 3 ways CBD can help athletes…
1. It can help relieve muscular pain
Sport’s professionals often suffer from chronic acute pain. High-impact sports can lead athletes to develop musculoskeletal disorders that can sometimes cause lifelong pain.
So far, there is no real cure to these kinds of medical problems. Instead, athletes have to rely on physiotherapy and painkillers to relieve the pain and make these conditions more manageable.
CBD offers a potentially revolutionary alternative for dealing with chronic pain. Studies have shown that the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties can significantly reduce pain. It’s also non-toxic and non-addictive, which could make it a viable alternative for long-term use that athletes can use without having to worry about side effects.
2. It can boost appetite
Some studies have shown that CBD can stimulate the appetite. This could potentially be useful for professional weight lifters, bodybuilders, and MMA fighters that are trying to rapidly build muscle and need to consume a copious amount of calories.
Even for other sports that don’t require athletes to build muscle, such as cycling and running, CBD’s hunger-boosting properties could be beneficial. In these cardiovascular sports, athletes often burn a huge number of calories and need to consume a lot of food to make up for it. CBD could provide a way to boost appetite so that the athlete is better able to consume these extra calories.
3. It could help to guard against concussion
According to one study, CBD may be potentially useful as a neuroprotectant. It could be able to help prevent the damaging effects of concussion by disrupting the flow of chemicals. This could prove to be an invaluable preventative measure for athletes in sports like boxing, but more research is needed in order to verify this.
4. It can help athletes to achieve a calmer, more focused mindset
A final potential benefit worth mentioning is that CBD has been shown to be able to reduce anxiety and stress. Athletes that need to maintain a ‘winning mindset’ and remain calm and focused could potentially benefit from these effects. CBD has been shown to reduce stress levels, offering relief for anxious situations such as professional competitions.
