With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD products have become widely available. They come in the form of gummies, soft gels, ointments, salves, and tinctures and more. CBD is also making waves in the health and fitness industries. Everyone from those who want to fight the signs of aging to those looking to up their fitness game is cashing in on CBD. 

But can CBD help the average person with their fitness? It can! Most fitness gurus and athletes agree on the beneficial properties of CBD, but for those who want to know exactly what effect CBD can have on stamina and performance, read on. 

Don’t Exercise While High

The first thing to cover is the differentiation between THC and CBD. Both come from the cannabis plant, but they are two very different cannabinoids. THC is responsible for the “high” that most people associate with cannabis. CBD, however, does not produce a psychoactive effect, but does have some beneficial properties which we’ll talk about below.

When obtaining a source for your CBD product, keep in mind that you will want a place that can tell you where the plant was grown, how the CBD was extracted, and so on. Most dispensaries list this information on the package. Reputable websites like TheAmsterdam are good sources if you don’t have a dispensary nearby. Since hemp and its extracts are now legal, CBD is fully legal as well as long as it has less than .03% THC. 

Any CBD product you buy should have information on the THC content. If you live in a legalized state, be careful of buying products that have THC if you plan to work out while using them. It could affect your judgment.

CBD Reduces Pain and Inflammation

Let’s face it, exercise can be painful, especially for someone just beginning a fitness regimen. After all, we are tearing down and rebuilding muscle tissue. This can produce inflammation, which leads to the sensation of pain. CBD can help with this effect. CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. Although the jury is out as to exactly when CBD should be taken to maximize benefits, before a workout session or after, there is little argument about the anti-inflammatory properties. 

Cannabis has been associated with pain relief for millennia. It helps to relieve inflammation as well as the pain that can come with the condition. Using a spot-relief balm, lotion, or cream post-workout can help to ease the pain in tender joints and muscles. It can also aid the relaxation of tense muscles in the back and neck. 

Stress Relief

Feelings of anxiety are one of the top reasons that many people are turning towards CBD today. The effects of CBD on the endocannabinoid system include increasing the efficiency of the system. This can put the body into a natural state of homeostasis, which can lead to feelings of relaxation and have powerful anxiolytic properties. 

Get Better Sleep

There’s no denying the incredible effects that a good night’s sleep can have on a person’s body. With better sleep comes better performance in all areas, including fitness. Although more research is needed, CBD has the potential to help people get more sleep, and this can be especially beneficial from those who suffer from sleep disorders or insomnia. 

Muscle Recovery

Resistance training creates tiny tears in your muscle tissue. These small tears lead to inflammation, which triggers our receptors to send pain signals to the brain. The brain then sends signals to your cells to begin repairing the tissue, building it up stronger. In times when an athlete pushes it too far and becomes injured, fitness gains can be stalled or even lost. 

The anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD products can help to aid in this recovery. By reducing inflammation and pain, CBD oil may help to speed the process of recovery for athletes, leading to less downtime and lessened fitness losses. 

Can CBD Boost Performance? 

Here is where the fitness benefits of CBD come under fire. Some people have anecdotal stories of how CBD boosted their athletic abilities and made them feel more energetic. However, scientific or medical research to back this up is limited right now. However, given the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, having a quicker post-workout and injury recovery can boost fitness benefits overall. 

CBD is most definitely not a miracle cure for fitness, health, or wellness issues. However, with the properties of stress relief, better sleep, pain and inflammation reduction, and easier post-workout recovery, CBD does have its place in the fitness industry. Take care in choosing a CBD product, as the FDA has found that the amount of CBD in a product sometimes differed from what was on the label. You may also want to try out a variety of products, including salves, creams, tinctures, and edibles, to find out what works best for you.