CBD and Pain Management for Athletes
There’s been no shortage of news surrounding the Olympics in Tokyo. First, there was speculation about whether it would even happen. Back in June, President Seiko Hashimoto said he was “100 percent” certain the games would go on starting July 23. Since it’s closer to that date, we can affirm – The 2020 Summer Olympics are on like Donkey Kong. And now, another winner is about to be crowned: CBD. That’s right – CBD for athletes is going mainstream with official adoption by the Olympic Council.
The Olympic Committee actually gave CBD the thumbs-up in January of 2020. However, a certain global event just two months later completely overshadowed this normally newsworthy information. The January decision means athletes participating in the summer games can rejoice with a new tool up their collective sleeves: CBD.
CBD isn’t just for Olympic athletes, though. CBD is for all people, and the compound may provide countless benefits to athletes of any level.
CBD for Athletes: How Can it Help?
In this section, we’ll look at the relationship between athletes and CBD. First, we’ll explore how athletes can use CBD to improve their performance. Then, we’ll cover some of the best CBD products to help them keep their edge.
CBD Oil for Athlete Recovery
For many athletes, pain control is an important aspect of performance. CBD may be able to help them in this regard. Some studies have begun to peer into how CBD can both help athletes recover after intense workouts and aid them in shaking off longer-term injuries.
While many of these studies are still preliminary, given CBD’s relatively recent cultural acceptance, they’re extremely promising. Three of the most important CBD benefits for athletes include:
CBD for Inflammation: significant evidence exists suggesting that CBD may be a potent anti-inflammatory aid. That’s important for athletes since inflammation is a constant enemy. This can help athletes overcome temporary injuries and discomfort, helping them boost their performance to the next level.
CBD Pain Relief: going along with inflammation, CBD’s possible analgesic (pain relief) properties also have a part to play in athlete recovery. Research has shown that CBD may be able to reduce the perception of pain, allowing athletes to focus on the task at hand without any nagging distractions. In fact, pain control is one of the longest-known CBD benefits. The ancient Chinese first used it to relieve minor aches and pains nearly 5,000 years ago. Today, some pain management consultants even specialize in CBD therapies.
CBD for Anxiety: even the best gets nervous sometimes. But with CBD, they may not have to. Research suggests that CBD may act as a buffer against a variety of different types of anxiety. For many, that means easing pregame jitters and keeping their head in the game. But that’s not all. CBD may also help combat anxiety disorders like PTSD. That could be a boon for athletes suffering from trauma after a horrific injury and give them the solace they need to start practicing again.
Best CBD Products for Athletes
In general, athletes can take one of two courses of action when choosing CBD products. Both address different needs, and neither is perfect.
CBD Topicals: if you’re looking for fast-acting, targeted relief, CBD topicals are the way to go. One of the benefits of CBD cream, lotion, rub, and more is that you can apply it directly to the part of your body that needs relief. Sore shoulder? Slather some lotion over. Tough fall? Apply a CBD topical to your knees and experience nearly instant relief. Many CBD topicals also feature heating and cooling effects for added effectiveness.
Oral CBD: for full-body relief, orally consumed CBD is the way to go. One of the benefits of CBD tincture, oil, and other oral products is that they spread their effects from your fingers to your toes. It’s also beneficial for easing anxiety since you can’t exactly apply a cannabis topical to the part of the body responsible for that. Just don’t overdo it since CBD can sometimes make you a little sleepy. One shortfall of oral CBD is its slow onset time. Swallowing CBD means it must past through your entire digestive tract before affecting you. That could take up to an hour maybe longer depending on what you’ve consumed. To circumvent this, apply CBD oil directly beneath your tongue and leave it there for a few minutes. You’ll feel its effects in no time!
While these are two of the best application methods for athletes, they’re not the only ones available. You could vape CBD or even smoke CBD flower, although both of those options may not lead to the best performance.
Best CBD Oil for Athletes
Although Olympic athletes no longer need to worry about testing positive for CBD, testing positive for THC is another story. That’s true for the rest of us, too. Failing a THC test administered by a university athletic department, job, or any other entity can be catastrophic. And when the majority of CBD products on the market contain at least trace amounts of THC (up to 0.3 percent), choosing the wrong one poses a significant risk.
But don’t worry – we’ve got your back! At Relive Everyday, we’ve customized our recipes to these exact kinds of situations. That’s why our CBD products feature nondetectable THC levels. In fact, all of our products have less than 1 part per million, which isn’t enough to trigger most drug tests.
So go ahead, check out our inventory of infused CBD products. Once you find something you like, order it shipped directly to your home. We take pride in helping athletes and everyone else live their best day every day!