CBD For Sports & Muscle Recovery

Did you know that CBD may be a beneficial pre- or post-workout supplement? This was yet another unexpected bonus for me (Kara). Have you ever taken an intense boot camp class and felt like your toilets had been replaced with toddler potties? For the next few days, you cringe and wince while slowly easing yourself down… you feel it every time you stand up, sit down, get out of the car, tie your shoes… I know you know what I’m talking about!

Exercise and active sports can take a toll on your body. Everything from yoga to weightlifting to marathon training can cause undue stress and inflammation in and around your joints, resulting in tense and painful muscles. Muscle recovery and relief from inflammation don’t always happen quickly, which is why many athletes are now even looking to CBD to get them moving again. We have semi-pro athletes as customers now feeling the same relief that I was surprised to find.

How May CBD Be Beneficial After Workouts?

As far as recovery supplements go, CBD benefits are particularly useful for relieving the stresses that sports and exercise put on your body. It all comes down to the mode of CBD delivery in the endocannabinoid system which is why an American Shaman product, with its high absorbency rate, is so effective.

Here’s how it works: Within your nervous system are two main cannabinoid “receptors,” called CB1 and CB2. When you consume CBD, you activate the receptors in CB2, which helps regulate your immune system. Inflammation is an immune response; consider it the body’s natural reaction to stress, injury, or infection. While CBD alone can’t reduce inflammation directly, it can support the functions that do. Taking CBD can be beneficial for sports and muscle recovery, in turn helping athletes, gym rats like me, and weekend boot camp warriors bounce back quicker than they might have otherwise.

But wait, there’s more! Remember those CB1 receptors? They help regulate things like mood, memory, sleep, and appetite, and are more affected by THC than CBD. However, many customers, (myself included) have found that CBD has helped them get that much needed deep natural sleep that, as a life-long insomniac, I never imagined would be so consistent. It seems obvious but I can attest that when your sleep gets regulated, so many things fall into place and muscle recovery is just one of them. Inflammation is where CBD really shines because it’s an immune response and therefore, reacts more to CBD and stimulation of CB2 receptors.

Let’s take a closer look at that inflammatory response as it relates to muscle recovery..

CBD has long been praised for its ability to help control pain and inflammation following that beating our bodies take in the gym.  Inflammation is part of the body’s normal response to the stress of intense exercise and is actually the sign of active healing which is positive but the muscle soreness and joint pain that come with it aren’t so fun to deal with, especially if you’re trying to stay on a consistent routine. The ability to help soothe this post-workout problem, to me, was one of the many unexpected bonus benefits I’ve found in taking CBD because I like to push some heavy weights 4 to 6 days a week.

Inflammation is a normal part of being active, and it’s natural to want safe, therapeutic relief. CBD is non-toxic and non-habit-forming and best of all, you don’t build up a tolerance to it. Unlike THC, which is also used to reduce post-workout inflammation, CBD has no psychoactive effects. It’s these properties that make CBD such a useful tool for both general and professional athletes alike. For this reason, WADA’s has shown support in their recent decision to no longer consider CBD a prohibited substance. And, let’s not forget about the post-Masters hype regarding the CBD gum use by Tiger Woods and other pro-golfers. I don’t know if it was ever confirmed but it makes sense. If I ever have jitters before giving a speech or teaching a class, I find the gum, vape or gummies extremely effective in calming my nerves so that I don’t have shake-voice going on. I would imagine chewing CBD gum would do the same for these pros who are under such immense pressure so they can focus and do what they know they’re capable of without their nerves sabotaging them.

In conclusion, working out is important for your overall health and well-being, and while post-workout inflammation is part of getting stronger, it doesn’t have to slow you down for long. If you’re interested in trying CBD for sports and muscle recovery, a product with a quick delivery method that can get to work when you do is important. American Shaman’s water soluble is more bio-available than oil, lasts longer in the body and has a fast absorption rate. Also, the anti-inflammatory cream is perfect for those specific areas where you need fast relief. This way you can tackle the inflammation from the inside out as well as the outside in. CBD for the win, once again!