It’s a new year, and if you have made a resolution to improve your fitness, you may want to check out a new potential partner: CBD. Whether you’re new to your fitness game or ready to move to the next level, here are some reasons to consider CBD.
Why CBD for fitness?
At the risk of boring you with repetition, I’m going to once again point out that every body already has an endocannabinoid system (ECS), complete with CB1 and CB2 receptors that maintain homeostasis throughout our bodies. When you consume CBD oil, your ECS gets a boost to keep things humming along normally.
CBD from hemp can be a powerful fitness supplement. Before a workout, it can give you an energy boost that can augment your fitness regimen. CBD prior to a workout has been shown to help with endurance by stimulating the ECS. Scientists have also found that CBD directly interacts with the TRPV-1 receptor and is known to mediate pain perception, inflammation and body temperature. In combination with other sources of nutrition, CBD is considered better than certain well-known amino acids and supplements.
CBD topicals and muscle recovery
Let’s face it, when you go full bore into your fitness program, it exacts a bit of a toll on your body. Short- or long-term pain can ensue. Research has shown that CBD is a natural when treating temporary to chronic pain. It works by binding to the CB1 and CB2 receptors that I mentioned above. The bonding helps to boost the immune and nervous system, helping to manage pain by curtailing absorption of anandamide, a messenger molecule associated with pain.
In fact Bomi Joseph, Ph.D., director of the Peak Health Foundation says, “CBD tends to regulate and normalize receptors in your muscles and in your spleen, your kidney and your liver.” In addition, CBD is a known anti-inflammatory, which is also a precursor to pain from overwork. Topicals applied directly to localized areas of pain quickly absorb into the muscles to begin to soothe pain from overwork or strain. CBD oil ingested makes its way through the system, taking a bit longer to help alleviate pain. But, both can help aid muscle recovery.
CBD as a sleep aid
We all know how important a good night’s rest is to our physical and mental well-being. While you sleep, your body replenishes and restores itself. However, sleep can be elusive if you’re in pain or are anxious. CBD has been shown to react with centers in the brain to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. Plus if anxiety over an upcoming competition or game is keeping you awake, CBD may help reduce nervousness, discomfort, and anxiety—and improve cognitive function—giving you the mental edge you need to compete.
Why try CBD to improve your fitness?
In addition to helping relieve pain, CBD as a supplement offers a powerhouse of nutrition; always a fitness benefit.
Not only is CBD oil a complete protein, it has all 22 essential fatty acids, plus the nine essential fatty acids bodies are unable to produce on their own. These essential fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6, are crucial to so many functions. You need omega 3 to help create hormones that regulate inflammation and monitor expansion and contraction in your heart’s arteries. Omega-6 fatty acids direct brain function and normal growth and development. They also stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain your reproductive system. Plus, the omega 3 and 6 in CBD is an optimal ratio, 4:1 so you don’t get too much of one and not enough of the other. It’s all about balance.
The best part about CBD is the lack of side effects. You can use it without getting high—it’s nonpsychoactive—or becoming addicted. All while helping you meet your 2020 fitness goals.
So there you have it, a new workout partner that boosts energy, improves endurance, and is a great recovery agent. What’s not to love?