The Must-Have Introductory Guide for all Things CBD-Fitness-Related
As a human being in the modern world, you’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase CBD before. And even further, as a fitness professional (of any capacity) who has a niche within the industry, you’ve also probably heard musings and whispering about CBD as it’s boldly begun integrating itself into our space.
But, what you might not truly know are the details surrounding CBD. Sure, you’ve heard of it, but do you know what it is? How it can benefit someone’s fitness journey? How exactly it even fits into the fitness world?
If you’re unsure of how all of these things co-exist, that’s OK—that’s exactly why we compiled this 101 guide to give you all the introductory CBD & fitness info you need! Because, like it or not, CBD has made its grand entry into the fitness, health, and wellness niches.
On board or not, you’re definitely going to have to field questions at some point—get to educating yourself with the basics!
What Exactly is CBD & How Does it Fit Into Fitness?
It sounds kind of contradictory, right? Fitness and weed—they don’t really seem to go together.
But that’s just the thing—CBD isn’t weed. Well, not the weed you’re thinking of, anyway. (We bet you’re conjuring up a mental image of a smoky college dorm room where red-eyed youths are passing around a funny lookin’ cigarette).
CBD is very much not that at all.
CBD oil, the shorter name for cannabidiol, is one of the naturally occurring compounds that are found in (and extracted from) the cannabis sativa plant. You might think you don’t know a thing about cannabinoids, but in all likelihood, you probably do. Like we said, there are several cannabinoids that can be extracted from a cannabis sativa plant—the two most common are CBD and THC.
CBD is a compound that’s taken from the cannabis plant that does not get you high. Instead, CBD is said to have therapeutic benefits for both body and mind. THC, on the other hand, is the cannabinoid extracted that makes you feel—well, let’s just say silly.
Here’s the thing about CBD right now—it’s everywhere.
That’s all well and good—but how exactly does CBD fit into the fitness world?
CBD is considered by several professionals to be useful in the fitness realm for several reasons—it’s said to reduce inflammation, provide relief for aches and sore muscles, distract from pain during (and prior to) workouts, and even act as a mood booster to help you get a better workout while you’re doing it.
The Benefits of CBD in Fitness
Everyone has their own opinions about how CBD fits into fitness, but overall, there are a few reoccurring theories that continually pop up when it comes to CBD and fitness.
Reduced
For starters, CBD supposedly helps to relieve inflammation.
Why? It supposedly targets your pain receptors and the inflammation to provide you with relief—and fast. For that reason, people also believe it to be an exceptional boost for recovery time.
Minimized Recovery Time
Feeding right off that last point, we’re going to dive right into this one—CBD is said to help shorten recovery time. By that, we don’t mean CBD is going to remedy an injury quicker (a sprained ankle is a sprained ankle, guys), but we do mean that it’s said that CBD can help your muscles recover much quicker after a tough workout.
That means, in theory, you’re back to your fitness regimen sooner rather than later.
Mood Booster
When we say that CBD is a mood booster, we want to be clear—we are not saying it’s like THC with it’s silly, psychoactive effects. No, CBD will not get you high, but it will likely help boost your mood a bit. It’s possible that CBD can help to heighten your mood and help you to enjoy repetitive motions more than you would if you weren’t using CBD.
Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Cardio day just got a whole lot more exciting.
Pain Distraction and Reduction
It’s suggested (not proven, by the way) that CBD can help athletes and fitness enthusiasts distract themselves from pain while it’s happening. The idea behind this is that CBD can help to intercept pain signals to your brain and also help distract your mind from current pain. Further, CBD is said to help produce a more alert and focused feeling (kind of like coffee, though, supposedly without the caffeine buzz).
As you probably already know, CBD is said to help reduce pain (from temporary to chronic). So, not only is it credited for blocking pain signals to distract your brain, but it’s also said to inhibit your body’s absorption of anandamide (a compound that’s directly associated with pain regulation).
The result? CBD is said to sort of help quiet the pain receptors in your brain that might be working on overdrive, gifting you a little relief.
Anything Else I Should Know About CBD?
This little intro guide is that just—an intro into things you, a fitness enthusiast, should know about CBD and why it’s becoming an integral part of the industry.
But for now, here are a few more general need-to-know facts about CBD and fitness.
