People who are serious about their health and sports are constantly looking for ways to enhance their high-performance workouts. Now, with the progressive rise in popularity of CBD consumption, cannabis is gaining momentum in the sports, fitness, and bodybuilding communities. More and more people are adjusting their diets and daily supplements with vitamins, protein shakes, and cannabidiol.
Before you can make an informed decision about whether to add CBD to your routine, you need to understand what CBD is and why this cannabinoid can improve physical performance. CBD comes from hemp, or cannabis, plants. Before you stop reading because you don't want to use an illegal drug, you should know that CBD and medicinal cannabis substances are not illegal in most countries and are accepted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which recently removed CBD from its list of prohibited substances.
How can CBD improve my athletic performance?
Building muscle is one of the most difficult tasks for a bodybuilder, elite athlete, or any fitness enthusiast. Naturally, our bodies cannot continue generating muscle past a certain point. Anabolic hormones in the body cause growth, while catabolic hormones result in muscle breakdown. To slow muscle breakdown, anti-catabolic nutrients are needed to aid muscle retention, as catabolic hormones in the body break down muscle mass. To reverse this process, a person needs to take anti-catabolic supplements. CBD supplements can help people achieve their goals, improve their performance, and improve their condition by reducing the catabolic hormones present in the body. With fewer catabolic hormones, the body will not be able to break down muscle mass as quickly, allowing a person to increase their muscle mass.
But what comes to mind when you think about how long it takes to accumulate 10 kg of muscle mass? To achieve the desired optical result, training sessions can take months to years. Building and maintaining muscle is often a difficult challenge for some people. It requires intense exercise, a proper diet, a willing body, and a good, healthy, and disciplined lifestyle. Because the body sometimes has to reach its limits under these conditions, many unfortunately turn to anabolic steroids. For these reasons, it is sometimes recommended to avoid caffeine while using CBD supplements. Caffeine can increase cortisol levels, which is especially counterproductive if you are an athlete.
What happens if you don't lift weights for a month or if you are sick or injured?
Much of what you've built and trained can be lost in days and weeks. This is due to the catabolic hormones described above. They cause muscle mass to decrease because it takes a lot of energy to maintain it. The more energy you consume, the harder it is for your body to maintain this level, and your body's only will is to survive. For this reason, you must exercise regularly to maintain the strength and size of your muscles and your training progress. Catabolism is very difficult to avoid when it comes to building muscle. One way to be anti-catabolic is to use the natural dietary supplement CBD oil (cannabis oil).
Studies have shown that CBD can have an anti-catabolic effect. This can be very beneficial for fitness enthusiasts looking to build and maintain muscle, as CBD can be a natural component of dietary supplements.
CBD helps create an information transmission system, and cannabinoid receptors respond seamlessly to the body's agonists. Normally, an agonist sends a message to the receptor, which in turn responds by inducing a series of tasks that help improve cannabinoid function.
How does CBD help in sports?
- Control of cortisol levels
CBD can both increase and decrease cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone produced in the adrenal gland. When the body is under stress, too much cortisol is produced, which generally has a negative effect on the body. Therefore, excessive cortisol levels are particularly detrimental to athletes, as it can lead to high blood pressure and, in the worst case, muscle loss. By including CBD, you can not only increase the quantity, but also the quality.
- Strengthens bones
Studies published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research have shown that CBD can accelerate the healing of bone fractures and stimulate bone-forming cells, which are efficient for bone formation. Lysyl hydroxylase is a very important enzyme when it comes to bone healing. Studies have been conducted on rats, with the result that after 8 weeks of taking CBD, the biomechanical properties and strength of bones were significantly strengthened. Therefore, it is especially important for athletes to strengthen their bones overall after an accident or possible fracture to improve performance and prevent injury.
- Recovery and inflammation
One of CBD's most important properties is its anti-inflammatory properties. Athletes are often exposed to inflammation due to intense training and physical overload. By using CBD, the body can achieve faster recovery and relief in a very short time.
In addition to all the excellent properties that cannabis oil offers to people in general, it can also have an effect on the most significant regeneration of the body, which is the most essential for all athletes, sportsmen, and bodybuilders: sleep.
Getting a good night's rest is one of the key factors in helping a person lose weight and build muscle. Using CBD oil can also help you get much better sleep, so you're fit, full of stamina, and energetic for the next day. Anyone who doesn't get enough rest has a body that isn't functioning properly. This means a person's body can't burn energy properly or help them build muscle properly. CBD has been shown to help some people regain sleep. Another great benefit of CBD is that it doesn't have the addictive and side effects found in some sleep medications on the market.
Anyone trying to become healthier by including exercise in their daily routine will want to do some research on CBD supplements. While there hasn't been much research in recent years, the studies that have been conducted have shown significant potential for enthusiastic players and athletes.