Recover from Pain and Run Again- How Is CBD Helpful for Athletes

CBD helps relieve sciatic nerve pain, reduces inflammation, and relaxes the body after strenuous athletic activities. This article discusses the vital roles of CBD in athletes’ health.

CBD products are flooded in the market today due to the legalization of the compound by the food and drug administration. Although studies on CBD are still ongoing, it has proven effective for different health conditions. Exercises are essential for a healthy life; however, they can leave you with muscle or nerve pain. For example, athletes always exercise to keep fit but tend to have different forms of mild or severe pain. Apart from muscle soreness, they have frequent sciatic nerve pain, which forces them to use various drugs to ease the pain; the drugs tend to have different side effects, including addiction. However, CBD is studied for its natural pain-relieving properties that provide a safer alternative to pharmacological drugs. Learn more about do terpenes help with pain?

Basic about CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound derived from the cannabis or hemp plant. The compound is widely used for its therapeutic effect on the body, including pain relief and alleviating anxiety. Hemp-derived CBD is considered legal since the plant has a high amount of CBD, whereas cannabis has a high percentage of THC, which alters the user's mental state. Watt& Karl (2017) opined that THC is the most known marijuana compound with psychoactive properties.

CBD does not always cause high feelings; people think CBD is hallucinogenic due to its association with the cannabis plant.

CBD and Pain

As aforementioned, CBD can relieve chronic and acute pain. This ability is used in the UK and Canada to treat arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The two health conditions are characterized by unmanageable pain. Sativex, a CBD drug, relieves pain by mimicking everyday prescription drugs. The cannabis derivative interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors in the body to correct imbalances caused by pain and muscle inflammation. These receptors are found in the brain, skin, and nerves, where they detect multiple types of pain, including, but not limited to, sciatic nerve pain.

Sciatic Nerve Pain

The sciatic nerve is the longest in the human body; the nerve runs from the lower back to the toes. Any inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerves results in severe or acute pain; the pain affects athletic performance if left untreated. Drugs like opioids are prescribed to ease sciatic nerve pain. However, these drugs have different side effects, including being addictive. Linher-Melville et al. (2020) noted that CBD has effective for sciatic nerve pain; it is a natural remedy that is gentle to the body and has fewer side effects.

Other Health Benefits of CBD

Relax the Body

CBD is believed to relax the body and the mind after an intense period of exercise. Mattagajasingh et al. (2007) posited that the cannabis derivative promotes vascular relaxation by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. This enhances relaxation not only in the muscles but also in the brain nerves, resulting in a good night’s sleep. When your body is relaxed, it activates the well-functioning of different body organs and alerts all the body senses.

General Pain Relief

Athletes develop muscle soreness which requires the use of painkillers. Überall (2020), CBD efficiently manages chronic and local pain; it can also soothe and calm the body muscles. Most CBD pain products are designed for topical application. The product is skin friendly and thus can be applied directly to the affected area providing fast relief.

Alleviate Mental Disorders

The number of people having different mental issues is increasing daily. García-Gutiérrez et al. (2020) suggested that CBD can reduce and treat mental disorders, including anxiety, stress, and depression. When your mind is unsettled, you develop poor concentration and irregular sleep patterns.

Reduce Inflammation

Among the major health benefits of CBD is its anti-inflammatory effect. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors in the skin to provide relief for different skin conditions. Therefore, it is infused in most skin care products to treat conditions, including acne. Pellati et al. (2018) stated that CBD’s anti-inflammatory property can reduce the appearance of inflammation on the skin surface. Also, it is reliable for preventing internal swelling. The cannabis derivative has antibacterial and antifungal properties that suppress bacterial and fungal infections.

CBD Dosage for Pain

CBD is not approved for medical uses except for epilepsy; therefore, most products come with instructions on the dosage and how to use it, depending on the condition being treated. There is no specific dosage for pain because people react differently to CBD due to body weight, mode of administration, concentration, and tolerance.

However, it is advisable to consult your doctor since CBD might interact with other medications; medical advice will also help you determine the type of CBD for your condition. Start low and gradually increase the dosage to your desire. This will help you determine the exact dosage you need for the problem.

Most CBD for pain products come in topical form, but they can also be used as tablets and capsules.

CBD products are flooded in the market, making it hard select high quality products. It Look for the source of CBD, mode of extraction, and the certificate of analysis (COA).

Conclusion

Exercises are essential for the healthy well-being of the body. However, depending on your workout type and frequency, they might cause mild to severe pain. CBD is reliable for pain relief, although there is no scientific proof of its effectiveness. Besides pain relief, CBD can help with health conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, inflammation, and body relaxation. Most online products are subjected to mislabelling. However, the source of CBD, extraction method, and certificate of analysis is an essential product for parameters for deciding on high-quality products.

 References

García-Gutiérrez, M. S., Navarrete, F., Gasparyan, A., Austrich-Olivares, A., Sala, F., &             Manzanares, J. (2020). Cannabidiol: a potential new alternative for treating            anxiety, depression, and psychotic disorders. Biomolecules, 10(11), 1575

Liner-Melville, K., Zhu, Y. F., Sidhu, J., Parzei, N., Shahid, A., Shankar, G., ... & Singh,     G. (2020). Evaluation of the preclinical analgesic efficacy of naturally derived,             orally administered oil forms of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol             (CBD), and their 1: 1 combination. PLoS One, 15(6), e0234176.

Mattagajasingh, I., Kim, C. S., Naqvi, A., Yamamori, T., Hoffman, T. A., Jung, S. B., ... & Irani, K. (2007). SIRT1 promotes endothelium-dependent vascular       relaxation by activating endothelial nitric oxide                  synthase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(37),                                       14855-14860.

Pellati, F., Borgonetti, V., Brighenti, V., Biagi, M., Benvenuti, S., & Corsi, L. (2018).            Cannabis sativa L. and nonpsychoactive cannabinoids: their chemistry and role         against oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer. BioMed research       international, 2018.

Überall, M. A. (2020). A review of scientific evidence for THC: CBD oromucosal spray             (nabiximols) in chronic pain management. Journal of pain research, 13, 399.

Watt, G., & Karl, T. (2017). In vivo evidence for therapeutic properties of cannabidiol       (CBD) for Alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 20.