A NASM certified professional trainer and former sprinter, Tara Laferrara, describes her experience with CBD to MensHealth.com, “As a personal trainer and someone that works out every day and pushes myself a lot, I noticed the biggest difference in inflammation and stress after a workout. It manages and prevents my joint inflammation, that aching feeling that I’d get after a heavy lift day.”
Laferrara came across CBD through her friends in the fitness industry. Just like Laferrara, many people have heard about the potential benefits of CBD on muscle repair, muscle building, and weight lifting.
However, there are still rumors and denial around CBD use. Most people are unsure whether the claimed benefits are real or marketing bait. If you go through some similar confusions, this article will help you explore the effects of CBD gummies from Sunday Scaries on weight lifting with scientific evidence.
CBD Oil for Weight Lifting
Have you heard of a cannabinoid from a cannabis plant that does not get you high? Yes, it is CBD or cannabidiol. It comes from hemp plants for most products, such as gummies, oil, tinctures, lotions, or capsules. It means that THC content in them is less than 0.3%.
It is the best option for those who want to consume Cannabis only for medical purposes without any intoxication. CBD enhances the functioning of natural cannabinoids found in the body.
Cannabidiol binds with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the Endocannabinoid system. This system manages the chemical and physical environment of the human body. It regulates critical processes, such as appetite, sleep, fertility, mood, and energy. So, it might affect all these processes and contribute to overall wellness.
Here are a few ways cannabidiol can help with weight lifting:
- By Providing Proper Sleep
Continuous muscle stretching during training sessions leads to inflammation, pain, and aches among most weightlifters. So, to recover from muscle strains and injuries, the human body requires sleep.
Unfortunately, the numbing pain obstructs most weightlifters from sleeping. Without sufficient rest, your body might fail to synthesize protein ( the building block of tissues ) into muscles. Moreover, sleep indirectly affects tissues of various body systems, such as growth and stress hormones, respiratory system, and immune system. If this happens with you, too, CBD might give you much-needed sleep. A Switzerland-based study, reported in Pharmaceuticals, compared the effectiveness of CBD with nitrazepam. Surprisingly, 160 mg of CBD improved sleep duration among volunteers.
Most researchers believe that cannabidiol does it by stimulating melatonin production, a chemical that directs the brain to prepare for sleep. So, consuming the gummies might make you sleep quickly.
- By Offering a Wave of Energy
If you lift heavy weights, low on energy is something you never want. It could slow down or reduce the timing of your workout sessions. That could take you a few steps away from your aim. It costs you much more than you could think.
Other than insufficient sleep, there could be other reasons for low energy, such as exhaustion, lethargy, and inadequate nutrition. You already know the possible benefit of it on sleep. But other than that, this product also regulates blood sugar levels, controlling insulin levels. Thus, the body converts more glucose into energy rather than fat. A study in 2014 reveals that it might work as a wake-promoting agent for humans.
- By Decreasing Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
A shared experience most weightlifters go through is a burning sensation that continues until the workout and stops after it. Then the pain revisits after hours and stays for several days. Well, this condition is known as Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness.
It happens because of stress on muscles to work harder, which results in damage to fibers. This condition gradually becomes a part of a weightlifter’s life. However, some may decide to give up training for a few days until the pain is over.
Being a weightlifter, you might also experience it frequently. Fortunately, CBD might help you here too. A review published in 2008 suggests that this drug might reduce chronic pain. Moreover, many bodybuilders ( who face DOMS too) reveal that CBD helps them restart their training sessions quickly by reducing DOMS faster.
Besides these, it might also help a weightlifter by weight management, reducing stress and anxiety, and boosting muscle recovery. Here, along with anecdotal evidence, several studies, researchers, and trials also support CBD. So, as a weight lifter, you might give it a try.
CBD Consumption Method for Weightlifter
Most people believe that consuming CBD oil is the best way to take advantage of it. While this is partially true, there is evidence showing the topical application’s effectiveness. For instance, a study in 2017 revealed a significant reduction in pain among rodents with osteoarthritis after topical use of CBD.
Dr. Mike T Nelson, an exercise physiologist, explains that sublingual use of the drug is probably best because it takes less time to reach the body’s metabolism. However, he also mentioned that data varies from person to person, and edibles might increase bioavailability.
So, you might conclude that there is no best way to consume your favorite drug. Here best is subjective. A sublingual application or CBD gummies could work well for a weightlifter who wants relaxation from anxiety. On the other hand, a topical application could work better for pain.
Austin Katz, the founder of Shea brand, suggests, “Topicals, sublingual oils, ingestible and vapes are all viable administration options, but you need to know how to use them as tools for your specific needs, rather than cure-alls. If the effects weren’t enough, up the dosage. If it worked for you first try, then next time try lowering the dosage in pursuit of a more cost-effective dosage. As you do this enough times with various delivery systems, over time, you’ll develop an understanding of what works for you and how to get the most utility out of it.”
Conclusion
Though CBD is only away from an atom arrangement to THC, these two cannabinoids significantly differ. For a weightlifter, intoxication is mostly not the primary purpose to consume Cannabis. So, cannabidiol is a perfect option. Moreover, you should not worry about the legality of the substance. The farm bill legalized it in the United States. Moreover, a professional weight lifter could also consume cannabidiol because it is no longer on prohibited compounds by the World Anti-Doping Agency. So, get that medal with the support of will and proper CBD gummies dosage.