Using CBD as a Workout Recovery Tool

By October 7, 2019CBD

The effectiveness of your workout session is all in the milestones that you make. Ideally, you should do a little bit today, and some more tomorrow. By the end of a week or a month, you will have made unimaginable progress. Sadly, sticking to the specific milestones is easier said than done, and oftentimes, you might find yourself too fatigued to proceed on to the next day.

Sure, it is always advisable to leave some recovery time between workout sessions to allow your body to refresh, but how effective are your recovery sessions? Remember, the more rejuvenated your body is before every workout, the longer you can proceed with future workout sessions and the further you can go.

Lucky for you, taking CBD in between workout sessions can improve how your body recovers from strenuous exercise. It all trickles down to how CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system.

Here is how CBD can help improve your workout sessions:

What Leads To Muscle Fatigue

The rubbing of muscles during workout sessions triggers a condition known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This causes the tearing of the muscles, which often leads to fatigue. As the damage continues, your muscles are bound to get inflamed. It becomes difficult for the muscles to heal before the inflammation is eased. Once the inflammation ceases, you will feel refreshed, making it easier to work out some more.

CBD in A Nutshell

CBD oil tends to be an extract from the cannabis or hemp plant. It is part of a diversity of cannabinoids that influence the body’s endocannabinoid system, supporting the different functions of the body. Other than being readily absorbed by the body, the oil is low risk, well-tolerated, making it a perfect solution for post-workout routines.

Unlike its counterpart- THC- CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning that it won’t make you feel ‘high.’ While research points to it helping battle a diversity of diseases and chronic conditions, there are still more benefits being discovered about the oil.

Taking CBD for Pain and Inflammation

Inflammation and pain are normal when working towards a fit lifestyle. Ideally, CBD influences the human endocannabinoid system, which has two cannabinoid receptors- CB1 and CB2. CBD has shown to have a dominant impact on the CB2 receptors, which can be found in the central nervous system.

When CBD interacts with the CB2 receptors, it has the ability to influence the immune system, and regulate inflammation and pain. This can help treat both short term and long term pain, including joint pains that occur after working out. The trick lies in the intricacies of when you take the CBD oil.

Also, unlike normal pain medication, CBD oil has little to no side effects. This makes it a great replacement for painkillers.

CBD Oil for Muscle Recovery

The fact that strenuous workout sessions lead to muscle damage makes post-workout routines an essential part of your fitness journey. Most people take a day off from working out, seek enough sleep and even take muscle-building proteins after each session. All these practices can improve your muscle recovery, and adding CBD oil into your post-workout arsenal will further improve the effects of these practices.

When working out, your body produces hormone cortisol- the stress hormone. Since the hormone is catabolic, it might inhibit protein synthesis and even prevent tissue regeneration. If your last workout session was long or extra intense, the hormone can both increase the amount of fat your body stores and inhibit the growth of your muscles.

Luckily, CBD is anti-catabolic, which means that it helps regulate the level of cortisol released. In turn, this reduction in cortisol production paves the way for protein synthesis and encourages the regeneration of your muscles.

CBD and Sleep

Sleep plays a pivotal role when it comes to the recovery of your body after intense workout sessions. When you fall asleep, your body works on growing and repairing your muscles. Sadly, failure to get enough sleep will often result in you being too sore to work out the next day, not to mention, reducing your productivity.

Luckily, CBD improves your sleep patterns in two ways. First, it helps regulate the production of the hormone cortisol- the stress hormone. As long as your body is less stressed, it becomes easier to fall asleep. This also helps to eliminate anxiety, which can be a significant sleep inhibitor.

Second, CBD will make it easy for you to reach REM sleep. In a nutshell, REM sleep plays a pivotal role in setting up optimal conditions for muscle repair and recovery.

How to Include CBD into Your Post-Workout Routine

While it is completely safe, CBD can interact with different medications in a variety of ways. As a result, it is essential to talk to your doctor before deciding to add it to your exercise regimen, especially if you are on medication. It might also help to consult a specializing cannabis doctor to get recommendations around the products to use and dosage.

Once you have the go-ahead, you can experiment with the different CBD products to identify the product that fits your best. Ideally, CBD can be taken in a variety of ways, including through drops, gummies, vapes, capsules and topical solutions. Choose the most convenient way for you. For instance, CBD gummies might be a great option if you want to take it in a subtle way throughout the day.

As for the dosage, feel free to follow the recommendations included in the packaging of the CBD oil product you are taking, unless you have consulted a specializing cannabis doctor. However, if you do not feel the results, you can always ramp up your dosage. Start with a small dosage and observe how your body reacts to it. Increase the dosage until you get the ideal outcomes.

Regulations and CBD

Different states have different regulations concerning CBD. It is wise to check on the regulations of your state before you buy it. Also, be careful when checking the content of your CBD oil. Since FDA is only just beginning to impose rules on the CBD industry, it can be easy to be duped. That’s why it pays to buy your CBD from reputable brands.

Fatigue and muscle tear should not have to stop you from achieving your workout goals. With a little bit of rest and a post-workout regimen that includes CBD, it will be easy for your body to recover. Feel free to use CBD to revolutionize your workout journey.

 

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