CBD has been growing in popularity recently, with many people associating it with various benefits, some of which are backed up by scientific studies. One of the often-overlooked uses of CBD is in relieving the pain following workouts and helping with overall recovery. It is no secret that many people use CBD to try to relieve pain, but not everyone thinks about this in terms of workout-related pain.
Learn more about CBD in relation to pain and workout recovery to see whether you should consider adding it to your recovery routine.
CBD Can Reduce Pain and Inflammation
Anyone who has exercised knows that when you do an intense workout, your muscles will feel it the next day. This muscular pain is the result of you pushing your joints and muscles, stressing them and causing inflammation. Multiple studies have shown that CBD has the potential to relieve pain, as does cannabis as a whole plant.
Some of this research has specifically looked at joint pain, which is a common complaint following an intense workout. That 2017 study examined cannabis as a whole but mentioned that CBD was one of the components of cannabis that led to this pain relief. There was also a 2014 study that showed that cannabinoids like CBD help to relieve pain by interacting with the body’s glycine receptors.
CBD Can Help Muscles Recover
In addition to its ability to relieve pain associated with intense workouts or other causes, CBD could help give your muscles the chance to recover. You likely already incorporate rest days into your workouts or at least switch targeted muscle groups, and if not, you should. You also likely try to eat protein after working out to give your body protein to build muscle.
Adding CBD to this process could help speed up your recovery process, letting your muscles get back to normal without pain or inflammation more quickly.
CBD Is an Anti-Catabolic
This comes from CBD’s status as an anti-catabolic. As an anti-catabolic, CBD regulates the release of cortisol. This is crucial since cortisol, the stress hormone, is released following intense workouts and reduces protein synthesis. If too much is released, it could even stop new tissue from growing.
In other words, after an intense workout, if your body releases excess cortisol, you will not get the desired muscle growth and may actually see an increase in fat storage.
An anti-catabolic prevents this from happening. In turn, it boosts muscle regeneration and protein synthesis.
CBD Can Help with Sleep
Part of your recovery period from working out is getting enough sleep, as rest is when your body works to repair your muscles. Some people fail to see results when working out because they cannot get enough sleep, whether due to anxiety, insomnia, or another problem.
CBD has been shown to help with sleep, and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it helps those with insomnia. A 2014 study showed its ability to reduce symptoms associated with a REM sleep disorder.
Conclusion
Adding CBD to your workout recovery routine could help you reduce post-workout pain and inflammation, encourage your muscles to recover more quickly, and ensure you get a good night’s sleep, so your body can fully recover.
