How to use CBD for exercise and muscle recovery

How to use CBD for exercise and muscle recovery

Millions of people engage in fitness and workout activities on a regular basis in order to improve the quality of their lives. Studies have shown how healthy physical activity directly affects a person’s mood and their long-term mental health.

However, fitness can also cause joint and muscle pain, especially following high intensity workouts. While post-workout aches and pains often go away after a few hours, some of those feelings can last days or even weeks. It’s these long-term post-workout effects that can disrupt a person’s quality of life.

If you’re someone who suffers from long-term post-workout afflictions, speak to your doctor about the intensity of the pain. In most cases, they’ll recommend therapeutic methods, such as sitting in a steamed sauna, to relax the body so it can heal the inflammation.

In today’s environment, many doctors are also recommending less traditional natural remedies. One of those recommendations is to use cannabinoid (CBD) to help soothe the pain.

Does CBD affect exercise?

Despite some misinformation about cannabinoids, CBD is an entirely different substance from THC. CBD does not make a person lazy, impact productivity, or cause the stereotypical “high” associated with marijuana use. Those feelings are affiliated with high concentrations of THC.

CBD, on the other hand, is an anti-inflammatory that provides noticeable relief of physical pain, reduces high blood pressure, and even provides mental health support for conditions like anxiety or depression. In fact, some bodybuilders admit taking CBD for exercise to help improve their frames of mind ahead of a busy training session, or for an upcoming physical event.

Is CBD good for muscle recovery?

Just as CBD for exercise can help guide the pre-workout frame of mind, it also helps soothe the postworkout aches and pains. As an anti-inflammatory, CBD can relieve the soreness and muscle aches caused by fitness routines. This allows people’s bodies to recover from intense workouts faster and with less lingering pain throughout the body

Should I take CBD before or after working out?

It really depends on your specific situation. Some people take CBD tablets for days or even weeks ahead of a particularly active fitness schedule to help prepare both the mind and the body for the upcoming regimens. Others will use CBD lotion following a workout to relieve the muscle inflammation and soreness that follows intense sessions.

Whether you choose a pre or post-workout dosage, it’s best to ease into using CBD to reduce inflammation. When ingested into the body, CBD supplements depleted levels of endocannabinoids,enabling the endocannabinoid system to function properly. The endocannabinoid system allows neurotransmitters in the body to alleviate pain or muscle aches, which is very important for active fitness buffs. However, it does take time to be effective.

Adding CBD to your workout routine also requires careful monitoring of doses to ingest the correct amount. In an article in Men’sHealth, experts recommend that bodybuilders begin with 1-6 milligrams of CBD for every 10 pounds of body weight based on the level of pain. An easier way to ease into it is to begin with 5-10 milligrams of  CBD for exercise per day, and then increase the dosage by the same amount until you feel the muscles easing in your body.

This process ensures you achieve the desired benefits of CBD without overwhelming the body with a new
substance in too short a frame of time.

Conclusion

CBD for exercise has many benefits for both the body and the mind. Gym rats benefit from CBD in both ways when applied correctly to workout routines.

Getting into and maintaining a strict fitness program requires focus and concentration. Easing postworkout muscle soreness and inflammation can make it easier to go about the rest of the day with less pain in the body. In either event, CBD products can vastly improve the quality of life for dedicated fitness enthusiasts. It’s worth adding into your routine.