Most athletes are looking for new and innovative ways to help them recover quickly. One recovery method has been gaining a lot of publicity in recent times – cannabidiol. How can this help with athletic recovery? We thought we would take a look at this in a little more detail.
Help with Inflammation
Many athletes are prone to a little bit of inflammation, according to RunnersWorld.com. Some inflammation can actually be good for athletes, as it helps to contribute to more positive and effective training adaptations. On the other hand, if there is a little too much inflammation, this can negatively affect recovery times and in turn, negatively impact performance.
How does this work? Well, it is to do with CB2 receptors which can be found in the brain, as well as the immune tissues. When cannabidiol interacts with these CB2 receptors, they seem to exert an effect of reducing inflammation. This is due to the fact that there is a reduction in cytokine (cell messenger) production.
Reduction in the Use of NSAIDs
It is a matter of fact that athletes have been using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (more commonly known as NSAIDs) like ibuprofen for pain for many years. But, there is mounting evidence which shows that these NSAIDS are not all that safe when used on a long term basis. For example, runners are advised to avoid taking NSAIDs because of the chance of renal damage. Some studies have been proposed that NSAIDs increase the chances of heart attack and stroke. By using cannabidiol as an alternative to NSAIDs, athletes have noticed that their pain has been eliminated, without the side effects produced by NSADs.
Alternative to Dangerous and Addictive Opioids
Data released by the CDC found that over 40,000 deaths came as a result of opioid overdose in the US alone. While opioids such as morphine and codeine are effective at targeting long term pain, they are highly addictive and come with a lot of side effects. While cannabidiol is not as powerful as opioids for the most severe of pains, they offer a viable alternative for athletes who are looking to wean themselves off these addictive opioids.
For more information on using cannabidiol for athletic recovery, we would recommend that you check out https://merryjane.com/health/why-cbd-is-quickly-becoming-a-recovery-tool-for-athletes. Have you used cannabidiol for athletic recover? If so, let us know how you found using it, as an alternative to the likes of NSAIDs and opioids.
Thanks to MerryJane.com for their advice in this article.