CBD Workout & How CBD Affects Exercise

Now more than ever, getting out and keeping active is a crucial component of an overall healthy lifestyle, but what about doing a CBD workout?

It might sound odd to incorporate cannabis into your exercise routine. Still, CBD and CBD products have a super impressive track record of boasting several beautiful benefits for your body, including anti-inflammatory effects, pain management relief, and more!

It even has psychoactive compounds to help promote mental well-being, such as relieving anxiety and boosting mood.

Modern scientific research has only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to discovering what CBD can do, but the results so far are incredibly promising!

That said, what are the potential benefits that would make someone consider the idea to use CBD in their workout routine? Well, that’s what we’re here to discover with you!

Today, combining research-based and anecdotal evidence, we’ll be discussing how using CBD could help take your workout to new heights.

We’ll also discuss whether CBD can help with fitness workouts, when, either pre-workout, during the working out, or post-workout, is the best time to make use of CBD and confirm or dispel some of the facts and myths regarding cannabidiol (CBD) and its properties.

So, with all this information to cover, we better get started!

Is CBD Good for Fitness Training?

In recent years, CBD entered the cannabis market substantially and noticeably. Now, many cannabis lovers openly declare their admiration and appreciation for using CBD to treat a wide range of conditions and symptoms.

What tokers appreciate about cannabidiol is that it provides soothing relief while also being non-psychoactive. In other words, you can use it for its health benefits without worrying about losing any functionality or becoming ‘high.’

These manageable and relieving effects have prompted some to consider whether CBD could also serve as a helpful supplement in the fitness world.

In the context of a CBD workout, the reviews are somewhat mixed. However, most opinions are positive, with many athletes sharing anecdotal evidence surrounding how CBD has contributed to improved performance and faster recovery times.

On the flip side, its co-cannabinoid, THC, doesn’t have as stellar of a reputation when it comes to integrating it into a fitness workout.

For example, according to a 2017 study from the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, THC diminishes strength and lowers speed. Additionally, research from a 2018 study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine explains that THC is also likely to impact coordination, spatial awareness and risk assessment.

In other words, THC has the potential to inhibit athletes’ ability to determine how far to push themselves appropriately. Whether it be how much weight they can handle or how hard they should exert themselves, which could lead to some iffy, if not potentially unsafe situations.

However, as we said, CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive effects and wouldn’t impede users’ cognitive functioning or reasoning. In this sense, it actually may help make exercising more enjoyable without presenting any stress or anxiety-inducing scenarios where someone could get hurt.

That said, there is some debate surrounding when the best time to use CBD supplements or CBD oil is in the context of workouts.

CBD Before, During or After a Workout – Which is Best?

There’s a lot of information circulating about how taking CBD can help athletes improve their workout performance and aid in workout recovery, but when is the most optimal time to use it in your workout routine?

There are arguments to be made for the use of CBD at all stages, be it pre-workout, during exercise, or to help with post-workout recovery. We’ll discuss the alleged benefits for all below.

Benefits of CBD Pre-Workout

The biggest argument favouring using CBD before working out is its ability to boost energy.

Studies indicate that CBD displays a lot of promise as an effective “wake-promoting agent.” In simpler terms, it can help keep you feeling awake and alert. This theory is particularly applicable for daytime use, where CBD can interact with other hormones in your body to help you feel less tired.

Using CBD before a workout can also act as an effective pain relief method because of its proven role as an analgesic. Therefore, athletes can push themselves further during their training, with the side effects of tiredness and muscle soreness being more subtle.

Pros for Using CBD During Exercise

For those who perform fitness-related activities frequently or users who suffer from chronic muscle pain or other conditions such as arthritis, using CBD during exercise may be beneficial since it contains anti-inflammatory properties.

These qualities help reduce inflammation and minimize the pain associated with working out while alleviating muscle soreness during exercise, supplying soothing relief that may help improve your performance more effectively.

There is also evidence to support CBD countering the effects of the hormone cortisol, which your body naturally releases during exercise but can also be triggered by stress. Cortisol helps restore glucose in your body when it’s put under stress. 

However, unfortunately, it does this by depleting muscle tone.

This function can make it challenging to improve your fitness performance or make any noticeable progress during exercise, which can be especially disheartening for those looking to build up their muscle mass. 

CBD may help counter this by assisting the body in balancing and regulating glucose levels during workouts.

On top of that, maintaining motivation while working out can be a challenge for some. While some people enjoy the endurance challenge of exercise, others spend their time counting down the seconds until their workout is over.

Research indicates that CBD is also an effective mood booster, which is why it is a promising alternative treatment for anxiety. It has been seen to help increase users’ overall moods, which could help them maintain their motivation and provide a more positive outlook during workouts.

CBD for Post-Workout Recovery

This last point is arguably where the most scientific and anecdotal evidence support lies. As many of us know, it’s not uncommon to experience muscle soreness or general pain after working out. In fact, it comes with the territory a lot of the time.

This soreness contributes to making you feel tired and fatigued and can last extended periods as your muscles heal themselves and recover.

With its benefits in helping reduce inflammation, CBD can be an incredibly effective supplement to help provide some much-needed relief and soothe sore muscles post-workout.  Many people use topical CBD products, such as creams, to target specific muscles post-workout.

Other popular CBD products for post-workout treatment include sprays and capsules.

We also all know that, after a particularly challenging workout, CBD helps to refuel! In this instance, CBD can help increase appetite while also stimulating digestion. This combination allows users to consume protein-heavy meals, which can help build muscle while also contributing to muscle recovery.

After you’re tired from your workout and sufficiently stuffed, what comes next? Sleep, of course! As if CBD hasn’t done enough for you already, it has also been shown to help improve sleep patterns and help those suffering from sleep conditions such as insomnia.

Fitness Benefits of CBD Oil – Fact or Fiction?

With a substance like CBD, there can be many misconceptions and misinformation thrown around about its efficacy, particularly in the realm of fitness and exercise.

Don’t worry! We’re here to set the record straight.

CBD Exercise Facts

FACT: CBD has real, scientifically verified effects on the body.

Since CBD emerged on the cannabis market, extensive studies have explored its impact on the body, including its medical benefits and potential side effects. 

While there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support its efficacy, as we’ve highlighted in this article, there are also multiple sources that speak to its ability to help ease inflammation, treat pain, promote better moods and more.

FACT: CBD is non-intoxicating but can still make you feel good

As we discussed earlier in this article, unlike its cousin cannabinoid THC, CBD will not produce the typical stoner ‘high.’ This is because it doesn’t activate the CB1 receptor in your brain, like THC. That said, it can still make you feel all kinds of excellent!

CBD contains a natural feel-good chemical called anandamide, an endocannabinoid that activates the CB1 receptor, just to a lesser degree than THC. This compound provides a sense of well-being from CBD without the full ‘high’ experience.

FACT: CBD is found in both hemp and cannabis

Cannabidiol is sort of a Jack of All Trades, and part of that extends to the places you can derive it from. While one contains more than the other, you can derive CBD from both marijuana and hemp plants. That said, cannabis tends to be a more plentiful source. However, while marijuana is not legal everywhere, hemp may be.

CBD Workout Myths

MYTH: All CBD is the same.

CBD does not naturally occur on its own. Instead, it is one of over 100 different cannabinoids found within the marijuana plant. When extracted, not only do you get CBD, but you also get a whole bunch of other cannabinoid companions. These are called full-spectrum extracts.

That said, you can also purchase CBD isolate, which typically yields 99.9% pure CBD.

In addition, there are also CBD edibles that you can use to medicate discreetly and on the go. For example, our CBD gummies made of pure cane sugar and naturally beneficial manuka honey can be used to medicate with ease while being active. Just pop one accurately measured gummy in your mouth and perform a workout as you normally would.

Finally, there are CBD topicals, such as creams and lotions, that can be applied directly to the skin.

MYTH: Hemp seed oil and CBD oil are the same.

While you can derive CBD is found in the cannabis plant and the hemp plant, these two items are by no means the same. Whereas CBD oil can be extracted from the leaves, stalks and flowers of hemp, hemp seed oil is exclusively made from the seeds of hemp plants.

This element is crucial because hemp seeds contain almost no CBD.

MYTH: CBD works the same for everyone.

How CBD works for users will depend on various individual factors, including genetics, a person’s specific endocannabinoid system, and the intended use. In the context of this article, some may use it for exercise or fitness-related purposes. 

However, even then, when one chooses to use it in their workout routine may impact how CBD works.

Some people use CBD to help boost their mood, while others utilize its properties to treat symptoms of particular conditions. In this way, CBD may not necessarily have as meaningful an impact on content and healthy people as it would with the former. 

This is because some users’ endocannabinoid systems need more support than others, and their efficacy is dependent on factors such as lifestyle, genetics and any pre-existing conditions.

So, is it Worth It?

CBD shows massive potential as a beneficial workout supplement primarily due to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities.

Both of these elements play a crucial role in minimizing muscle soreness and post-workout recovery times. However, there is also evidence to support the benefits of using CBD before or even during exercise.

That said, everyone’s body reacts to CBD differently, and it’s probably a good rule of thumb to see how your body receives and interacts with this cannabinoid, particularly when considering appropriate dosage levels, before incorporating it into any stage of your workout routine.

Additionally, the contents of this article should not be taken as certified medical advice. We are not medical professionals. If you have any concerns or hesitations about using CBD in your exercise routine, speak with your doctor to weigh the pros and cons to decide what might work best for you.

Have fun, be safe, and stay active!