How to use CBD with an Active Lifestyle
A lot of conversations and stories about CBD often focus on people’s experiences with anxiety, stress, or pain relief. However, over recent years and months, CBD has seen a remarkable rise in popularity amongst the fitness and sports community, which doesn’t seem to be running out of steam any time soon. From the mildly active, to seasoned professional athletes, and everything in between; it’s clear that many have found a place for CBD as part of their active lifestyle. In this post, we’ll look at some of the questions associated with taking CBD alongside sports and activity, as well as the ways in which it can be incorporated into an energetic routine. First, let’s get a couple of the most commonly asked questions about CBD in the sport world out of the way:
Will CBD get me high and affect performance?
Short answer - no, it won’t.
CBD is derived from hemp or cannabis, so it’s easy to understand where this assumption comes from. Fortunately, CBD is a completely separate chemical from those that can have a cognition-altering effect. This is one of the factors that may explain the increase in popularity for CBD; some sports use opiate-based treatments for recovery and pain management, which are definitely not free from their negative side effects. Although these medications work effectively to manage the pain, the impact on mind and performance is an uninviting tradeoff for many.
Will CBD Show up on a sports drug test?
CBD as a chemical is perfectly legal in the UK, so it won’t appear on a simple drug test (and even if it was tested for, it wouldn’t be a problem). However, it's always essential to make sure that the CBD product you are taking has also provided lab results, because residual THC levels left over from the production process could lead to illegal levels of THC being present - leading to a failed test.
Whilst it’s true that professional sports testing can be much more thorough and may test for many more compounds, CBD is still generally accepted in a vast amount of competition sports as the stigma surrounding it is gradually being broken down. For more reading focused on the professional sports scene and CBD, we’ve gone a little more into the detail here.
For now though, let’s look at some of the popular ways of using CBD alongside day-to-day activity and casual exercise.
How can I use CBD as part of an active lifestyle?
The most popular method of taking CBD, and also one of the quickest, is with a CBD oil tincture. We won’t go into too much detail on how to take CBD oil here, as we have already written up a handy guide that covers everything you need to know. To summarise, this method absorbs into the bloodstream, and is most popular amongst people as something for general wellness and balance. This method allows a speedy absorption into the body and is compact and easy to bring with you when outdoors or travelling long distances. Experiment with taking CBD oil at different times of day, points during your workout, or throughout an active day, and see what feels the best for you.
Another option that is preferred by those with specific, localised discomfort or muscular tension is to topically apply CBD directly to the skin. When a CBD product is put on the skin in this way, it works to absorb into the specific area it is applied, rather than into the bloodstream - meaning you can easily target points of the body. This can be done with a CBD cream, but you can also use CBD oil for this as well, depending on the concentration of CBD you want to apply. An added bonus of using a cream or oil on the skin, especially on areas of tenderness, is that the action of massaging the product in can also help improve circulation and relieve muscle tension, which can be great for aiding your recovery.
Speaking of recovery - this is another focus for some people when it comes to CBD. We’ve discussed how CBD can be used directly alongside your activities, but it’s important to remember that your sports performance, health and wellbeing is all still very much dependent upon a foundation of quality rest and recovery. Getting regular, good quality sleep is essential to allow our bodies to repair and keep us running at our strongest. Some CBD products, such as Unique CBD Night Drops, are designed with this in mind - the addition of natural soothing ingredients associated with relaxation and sleep makes them ideal for post-workout or pre-bed, so you can wake up well recovered and ready to go.
There are several ways individuals may prefer to use CBD, and we have covered only a few - at the end of the day, it really comes down to preference and what works best for you. While it’s true that CBD is no miracle cure for sports injuries or serious pain, many find CBD to be a great accompaniment to their workouts, sports, or exercise, and finding your personal balance will be part of the process. Whether taking CBD oil before/ after a workout (or both), massaging CBD oil topically into areas of discomfort, or implementing as part of your rest and recovery routine - explore the options in your own time, and see if you can find your optimal personal balance.