5 Benefits Of Using CBD Sports Drinks For Athletes

The available pain management systems often lead to side effects. In comparison to an ordinary individual, an athlete faces more stress. Though practice helps them adapt to the stress and pain stimulants, long-term effects stay.

In such situations, athletes look for a natural way to deal with stress and pain and stay motivated. Research shows CBD sports drinks or other CBD-infused products, such as CBD gummies UK, might benefit athletes. Through this article, you will understand it in detail.

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Something About CBD

Like THC, CBD is also a cannabinoid from the Cannabis Sativa plant. However, both cannabinoids differ significantly in effects. Unlike THC, CBD does not have a psychoactive effect. It means it would not make you high. 

Scientists believe that CBD influences the endocannabinoid system of the body. It binds with two primary receptors, CB1 ( found throughout the spinal cord, brain, and other tissues) and CB2 ( dominantly present in the immune system). Through these receptors, cannabidiol shows its potential benefits. 

Benefits of CBD Sports Drinks for Athletes

An athlete widely depends on drinks that could keep them going and boost their growth. One such drink could be CBD sports drinks. It could benefit athletes in the following ways:

• It Offers an Alternative to NSAIDs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or over-the-counter drugs, such as naproxen sodium, or ibuprofen, have been the best friends of athletes for decades. However, considering the side effects, these drugs are not safe. 

These drugs boost the risk of renal damage. Thus, coaches suggest ultra-distance athletes avoid consuming NSAIDs, particularly during elongated training events and sessions. If your workout sessions are short, consuming NSAIDs continuously for a long time increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. 

Many athletes claim that the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD help them eliminate NSAIDs use. According to the fourth edition of The Essentials of Pain Medicine, “There are no documented deaths from cannabis or cannabinoid-based products. In a systematic review of studies of oral and oral-mucosal cannabis for various medical conditions, the majority of adverse events reports were considered non-serious (96.6%).”

• CBD Might Improve Quality of Sleep

Sleep is also significant for athletes, like workouts, training, or exercise. It is the best way to give your body time to repair the cells. However, extreme pain, inflammation, performance pressure, stress, and sleeping disorders, such as insomnia, make it difficult for athletes to get healthy sleep.

Many athletes claim that CBD made it easy for them to sleep. It also helped them get a comparatively restful sleep. A possible reason behind this property of the drug is the reuptake of adenosine. If you also suffer from any sleeping disorder or fail to stay asleep for long, a CBD sports drink might help you.

• It Might Reduce Pain

Athletes suffer extreme pain because of continuous practice and training. CBD might help to deal with chronic and acute pain. Almost two decades ago, Canada approved Sativex spray to treat a particular kind of pain related to multiple sclerosis (MS). The medicine is a combination of CBD and THC in equal proportion. 

Later Canada also approved the spray for pain associated with cancer. Several studies on rodents claim that cannabidiol might positively affect inflammation and pain caused because of arthritis. A study with 47 patients of MS showed that consuming Sativex for a month reduced pain, muscle spasms, and increased walking ability. So, CBD-infused drinks might help athletes by protecting them from various kinds of pain. 

• It Kicks Out Anxiety and Depression

Performance pressure and failure to perform well are two of the most widely seen reasons behind anxiety and depression in athletes. Sometimes, they obstruct the athletes from continuing training or performing.

CBD gummies might deal with anxiety and depression and keep you motivated. A Brazilian study shows the drug can reduce stress. In the study, 57 participants consumed either CBD ( in different dosages) or a placebo before appearing in a public speaking test. The researchers revealed that the substance significantly reduced anxiety among individuals, with a 300-Mg dose being the most effective. 

On the other hand, placebo, 600-mg dose of CBD, and 150-mg of CBD were least effective. Though several pharmaceutical drugs are available in the market, they often invite severe side effects. Besides, medications, such as benzodiazepines, can cause substance-use disorder.

• CBD Provides an Alternative to Opioids

When athletes suffer from extreme pain, opioids, such as codeine, morphine, and oxycontin, are their go-to options. However, these opioids come at the risk of death by overdose or addiction. The Center for Disease Control reports that opioid use was directly or indirectly responsible for more than 42,000 deaths in the US in 2016.

While this drug is comparatively less effective than opioids, it can work well in long-term pain management with negligible side effects.

CBD-infused products, such as gummies, could be an ideal choice with all these benefits.

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Is CBD Legal for Athletes

CBD is a controversial cannabinoid. Being a close relative of THC, the psychoactive compound and part of the schedule 1 drug, people often speculate whether it is legal for athletes or not. 

Well, it is legal. The World Anti-Doping Agency, popularly known as WADA, discarded CBD from the list of banned substances at the beginning of 2018. The USADA ( US Anti-Doping Agency) followed the trend. It also released a page of the Marijuana FAQ to clear all the rules and regulations. 

USADA has only removed CBD, THC, marijuana, and other synthetic cannabinoids still on the list of prohibited substances. For THC, the WADA has increased the urine threshold dose from 150 nanograms per milliliter to 15 nanograms per millimeter. The new threshold level is an attempt to ensure that in-competition use is detected and not used during the days and weeks before the competition.” an article in 2016 mentioned Ben Nichols, a WADA member, saying, “Our information suggests that many cases do not involve game or event-day consumption.

So, if you are an athlete, you can consume products that contain pure CBD without worrying.

Conclusion

The Cannabis Sativa plant has almost 144 cannabinoids. CBD is among the most popular cannabinoids. Athletes can easily make CBD a part of their life through liquid health supplements. Some of these drinks also incorporate other valuable herbs. They complement it to boost the power of the glass, offering you additional benefits. You need to understand the drink and dosage that suits you the best. It might give wings to your sports performance and practice.