If you're a fitness buff, the chances are that you're constantly looking for an effective performance-enhancing substance that doesn't leave you nursing unpleasant side effects. The good news is that there are hundreds of herbs you can use to boost your workouts without having to deal with severe side effects.
Now, cannabis is one of the many herbs out there that experts recommend for performance enhancement. The plant produces hundreds of medically-beneficial compounds that can help you stay fit and achieve your overall fitness goals. One such chemical is CBD, a short form for cannabidiol.
This post shall examine the role of CBD in boosting workouts and why fitness freaks are now gravitating towards this cannabis extract.
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There's virtually no workout that's devoid of some degree of pain. Whether you're lifting the dumbbells or working the treadmill, you're bound to experience reasonable pain.
And as you shall find, the severity of exercise-induced pain depends on your workout's intensity, durability, and frequency. Longer and more intense exercises translate to more severe pain. People with erratic workout schedules are more prone to pain, known as delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). This is the pain you experience about a day or two following intensive workouts.
But it doesn't matter the type or severity of workout-induced pain you're suffering from; cannabidiol can relieve the condition and allow you to maintain a steady workout schedule.
CBD relieves pain by impacting certain endocannabinoid receptors, such as TRPV1 (also known as Vanilloid receptors). When cannabidiol enters the body, it changes these pain-regulating receptors chemical structures, allowing them to bind more effectively with the body's endogenous cannabinoids. That intricate mechanism results in a faster relief from pain and a host of other medical conditions.
Many forms of exercise call for uninterrupted focus and concentration. Not only is mental focus necessary in boosting your overall fitness, but it can also prevent unwanted accidents.
However, several factors could cause you to lose focus in the gym or on the tracks, such as anxiety. Anxiety badly impacts your muscle activity as well as your hand-eye coordination, both of which can significantly derail your workout ambitions.
Fortunately, you can use CBD to treat stress and anxiety during your workouts, thereby ensuring that you stay focused at all times. Pure CBD vape juice or other CBD-based products treat anxiety by increasing how your brain signals the presence of "happiness'" neurotransmitters, such as serotonin.
Research has also shown that CBD might reverse mental slump and activate the thought process, ultimately improving your focus and concentration.
When discussing the energy-boosting properties of cannabis, reference is usually made to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC refers to the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that induces euphoria.
But since CBD is more sedative than a stimulant, you could be wondering how it can increase your energy levels.
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Well, numerous CBD-based products also tend to include significant THC levels. Such products are known as full-spectrum CBD. Full-spectrum CBD products offer compounded healing properties through a mechanism known as the entourage effect.
As THC in full-spectrum products boosts your energy, CBD modulates the effects of THC. That way, you can enjoy the energy-stimulating properties of THC without experiencing the substance's psychedelic effects.
Inflammation is another common side effect of exercise that CBD can manage. Ordinarily, inflammation occurs when the body detects invaders' presence in the form of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
But in the case of workouts, inflammation could result from a physical injury to a muscle, tissue, or bone. The injury triggers the release of chemicals like bradykinin, which mediate inflammation by increasing vasodilation and vascular permeability. The body increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients while also flushing out toxins from the target site.
CBD works in the same way as the body's natural inflammatory mediators - causing vasodilation, which leads to the dilation of blood vessels. That way, the substance enhances the flow of nutrients to the damaged site.
Another way CBD exerts its anti-inflammatory properties is by blocking the body's inflammatory messenger activity.
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Nausea may not be a side effect of workouts. But when it happens, it can set you back with your fitness big time.
Feelings of nausea make it difficult to take your regular sports and fitness supplements. Worse yet, nausea affects your ability to enjoy food. And as you may already know, much of the energy required for a successful workout comes from the foods we eat.
Thankfully, nausea is one of the many conditions you can manage with cannabidiol. In a 2016 study investigating the antiemetic properties of CBD, researchers concluded that the CBD-based drug, Sativex, could ease nausea among cancer patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced nausea.
It's important to note that CBD is most effective against nausea when used in conjunction with THC and other marijuana compounds.
After hours of intensive workouts, your body requires sleep so it can repair and heal itself. However, sleep disorders like insomnia are increasingly becoming common among professional athletes and fitness buffs.
While there are scores of sleep pills that you can try, some of these pills could induce side effects like anxiety and elevated heart rate, making it even harder to fall asleep.
Cannabidiol aids sleep by reducing sleep latency while enhancing sleep duration. CBD also aids sleep by shortening rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the sleep phase marked by rapid eye movements within closed sockets, elevated heart rate, and heightened mental activity.
Experts believe that most dreaming occurs during REM sleep. So, eliminating or shortening REM sleep translates to a dreamless and more restful sleep.
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There's a long list of reasons why fitness enthusiasts are turning to CBD to boost their performance. Besides the above reasons, it's also worth noting that CBD doesn't present any worrying side effects.