Achieving and maintaining optimal physical fitness requires a level of control over a multitude of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, proper diet, sleep, recovery, and an adequate training stimulus that would trigger the body to adapt to higher levels of physical stress. Unfortunately, in the modern world meeting, these expectations consistently can be a challenge for people. Many of these same people seek out supplements and other pick-me-ups to reduce stress and increase resilience to perform better their workout routines. However, the truth is that a large portion of these supplements on the market may contain natural ingredients coupled with processed substances and detrimental fillers.
Cannabidiol, more popularly known as CBD oil, is a plant-derived chemical compound that has gained popularity as a remedy for numerous ailments. CBD is a cannabinoid like THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, both found in cannabis and hemp plants. THC is the psychoactive cannabinoid of these plants and is also present in small amounts in CBD. On the federal level, hemp-based CBD products are legal only if they contain less than 0.3% THC. Despite these close similarities to the popular marijuana drug, CBD confers numerous benefits that contribute to improved overall health and fitness. Here are seven ways CBD oil can aid in achieving one’s fitness goals.
Pain Relief
Anyone who has performed a moderately challenging workout is familiar with the post-workout sensations of aches, pains, and certain degrees of muscle strain. Though this pain and inflammation are essential to promoting fitness and hypertrophic adaptations, too much of this inflammation can hinder fitness goals by increasing sluggishness and recovery time. CBD oil is an effective anti-inflammatory due to its ability to bind to various cannabinoid CB2 receptors that can dampen the heightened immune response following a challenging workout.
Sleep Support
Proper sleep is one of the critical pillars to overall health and is the main form of recovery from workouts. Sleep deprivation has been linked to numerous adverse health effects and is a stressor. By ensuring adequate rest, the body can build muscle, lose fat, and make physiological changes according to your fitness goals. CBD improves sleep indirectly through receptor binding that prevents the reuptake of adenosine, a chemical that induces sleepiness.
Nervous System Support
The prevalence of anxiety and depression is becoming increasingly common in the modern world. These mental conditions affect overall well-being and self-perception, contributing to decreased motivation to want to train and reach specific fitness/ body composition goals. In addition, the stress of living in the modern world also means many people are in a state of cortisol excess, which can also lead to muscle catabolism. CBD oil can address many of these issues with its ability to bind to receptors for serotonin, which is a crucial mood hormone, while also effectively reducing cortisol levels. As a result of these effects, CBD oil may improve workout motivation and help one minimize the impact of everyday lifestyle worries and anxieties such as the Sunday Scaries.
Blood Pressure Support
Anxiety and stress are also linked to higher blood pressure, linked to impaired heart health and increased mortality. With its nervous system modulating effects on cortisol, CBD also has been shown to reduce blood pressure. This effect can reduce soreness before and after a workout and reduce the strain that high blood pressure can cause on the heart and other vital organs.
Metabolic Support
A robust metabolism is key to also maintaining healthy body composition. Hormone disturbances involving insulin, excess cortisol, and the dysregulation of appetite hormones can decrease metabolism and increase fat stores. CBD helps in blood sugar regulation, thereby stabilizing insulin levels and lowering cortisol, which is associated with increased fat storage and has been shown to reduce appetite effectively.
Energy Booster
Low energy directly hinders how hard one can work out, thereby directly influencing factors such as recovery and the workout intensity required to achieve a certain fitness level. CBD can also provide a clean energy boost to address the fundamental lifestyle practices that ensure proper rest and rejuvenation. By binding and interacting with the innate endocannabinoid system in the body, CBD can modulate energy levels and make the body more resilient to stressors through its anti-cortisol, anti-depressant, and anti-anxiety effects.
Source of Nutrition
Maintaining a diet that provides complete and adequate nutrition is another foundational practice that promotes health and primes the body for short- or long-term stress and energy expenditure. In addition, micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are vital for maintaining hormonal health and electrolyte balance, playing a crucial role in exercise performance and general fitness. CBD provides a full spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals, including flavonoids and terpenoids that further exert anti-inflammatory effects.
Conclusion
Though there is a plethora of research investigating the health effects of CBD on the human body and exercise performance, the research space is continuing to grow. By seeking out natural and pure supplements to augment an already healthy lifestyle, exercise and fitness enthusiasts can harness these health effects without experiencing any of the side effects of long-term consequences of using processed stimulants, pills, and drugs.
