There is no question that being involved in athletics can take a toll on the body. Over time, athletes may need to find forms of relief, whether it is from pain, inflammation, stress or anything else. If you are a professional athlete or active person seeking relief, you may have heard about the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabidiol or CBD. As a cannabinoid, CBD is derived from the cannabis plant. It is used to create pills, oils, tinctures and lotions. While more research needs to be done on the benefits of CBD for athletes, CBD does show its usefulness as an anti-seizure and neuroprotective agent, with the latter linked to anti-inflammatory capability.

How Can CBD Help Athletes?

Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the cannabinoid most commonly associated with marijuana, CBD does not cause psychoactive effects. CBD can come in different forms from broad-spectrum to isolate, with different variations containing other rare cannabinoids. Research shows people can well tolerate CBD with few side effects.

Professional athletes around the world are turning to CBD. They may take CBD to alleviate muscle soreness after a difficult workout or a long competition. In other cases, athletes use CBD for pain relief following a sports injury.

By taking CBD oil, you may be able to enjoy some of the following benefits and find possible relief:

Reduce stress and anxiety

Alleviate pain and muscle soreness

Boost your immune system

Shorten your recovery time

Improve your sleep quality

Boost your endurance

Increase your muscle gain

Decrease inflammation

What Are the Side Effects?

Unlike THC, CBD does not have this effect or blatant psychoactive properties. The World Health Organization has also discovered that CBD does not have a known potential for dependence or abuse. Because of this, it is unlikely that someone could become addicted to the naturally occurring compound CBD.

If you are a professional athlete or highly active person, you could be more susceptible to injury. Rather than relying on opioids and prescription drugs after an injury, some professional athletes are turning to non-addictive and more natural alternatives instead. Researchers are exploring whether CBD can help treat opioid addictions.

Though side effects are generally uncommon with CBD use, each user can be affected differently. Some people may develop a change in their appetite or weight. In addition, certain individuals may experience diarrhea and fatigue. Severe side effects are extremely rare, but you should always talk to your doctor before taking any medication.

Will I Fail a Drug Test?

Many athletes want to know about CBD and drug testing. These tests are only looking for THC, so pure CBD should not be an issue.

But this is not true for every product that contains CBD. If you are taking a full-spectrum oil, the oil will most likely contain a range of cannabinoids. THC is one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis plants, so these products could include THC. As a result, you could fail a drug test so always air on the side of caution and double check label claims and third-party testing.

If you are concerned about CBD and drug testing, you should make sure that you always buy your CBD from a reputable seller. Because CBD products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), individual sellers are responsible for the quality and composition of their products. In some cases, products have been found to contain THC, pesticides or other contaminants.

To make sure you are getting a high-quality, pure product, you should always turn to CBD companies that test each product with a third-party lab. By getting high-quality CBD products, you can make sure you achieve the right results.

The World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its list of banned substances in 2018. Some athletic organizations ban THC, so it is important that you check with your organization to become aware of its rules. If your sport bans THC, it is especially important to find a CBD product that contains pure CBD and no THC. At Real Tested CBD – an empirical platform backed by third-party lab test results – the comparing and confirming is done for you. Click here for its complete list of favorite fully THC-free CBD oils backed by lab test results today.