CBD for Relief and Recovery: Before, During and After Your Workout

Reading time - 10 minutes

CBD infused Oils and Creams are excellent health supplements that can have huge potential benefits for workout recovery and pain relief. Whether you're a ski bunny, yoga enthusiast, weightlifter, or track star, adding CBD to your workout routine is a good idea. 

CBD has potent anti-inflammatory qualities, meaning it can reduce soreness and aid in recovery. Plus, using CBD oil for pain relief after common soft-tissue injuries could get you back to your workouts that much faster. More so, CBD has the potential to relieve workout-related anxiety and boost your mood.

That's why so many athletes and fitness fanatics are  turning to CBD. It's great for relief and recovery before, during, and after their workouts. So, using CBD in your fitness routine could make all the difference to your training.

Health Benefits Of CBD Cream

When it comes to workout relief and recovery, there are many  CBD cream benefits. CBD is a powerful inflammation fighter that works with your body's natural  endocannabinoid system (ECS) to relieve soreness, speed recovery, and enhance your workout overall.

Your endocannabinoid system plays a crucial regulatory role when it comes to stress, pain, mood, and sleep.

CBD possibly enhances your ECS's abilities; at least, that's what studies seem to suggest. Take this study  from 2016, showing that CBD oil given to arthritic rats drastically reduced both swelling and pain. Or  this human study that showed a CBD spray improved pain and sleep quality.

Plus, CBD creams and lotions never enter the bloodstream. Instead, they provide fast, localized relief so that you can target muscle inflammation and pain at its source.

On top of that, CBD may  reduce anxiety, which is very helpful when you're about to face an athletic competition or a particularly difficult leg day! And it does all of this without the risks that standard painkillers bear. 

With CBD products, you won't experience the psychoactive effects associated with THC, and scientists have yet to find any adverse effects to using CBD creams. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or aspirin, both of which hit the kidneys and can cause damage with long-term use.

If you decide you need a pain killer after suffering an acute injury, like a sprained ankle or wrist, CBD may help it do its job. Research around  CBD and exercise suggests that CBD helps pain-killing substances cross the blood-brain barrier, making them more effective. That means you won't need to take as many aspirin tablets as you might have before, reducing the risk of organ damage long-term. 

Of course, those painkiller improving effects are more likely to be felt with edibles than CBD creams. That's why many athletes choose to use  CBD edibles to improve fitness alongside CBD lotions.   

Edibles, or CBD oils that you can quickly drop under your tongue, are easy to add to your workout routine. And, you can use them in combination with localized creams for maximum effect.  

So, CBD pain relief cream has several health benefits, especially if you're a fitness fan. It can help inflammation, reduce muscle soreness, and thereby promote faster recovery. 

Plus, if you do need a painkiller for an acute injury, CBD can help enhance its effects, allowing you to take less of it. Beyond that, CBD may help with  mental stress and anxiety. So whether you're feeling angst over a competition or need to clear your head before a yoga class, CBD can probably help with that.  

How Does CBD Cream Work

CBD cream is topical, so it rubs directly into the skin and helps reduce muscle inflammation. Using CBD cream for pain relief before, during, and after a workout is common, especially if you're experiencing joint pain due to a previous injury. 

Of course, other types of CBD may play a role in your workout as well. Below, we discuss how you can make CBD products work for you, whether you use them before, during, or after your workout. 

Pre Workout

If you want to ensure your workout is effective, you need to pay attention to what you do before you pick up the weights or jump on the treadmill. Pre-workout routines are vital to fitness success, and incorporating CBD into yours could make all the difference. 

As noted, a CBD cream can help with pain from past or current injuries. Applying it to inflamed joints about forty minutes before a workout is vital for many people's workout routines. But, CBD is beneficial for more than that. 

Before a workout or an athletic event, it's not uncommon for athletes to experience anxiety and stress. If that's you, using a CBD edible or CBD oil might be helpful. As this  2020 review shows, CBD is beneficial for treating a range of anxiety disorders, disorders that often get in the way of athletes giving their best performance. 

CBD can also help with gastric issues, which aren't uncommon before intense workouts. Whether you're training for a marathon or hope to hit a new weightlifting PR, gastrointestinal problems might flare up beforehand. These issues could stem from an underlying condition like IBS, or they could be related to anxiety. 

In either case, CBD may be able to help. There's  evidence CBD may be effective in treating conditions like IBS. Studies on other gastric issues and CBD are limited, but that doesn't mean CBD won't help. People have been using CBD for  thousands of years to treat gut health, giving it lots of credibility. 

What we're saying is this: you should never have to skip a workout because of an issue with your GI tract, and CBD may help prevent that.

During Workout

Using  CBD for a better workout is a good idea. It's clear that using CBD creams or edibles before you hit the track or gym can help relieve inflammation, stress, and anxiety, making your workout that much more effective. 

During a workout, CBD may also be beneficial for a few surprising reasons. Remember how CBD works with your body's natural endocannabinoid system, which regulates things like sleep, mood, stress, and pain? Well, growing evidence suggests that CBD may also work with your ECS as an energy stimulant. 

As this 2017 review shows, CBD in low doses can give users more energy, which may be precisely what you need to get through a grueling spin class. Of course, in large doses, CBD can have the opposite effect, so using a minimal amount during your workout may be key. 

At the same time, CBD may help you access a more positive mental space. As this  2014 study suggests, positive self-talk can improve your performance when working out. Accessing that positive space during a long run or lengthy hot yoga session can be difficult, though. It's all too easy to fall into the "I can't do this" trap. 

Though research is still ongoing in this area, CBD shows promise for promoting positive moods. It may be that CBD helps block the breakdown of a molecule called anandamide. Anandamide comes from a Sanskrit term that translates to  "bliss molecule."  Having more of it in your system may promote a more positive mindset, allowing you to get through challenging fitness classes. 

Post Workout

CBD and sports seem to go together more and more often for good reasons. Most athletes who use CBD for sports recovery use it directly post-workout. That's because there's growing evidence that CBD helps with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). 

DOMS occurs twenty-four to seventy-two hours post-workout and is due to microscopic damage to muscle fibers. The damage isn't serious, but it creates inflammation, stiffness, and pain, all of which may inhibit other activities throughout the day as well as your next workout session. 

You'll experience DOMS anytime you do something novel with your body. Even if it's a relatively low-impact sport, like yoga or pilates, you can experience delayed onset muscle soreness after your first class. 

You'll definitely experience DOMS after more intense and new-to-you exercise, like taking a HIIT class or trying rock climbing for the first time. 

However, even experienced athletes suffer from DOMS, especially early in their seasons when training can be more strenuous than they're used to. 

Many turn to CBD oil for muscle recovery, which works well. However, a cream or topical product might be better post-workout if you're dealing with DOMS. That's because creams directly target inflamed muscles without having to pass through your bloodstream first. 

If you're using CBD for other recovery reasons, though, adding in an oil or edible isn't a bad idea. CBD oils and edibles may help you  improve your sleep, which will lead to better recovery. 

Plus, CBD may help  control appetite. For many of us, athletic performance is secondary to our health-related fitness goals. It's not uncommon to work out so we can keep enjoying the food we love. 

Too much of that food, however, can quickly negate the gains we made in the gym. An appetite-controlling substance like CBD could help ensure we don't backslide on our goals, making it an excellent addition post-workout. 

How To Choose The Best CBD Cream UK

Buying CBD can be a bit of a challenge. It's a popular product which means there are lots of brands to choose from. 

Unfortunately, there are many low-quality products out there, and it's easy to end up with a substance that doesn't do what it claims. 

So, if you want to use CBD for relief and recovery after a workout, it helps to know a little about how CBD creams are marketed, regulated, and sold. 

How To Read The Label

Reading the label on CBD products isn't as straightforward as it seems unless you understand the vocabulary surrounding CBD.

First, CBD comes in several forms. There's CBD isolate, CBD distillate, full-spectrum, and broad-spectrum CBD.

When it comes to creams, CBD isolate will be your best bet. CBD isolate is pure CBD that comes in a crystallized form. Mixed into a cream or lotion, it should supply the relief you're looking for.

For oils and other CBD products, don't look for CBD distillate or broad-spectrum CBD unless you're comfortable with a small amount of THC.

To be legally sold in the UK, CBD products can't have more than .2% THC because of its psychoactive properties. Full-spectrum CBD contains that tiny bit of THC, which may pose a problem to some users.

Broad-spectrum and distillates still have many of the cannabis plants' natural compounds, which could enhance CBD's effects, but they don't contain any THC whatsoever.

Regardless of whether you want CBD isolate, distillate, broad-spectrum, or full-spectrum, you should scan the label to ensure it comes from organically grown hemp. That way, you avoid any unwanted pesticides or other contaminants.

Third-Party Lab Testing 

When deciding whether or not a CBD brand is trustworthy, look for evidence of third-party testing. Third-party tested products typically offer a certificate of analysis (COA) on their company website. The COA shows that a third party tested the products and deemed them to uphold the best standards and practices.

Amphora makes their COAs easy to access, so you can be sure none of our products contain contaminants or psychoactive elements.

Brand Compliance 

When choosing a CBD product, you also want to ensure it comes from a compliant brand. In the UK, several laws regulate CBD sales. To be legally sold, all CBD products need to come from hemp and cannot contain more than .2% THC.

If a brand isn't in compliance with UK law, there's a good chance you're not getting what you paid for. You're more likely to end up with a product that contains unwanted THC or other contaminants that may make your CBD less effective.

Conclusion 

CBD oils and creams are increasingly popular health supplements in the world of athletics and sports. That's because CBD can help with muscle soreness, inflammation, and pain from soft-tissue injuries. Beyond that, CBD may help with stress, anxiety and even provide appetite control! 

The benefits of this naturally occurring substance are ever-growing as research continues to pour in. So, adding CBD to your workout routine could make a significant positive difference.

 

Written by  |  Infused Amphora Team 

The Infused Amphora Team is dedicated to creating resources to educate and engage consumers on the growing evidence of CBD benefits and the extensive health and wellness properties of CBD Oil. 

Contributor  | Angus Taylor CEO

 

Infused Amphora “Learn” is intended for informational purposes only and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.