CBD as a daily supplement for runners
Running confers several health benefits to the body. From building muscular strength to improving cardiovascular health and increasing bone density, there are 1001 reasons to hit that trail.
The challenge of running over ridges, rocks, and roots provides the ideal blend of mental and physical stimulation that does wonders not only for your health but for confidence too!
But we all know how it feels like a couple of days after these runs – sore and aching muscles, general fatigue, and sometimes injuries. These can easily erode the gains unless acted upon fast.
Thus, pain killers like naproxen, ibuprofen, and opioids have always come in handy to help these runners with these conditions. The downside is that most of these often have undesired side effects.
Fortunately, most athletes are now aware of cannabidiol (CBD). This compound has been generating quite a buzz since it broke into the limelight sometime in 2014.
It’s not just athletes – more and more people are turning to CBD to promote pain relief, reduced inflammation, and better sleep.
Today, CBD is a major ingredient in many sports recovery products and is fast becoming a favorite in the ultra-running space. Its much-touted health benefits make it an ideal supplement for every top athlete keen on recovering from the effects of running.
But why is recovery important for an athlete?
One way to sustain a lifestyle of quality workouts is by having lots and lots of energy. Indeed, it’s natural to feel washed out, tired and slow after a long run. You may want to hit the couch and rest for the remainder of the day.
However, CBD helps boost your energy levels and lets you bounce right back after a workout. Above all, it helps you to maintain your active lifestyle and remain functional throughout the day.
CBD during activity
CBD’s safety profile is great – that’s one thing even science isn’t able to refute.
This means using CBD before, during, and after an activity is generally okay. Indeed, many athletes don’t find using CBD mid-activity a hustle, probably because it exists in many different forms that are convenient to use on the go.
For example, CBD gummies and fruit chews are perfect for the ultimate sportsperson who can “walk and chew gum” literally.
What’s more? Research shows that chewing gum while walking elevates heart rate and increases energy expenditure, helping you burn more calories.
Water-soluble CBD is also great for runners because they hydrate during activity. So, those water breaks are a great time to take in some CBD during your runs to help reduce any discomfort or pain.
Many athletes find that using CBD during activity helps with endurance because of decreased pain levels.
When is the best time to take CBD oil orally?
The thing with CBD is that nothing about it is cast in stone – there are no fixed doses, no “best time to use,” and no “best method to use.” It all boils down to your preference. The best time to take CBD oil is when it fits perfectly with your routine.
If you go for your runs in the morning, it seems logical to take CBD a few minutes before you set off so that when the effects kick in, you’re well on your way.
Many people prefer taking smaller doses of CBD in the morning to enhance productivity and maintain high energy levels. And some people prefer CBD in the evening to power down and prepare for bed.
The time you take CBD determines the benefits you will get. For instance, CBD in the mornings is linked to:
Better focus
This is particularly the case if you’re dealing with morning brain fog. Low doses of CBD in the morning are known to calm the mind and boost focus. Further, morning alertness is also associated with a healthier sleep-wake cycle.
Better stress response
Many people who take CBD in the morning seek to reinforce their coping power. Indeed, so much can happen in a day, including the unexpected. The better primed you are for any eventualities, the better your stress response.
CBD regulates GABA receptor activity and influences the hypoactivity-hyperactivity balance in the central nervous system.
Muscle relaxation
The ultimate athlete functions better when the muscles are relaxed. This is the logic behind stretching and performing light exercises before strenuous activity.
Good for you – CBD can also help relax the muscles. For best results, you can combine oral and topical CBD.
Higher intensity workouts
If you work out regularly, your intensity may decline if you don’t recover well.
Integrating CBD into your pre-workout routine may boost your endurance and focus. Consider adding a CBD cream and CBD oil to your gym products to help maintain your body in tip-top condition.
Conversely, for those that take CBD in the evening, here are the benefits you are likely to get:
Quality rest
After a long run, every athlete yearns for nothing more than getting plenty of rest. Studies show that CBD helps with sleep cycles and influences the amount of time you spend in different sleep phases.
Research shows that the slow-wave sleep phase is the most restful of all the sleep phases. Here, nothing much happens; your brain simply shuts down and rests.
CBD may extend the time spent in the slow-wave sleep phase, making you feel well-rested when you wake up.
Easier time unwinding
Generally, exercising leaves you tired enough to unwind effortlessly, but this may not always be the case. Nonetheless, CBD in higher doses has been shown to be an effective sedative that may help you get into the sleeping mood faster.
Keep stressful thoughts at bay
So much happens in people’s lives – that’s just how life is. The good and the bad can all contribute to keeping your thoughts racing and prevent you from unwinding in the evening. This is not exactly what you need after an intense activity like running a marathon.
CBD may help calm your thoughts and relieve symptoms associated with anxiety, especially when taken in higher doses.
When to take CBD oil during the day
As mentioned, you can take CBD any time of the day – morning, noontime, or in the evening. It depends on what you’re goals are.
If you’re looking for improved focus and higher energy levels, then early mornings are the best.
If you want to rest and sleep better, then evenings are ideal.
But irrespective of when you take CBD, remember that it will need some time before its effects are felt. But this largely depends on the form in which you take the CBD.
Vapes and CBD oils are fast-acting because the CBD gets straight into your bloodstream. This method also offers the highest bioavailability, making you feel the effects in 15 to 30 minutes.
Generally, morning CBD doses are recommended to be smaller than evening doses. This is because CBD may sometimes cause drowsiness.
For newbies, it’s typically advisable to use CBD in the evening. This affords you more time to understand how your body responds to it.
Is CBD allowed in ultra-marathons?
The passage of the Farm Bill in 2018 effectively made CBD legal in the United States. However, this is subject to certain conditions like THC content—which should not be higher than 0.3%— and the CBD source.
CBD obtained from hemp have low THC concentrations than that sourced from marijuana. Hemp and marijuana are essentially different strains of the cannabis plant, with the former being preferred in industrial production.
Outside medicine, the rules that govern CBD use vary from country to country.
In sports, the use of cannabis products remains contentious. The regulatory body in sports, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), maintains a list of banned substances that:
- Enhances athlete performance
- Poses a risk to the athlete’s health
- Contravene the spirit of the sport
Since 2004, cannabis has made the list of banned substances by WADA. Technically, it is only illegal to have cannabis concentrations in your system beyond a certain threshold.
This provision keeps changing, and in 2021, WADA capped the allowable amount of cannabis in the system at 180 nanograms per milliliter. For a better perspective, the threshold for workplace drug tests is 50 nanograms per milliliter.
It took a while for WADA to distinguish the many different compounds in cannabis. However, in 2018, the sports watchdog removed CBD from the list of illegal substances but maintained the ban for all other cannabis compounds.
This has made CBD supplements increasingly popular among athletes, including elite runners.
Is CBD competition legal?
CBD is no longer a banned substance, so many athletes use it to help with various health issues. These include pain, inflammation, muscle soreness, and a host of sports-related injuries.
However, many athletes have suffered the consequences of using CBD products with high THC content.
For example, in 2019, the US Anti-Doping Agency suspended Devin Logan – an American free-skier – for having higher THC concentrations in her blood. It was later established that the CBD product she used had high THC content.
A similar fate befell American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, and NBA star Nerlens Noel – all found to have higher THC content in their blood.
To be clear, CBD use is not illegal in sports. However, if you use full spectrum CBD, it may have traces of THC. While the THC content in such products shouldn’t exceed 0.3%, non-regulation of CBD means you cannot be certain how much THC your product has.
This issue continues to raise concerns among athletes due to the implications of testing positive.
CBD for pre-workout
CBD is an excellent component of your pre-workout routine. It stimulates the endocannabinoid system to bring about wide-ranging physiological processes that help the body.
This complex cell-signaling mechanism is associated with various bodily functions such as mood, sleep, temperature control, appetite, and immune responses.
In the fitness industry, a “pre-workout” often refers to the drinks and supplements athletes use to hydrate, energize and nourish before training. A well-formulated pre-workout may:
- Reduce muscle soreness
- Relieve tension and improve sleep
- Increase mental clarity and focus
- Promote muscle gain
- Boost energy
- Promote mobility
Athletes are constantly looking for ways to sharpen their routine and improve their performance. To this end, CBD has emerged as one of the best’s supplements to achieve this goal.
It does not have serious side effects and confers other health benefits on the side.
Best CBD athletes should try
So if you’re looking to include CBD in your pre-workout plan, we have just the product for you.
The FOCL Bundle is what you need for peak performance and deep sleep. It combines premium hemp CBD with ten potent organic herbs and soothing adaptogens to help balance your mind and body for more focused days and restful nights.
FOCL Day gives you clarity, balance, and focus to help you go through the day, while FOCL Night comes in when it’s time to recover, relax and sleep. When used together, these CBD products amplify their effects.
Best CBD for runners
For the elite athlete, FOCL Relief Cream is the go-to when you need quick relief from aches and pains. We know how discomforting these post-workout pains and aches can be, which is why this cream combines premium hemp CBD with powerful botanicals to provide a quick cooling relief to aching joints and sore muscles.
However, for the ultimate CBD healing experience, we recommend body and mind relaxation. This is where our Premium CBD Drops come in. Made with broad spectrum and full spectrum premium hemp CBD and the highest quality organic MCT oil, these deliciously formulated oil drops help calm your mind and soothe your body after those intense workout sessions.
Further, MCT oil is known to increase the bioavailability of CBD, so you end up with more CBD in your system and get to enjoy the full range of health benefits.
Takeaway
CBD has gained so much traction in the world of sports. Many athletes use it to manage wide-ranging health conditions associated with an active lifestyle.
The key takeaway is that CBD use in competitive sports is mostly legal.
However, many CBD products contain THC, some in large enough amounts to be detected in drug tests. So exercise caution and diligence when using CBD products to avoid brushes with the law.
