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Cannabis and Sports Recovery

By LucidaClub

Athletes, especially professional athletes commonly use all sorts of supplements and sport’s enhancement formulas to perfect their abilities. They also use formulas for sports recovery after injuries like pulled or strained muscles. And most individuals use sports medicine that doesn’t endanger their bodies long-term.

The role of cannabis in sports recovery

More and more athletes turn to THC or CBD products for sports recovery. Although the medicinal qualities in this area are still being tested and perfected, the basic principles of why this WILL work are obvious. Including cannabis products in the sports recovery routine means understanding how cannabis works.


Mechanisms of enhancing performance

The abundant Phytocannabinoids in marijuana are THC and CBD, and each component can be effective with sports medicine regimens. They each have different qualities that benefit the athlete, and it’s not just about psychotropic effects.


THC

As stated, when it comes to athletic performance and recovery, it’s not about euphoria. You see, THC is also a vasodilator. This means when THC enters the system, it causes blood vessels to dilate, and this allows more blood to pass through the vessels, basically increasing circulation. And with more blood flow, more oxygen can feed the tired muscles. 

If you understand the basics of sports and fitness, then you know that muscles grow weak and tired when deprived of oxygen. This is one reason athletes drink so much water, aside from simply staying hydrated, as water contains oxygen.

THC Is also a bronchodilator. This means it helps widen airways for deeper breaths. This is important for any athlete. So, simply put, THC improves aspects of inhalation and then widely distributes this oxygen throughout the body.


CBD for Athletes

THC and recovery

Not only does THC help improve routine recovery, but it also aids in deep muscle recovery. The THC in cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce swelling and soothe muscle pain. THC also promotes sleep, and this is a huge part of muscle recovery. In the right amounts, THC can also provide needed energy to exercise once more after recovery. So, if you need a push, this component may be the answer.


CBD and sports

Widely known and popular, CBD can provide various forms of relief for athletes. It is actually considered a wellness supplement by some. CBD provides support naturally to our endocannabinoid system. It is responsible for reducing inflammation, seizures, migraines, and various chronic pain issues. It can also help with sleep problems. All these problems can greatly hinder athletic performance and recuperation.

While CBD isn’t well known to have any psychoactive compounds, this isn’t completely true. Although the amount is small, there is enough of this compound to cause relaxation, while elevating mood. It works extremely well for lowering anxiety levels. In sports, decreased anxiety can enhance performance. In recuperation and recovery, decreased anxiety can speed up healing. Newly found research says that CBD also creates a more efficient metabolism by transforming the structure of fats.


The best of both worlds

Most athletes prefer using CBD over THC. This is because CBD doesn’t have the high psychoactivity that comes with THC. However, if used in the proper amounts, combining the two is most beneficial. It is recommended that you use CBD with a low amount of THC concurrently.


Cannabis leaf and muscular man 1

A change for athletes

Despite all the evidence that cannabis was beneficial to athletes, for both performance and recovery, it was still illegal at the federal level in 2019. Using cannabis in sports caused serious problems for professional athletes. Therefore, it was important to weigh the pros and cons of using cannabis for sports, determining if what you needed was worth the risk of potentially losing your ability to play.

Even CBD products contained trace amounts of THC and could result in a failed drug test. So, it was always imperative to be aware of this fact and attempt to deal with pain and other issues with pills. 

The good news is, activists were working on getting around these legal issues in hopes that athletes, especially professional athletes, did not have to pay the price for using Cannabis for sports recovery. Also, athletes were tired of taking pills and then taking more pills to treat the side effects of the first ones. Cannabis just seemed like a better solution.

And it seems to be working now. Some sports leagues listened to the voices of concern surrounding this problem. The MBL removed cannabis from the Banned Substances list in late 2019. Then, in 2020, the NFL and NHL both decided to no longer suspend players for positive tests. The NBA should follow suit with the same decisions soon.


Standing behind our athletes

At LucidaClub, we believe that athletes deserve the best quality sports experience and the chance to live their dreams. By reducing the use of pills and other drugs to improve performance and recovery, athletes can reap the benefit of a clear mind and overall better health.

Cannabis can both improve and repair when it comes to sports injuries. The only way to truly understand the benefits of cannabis is to try it out. Enjoy a nice soothing tincture or vape to experience what it’s like. Our Focus experience is great for performance and our Calm helps recovery. Interested in learning more about cannabis and its role in sports and recovery? Sign up to be a member today to book your consultation and learn more! After all, it’s about bettering yourself and having an open mind in the process. This is what cannabis can do for you.