CBD no longer a banned substance
WADA (the world anti-doping association) has now removed CBD has from its banned substances list. This has led to a massive marketing drive in the US to promote CBD as sports supplement, aiding pain-relief and injury recovery. This is being backed by significant research demonstrating the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD. Marketing regulations in the EU are much tighter, so we wanted to look at some real-life examples to see for ourselves.
CBD is being used by England rugby internationals…
In a recent article published in the UK’s The Guardian newspaper…two professional rugby players discuss how using CBD has helped them with injury recovery and sleep (which is when the body can do its most effective self-recovery work). While the players in question; George Kruise and Dominic Day are cautious as to making any specific claims, they were sufficiently impressed to launch a new brand of CBD on the market themselves. As CBD has been removed from the banned substances list, we expect to see more and more athletes using and advocating CBD products.
Golfers are also using CBD
At the other end of the sporting spectrum, golfers are also using CBD products to help improve their performance. Highlighted in the same Guardian newspaper article, 3 US golfers; Charley Hoffman, Lucas Glover and Bubba Watson cite injury recovery and increased calmness as positive effects from their CBD intake.
Does scientific research back up these claims?
Both THC (the part of the cannabis plant associated with the ‘high’, which is largely illegal or restricted to prescription medicines) and CBD (which is not psycho-active, and increasingly legal around the world) are being intensely researched as alternative pain relieving and anti-inflammatory medications. This excellent analysis from the US National Library of Medicine provides some great insights into the potential benefits that THC and CBD products could bring.
CBD, THC, flavonoids and phtyo-cannabinoids can all help with pain and inflammation…
- The endo-cannabinoid system (ECS) that we all have, is an active component of our bodies ability to control pain
- Cannabinoids have been shown to be up to 10 times more potent than morphine in ‘wide dynamic range neurons’ mediating pain
- THC may help to ease opioid dependence and withdrawal, and some trials have shown it to have 20 times the anti-inflammatory benefits of aspirin
- CBD displays greater anti-oxidant activity than vitamins C or E
- CBD helps to regulate the ECS and may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of its own
- Phyto-cannabinoids (which are present in over the counter CBD products) are recognized as having anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties
- Cannabis flavonoids have been suggested to have 30 times the anti-inflammatory potency of aspirin and have also been linked to exciting new cancer research
Mind Body Community says:
If you are a tested athlete be sure to use a CBD product with 0% THC, as most CBD products still have up to 0.2% THC. However, if you are a recreational sports person then there is no reason not to carefully experiment with CBD products.
