Every athlete is looking for the best natural ways to improve their recovery, enhance their performances and usually manage a bit of pain along the way. So when CBD products burst onto the scene following the removal of CBD from the World Anti-Doping Agencies banned substances list, a lot of athletes bought or tried CBD products and had incredible results.
While the science on CBD is still building - there are significant studies out there that show amazing benefits for pain management, reducing inflammation, helping heal bone fractures and aiding bone deposition.
There are many athletes out there still struggling to answer the question - what is the right CBD product for me and how to tell a good one from a bad one?
What type of CBD product do I need?
CBD products can be broken down into two main categories:
- Ingestible products such as oils you place under your tongue or even gummies you chew and swallow.
- Topical products such as muscle balms or roll ons you apply directly to problem areas.
Deciding between the two different types of CBD products comes down to what you need the product for. Evidence shows that ingestible ones are better for more holistic issues such as anxiety as the CBD enters the bloodstream and attaches to CBD receptors throughout the entire body and brain. If, however, you are dealing with a specifically sore muscle or joint inflamed with arthritis, applying topically with a balm or roll on has a much more targeted effect.
What concentration of CBD do I need?
This is probably the most important thing to do your homework on when it comes to choosing a CBD product. The quick and simple answer is higher the concentration = the more effective the product will be for pain management and reducing inflammation.
That being said, you need to look at the concentration in relation to the amount of product you’re getting, for example, 1000mg of CBD in a 50ml muscle rub balm has a much lower concentration than 1000mg of CBD in a 30ml muscle rub balm.
So when you’re choosing your next CBD product, it’s important to not always gravitate towards the cheapest option as it’s definitely worth spending a little more to get the best product you can.
What are the other ingredients mixed in with the CBD?
Thankfully, most CBD products come with mostly natural ingredients however it’s really important to check the packaging and make sure there are no nasty chemicals in there that you could be ingesting or rubbing on your skin. Unfortunately, there’s no quick and easy way to do this other than getting on google and giving everything a search to make sure.
With ingestibles, it’s very common for the manufacturer to dilute the CBD with MCT oil derived from coconuts. This is actually great as the MCT is rich in caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid which all help the bioavailability of the CBD in your body.
For topicals like a muscle rub, a great combination ingredient alongside the CBD is peppermint oil which contains menthol. This provides a cooling or freezing sensation as well as local anesthetic and analgesic effect through the activation of cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptors in the skin and mucosal tissues. This is perfect for any athlete who’s looking for some pain relief before, during or after exercise.
Again, it’s always best to get the ingredient list out and give them a google just to be sure what you’re buying is all natural.
