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As it becomes more commonplace and the stigma surrounding it fades, CBD is now more available to athletes to help improve their performance and recover faster so that they can get back onto the field sooner. Don’t confuse this as doping, however, as the benefits of CBD for athletes are completely legal and don’t include performance enhancements. Let’s explore them further to prove this.
Pain Relief
One of the most prominent benefits of CBD for athletes is pain relief. CBD has natural anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain from injuries or intense exercise so that you can get back into the game sooner. One of the best forms of CBD for athletes is a CBD topical. These are creams and salves infused with CBD that you can apply directly to the skin for a more concentrated effect. They allow you to target injuries directly to see faster relief than if you were to consume CBD and wait for it to spread throughout your entire body.
Stress Relief
Prone to get jittery with nerves and anxiety before a game? CBD has you covered there as well. The way CBD regulates the production of cortisol, a stress-inducing hormone, will help you calm down and feel more relaxed. This is particularly helpful if you’re stressing about upcoming events to the point that it hinders your sleep and appetite. If you use CBD to calm down, you’ll find yourself more energized and ready come game down, which will naturally help you perform better.
Legality
A common misconception with CBD is that it is synonymous with marijuana. However, this is not the case, as the psychoactive element in marijuana is a substance known as THC—an entirely different entity from CBD. Because of this, the cultivation and extraction of hemp for CBD became completely legal in 2018, and soon after, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its list of banned substances. However, it’s worth noting that CBD products have caused false positives on some drug tests in the past, but this is only because the product contained amounts of THC. When you go to buy CBD products, make sure you check for added THC before using it.
