By Grace Hawkins
Exercising is the first step to getting a fit body, but that is not the only prerequisite.
It is no secret that the body does not build during the exercise but afterward, when we are giving it time to relax and rebuild. That means recovery is as important to us as grilling at the gym. Gladly, in the past couple of years, we have been a lot more progressive with our fitness approach. Natural products like CBD have gradually made it into the fitness industry and all for good reasons.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound that can comprehensively take care of our muscle-building process’s recovery aspect and can be a boon to your overall fitness journey. The wave of CBD infused fitness products has already hit the market with many top-notch companies like Lazarus Naturals offering various CBD products to support an exercise routine. Let us explore CBD and its multiple properties that are causing a stir in the fitness world.
Hormonal Balance
CBD is a cannabis derivative, and yet it does not show any psychoactive properties. Its chemical composition makes it miraculously similar to the endocannabinoids produced in the human body.
Therefore, it seamlessly integrates with our system to upregulate our Endocannabinoid system (ECS). In simple terms, it supports and enhances various functions of our ECS, which include mood, stress, anxiety, appetite, etc. Our entire ECS system works as a mesh of nerves, hormones, and chemicals that lets the body adapt to the external situation.
Exercising creates a substantial amount of oxidative stress in our body, increasing the cortisol levels to interfere with growth and recovery. Therefore, the modulatory effect of CBD on our system can help us combat the stressful situation better.
Studies suggest CBD be useful in counteracting the cortisol and boosting growth hormone. Apart from acting as a natural anti-catabolic, CBD can also help keep your mood and stress levels in check. It aids mental and physical relaxation that essentially makes a recovery easier for our body.
Say Goodbye to Inflammation
Inflammation is uncomfortable and yet essential to the muscle growth journey. Every time you exercise, damage occurs in the targeted areas, breaking down the tiny muscle fibers in them. The recovery work begins as soon as you stop exercising. The blood flows to the area and starts the repair work by isolating the damaged area and supplying nutrients and oxygen. However, this isolation process sometimes goes unchecked, causing collateral damage to the nearby area.
This limits the recovery process and muscle growth. While many enthusiasts take anti-inflammatory medications to control soreness, CBD offers a natural solution to it. CBD can contain inflammation molecules and release IL receptivity to boost our body’s natural anti-inflammatory properties.
The CB receptors under our skin make the topical application of CBD to be quite useful. Massaging inflamed areas with CBD sprays and topical oils can help improve workout injury and muscle stiffness.
Better Sleep Equals Better Recovery
As you progress on your journey to fitness, you realize multiple factors contribute to muscle growth. Missing out on any of these can adversely affect the entire process or delay your results.
One such important thing without which muscle recovery is practically impossible is sleep. The primary healing happens while our body is at rest during sleep hours. Though exercise tires our body to enforce sound sleep naturally, sometimes the overexertion or a sudden drop in blood sugar levels can perturb your sleep schedule.
This can throw off the chemical balance in our body resulting in stress and insufficient recovery. Gladly, CBD can help restore the natural sleeping pattern in our body to regulate the natural sleep-wake cycle.
Studies suggest CBD for anxiety can help you sleep better and for a longer duration. It promotes deep sleep patterns by controlling the Rapid Eye Movement while dreaming. Hence, it aids recovery and also lets you wake energized to keep up with your fitness schedule.
Boost Your Appetite
When you work out, the body uses glycogen and muscle protein as fuel, creating a temporary depletion in our system. Later, supplementing the body with the right nutrition ensures that the reserves are filled and the body repairs and regrows stronger. Extreme physical stress, however, can suppress your appetite and also make you feel nauseous.
As a result, some people find it challenging to fulfill the macro needs of the body. The depletion caused by the exercise and poor eating habits can hamper the muscle recovery process. It can also mess up the vital functions like blood glucose levels and hormonal well being.
Luckily, CBD can be a great add-on to your post-workout meal as it can trigger appetite mechanisms by integrating with our endocannabinoid system.
CBD may also help manage digestive discomforts by controlling inflammation in our gut. It can help digestive tract bloatedness familiar due to a high-protein diet, supporting optimum muscle recovery while better eating habits and nutrition absorption.
Reducing DOMS
CBD is quite famous for its analgesic properties that usually help enthusiasts to perform better during exercising. They like to add CBD to their pre-workout meal to overcome the pain barrier and perform to their full potential. However, consuming it in your post-workout meal is also advantageous.
It handily manages post-workout pain, especially the Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMs), that hinders subsequent performance and recovery.
It is an unpleasant inflammation and pain that usually occurs days after the workout. It escalates pain and stiffness in the muscle to hinder muscle movement and slows down the recovery process. Introducing CBD for pain can help regulate the recovery time and help performers kick back much quicker.
The Bottom Line
Many enthusiasts, including some top-notch athletes, are pretty joyful about adding CBD to their fitness routine. Given its benefits in reducing the recovery time, it is now possible for them to resume training sooner.
Many sports and championship authorities, including the US Anti-doping Agency (USADA), allow for as long as it does not contain THC beyond the permissible level. CBD comes with no risk of abuse or dependency, making it even more adaptable into our daily lives.
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