CBD Fitness Benefits: Can It Help With Pre Workout?

by Danny Pollack - 08 Jul 2021

As more athletes turn to CBD oil before or after the workout, many CBD-infused products have become mainstream. With an estimated global market size of $2.8 billion and an expected 21.2% annual growth rate from 2021 to 2028, CBD products are a go-to choice for many.

The increasing number of states allowing medicinal and recreational cannabis use have made these products easily available for typical consumers. Options like CBD creams, tinctures, and oils are now very popular. That's why many are eager to test the waters and see how CBD will fit in their fitness routine.

If you are a fan of CBD, then you’ve probably heard about its noteworthy pain-soothing properties. The question is, can CBD before workout come in handy? Here we will take a closer look at what research has to say about its exact properties.

Key Facts

CBD has a number of biochemical, physiological, and psychosocial properties with the potential to help athletes.
The currently available evidence is preliminary, which means that more research is necessary to study its full impact.
Despite its potential therapeutic properties, people should always consult a nutritionist or healthcare expert before adding any new supplement to their diet.

CBD and Working Out – What Makes It Such a Widely Used Product?

Roughly 1 in 7 American adults are using CBD products for personal use. With the highest rate, or 20% being young adults between the ages of 18 and 29. Only a fraction or 8% of users are over the age of 65, and 11% are between 50 to 64 years.

About 40% are using the products to alleviate various aches, 20% for anxiety, 11% for sleeping difficulties, 8% for arthritis, and 5% each for stress and headaches. The prevalence of CBD use in sport is also very high. This means that many athletes have previously or are currently using CBD supplements.

Countless experts are endorsing the use of CBD for many people. Despite the limited research, CBD in the form of a supplement has shown significant promise in alleviating conditions that affect athletic performance. Such as muscle soreness, joint aches, and inflammation.

CBD has many uses and beneficial compounds like THC but without the psychoactive element. That means people can take cannabinoids without getting high. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts who’ve tried CBD products as a fitness booster have reported countless useful benefits.

Some are calling it a great pre-and post-workout tool. The growing interest has encouraged a number of people to follow in their footsteps and try capsules and gummies to amplify their workout routine. But, how effective can they really be? Take a look at all the facts you’ve been missing.

Relieves Pain

About 80% of patients with chronic pain have substituted cannabis for conventional medicine. Given the high addiction rate and potential for abuse when using opioids and benzodiazepines, people have opted for alternative treatments for better pain management.

Cannabis-related products have a modest impact on pain relief. 2020 studies show that CBD can alleviate some amount of chronic aches.

The way the CBD works is relatively simple. The body creates endocannabinoids known as neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters bind themselves to each receptor of the central nervous system. CBD could curb the aches by influencing endocannabinoid receptor activity, easing inflammation, and affecting neurotransmitters.

These benefits could turn into detrimental therapeutic properties for those who do intense workouts and experience pain regularly. Other than typical pain, CBD can help with neuropathic, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain.

Although the relief may vary, CBD is seen as a viable pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory agent. While CBD has potential for adequate pain relief, more large-scale studies are necessary to prove its effectiveness and safety.

Improves Mood

The more pleasant your mood, the better your performance in sports or competitions. Fatigue, tension, anger, confusion, stress, and depression can dampen your workout performance and make it difficult for you to achieve the results you’ve been looking for.

The thing is, most of us don’t even think about our mood whenever we go to the gym. All that matters is to get the exercises done right, and you should reap the benefits. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Your mindset will affect your athletic performance. The way you feel will reflect on everything you are doing at the gym.

Stress is often the most typical reason for poor fitness performance. Any psychological distress is known to cause impairments in the state of your resilience and perseverance. The longer it remains unmanaged, the bigger the impact it can have.

When we talk about CBD oil before or after workout, it is important to focus on its mood-boosting properties. CBD won’t necessarily improve serotonin, but it could affect the way the chemical receptors in the brain respond to serotonin that’s already present in the system.

A CBD product is known to create anti-anxiety and anti-depressant compounds, which in turn, can alleviate some of the mental unrest. Since your mood can change, the product might continue to provide a solid benefit to your workout routine.

Fights Inflammation

Constant workouts lead to significant inflammatory responses. Recognized by the elevated circulating inflammatory mediators and leukocytes mobilization, the physical activity ends up directly influencing the muscle tissue.

Too much inflammation, however, could turn into a debilitating problem. People who overexert their bodies and don’t pay attention to their nutrition and sleep can experience a decline in sports performance and immunity. The poor attention to their physical health could force them to miss a couple of days of practice or workouts.

2019 reports suggest that CBD could indirectly alleviate inflammation. CBD decreases the pro-inflammatory cytokines, induces T cell apoptosis, decreases adhesion and migration of immune cells.

A 2016 animal trial also showed similar results. CBD helped decrease joint aches and swelling without causing significant adverse reactions.

Many experts believe that its anti-inflammatory compounds can aid those with inflammatory conditions, general pain, and heart complications. Since CBD comes in many forms and concentrations, it can have a wide range of uses for different patients.

Amplifies Blood Flow

Our body is a machine. The more you play, work, eat, sleep, the harder the cardiovascular system is working to replenish the oxygen and nutrient supply. Healthy circulation is the key to nutrient and oxygen transport. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, this is the "bread & butter" for a properly executed training session.

Strong circulation is here to ensure that the metabolism is in excellent shape, an immune response is working, and you enhance your mental performance. But, poor circulation can lead to a range of problems, which will hinder your performance. These include dizziness, muscle cramps, numbness, tingling, and exhaustion.

As an athlete or a fitness enthusiast, your circulatory system will be your top priority. Maintaining adequate blood flow can help you get the energy and results you need. Post-workout, these effects can be even more draining.

While the body is recovering, poor blood flow can impact endurance, recovery time, and muscle performance. That’s why many have opted for natural options to promote a healthy flow of blood. When you think about CBD and working out, blood flow always comes to mind.

A single CBD dose was found to provide better blood flow to the brain. More precisely, the hippocampus, which is a key area linked to emotion and memory. When combined with the anti-inflammatory benefits, it seems that the product may come in handy for better circulation and recovery.

Avoids Oxidative Damage

Oxidative stress is an imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals that could cause tissue and cell damage. This is a naturally occurring process, yet it still has an effect on the human body.

High intensity or prolonged exercise can cause both quickened muscle fatigue and oxidative damage, research shows. This can impair functional activity. Many experts have noted that long-term oxidative stress can contribute to the formation of chronic illnesses, such as metabolic conditions, cancer, and heart problems.

By altering the oxidative stress level, CBD can shield the proteins and lipids from oxidative damage. CBD has a potent antioxidant effect. This supplementation is very important for the neuronal cells, which may help with avoiding oxidative protein damage.

Because of the lack of psychotropic effects, CBD is being used as a potential product with therapeutic uses. Its potency and effect seem to be highly valued among the medical community.

Can CBD Before Workout Help?

When people decide to use CBD before the workout, they rarely think about their sleeping routine. But, the way you slept the day before will have a profound impact on your workout sessions. To get the most of any exercise, the body needs proper rest.

Individuals who lead an active lifestyle need a lot more rest than those who enjoy sedentary lives. When sleeping, the system starts to regulate its inner functions, which can’t be done while the body is awake. For instance, protein synthesis gets a solid boost during REM sleep. This helps repair damaged muscles from vigorous exercise.

However, lack of sleep hinders glycogen production. So, the muscles are not getting enough fuel to function properly. Without it, you can't expect to gain the full potential of any exercise, regardless of whether you are using a supplement or not.

Simply put, the pre-workout preparation starts with a good night’s sleep. What you can use CBD for is to boost the quality of sleep. One particular trial was focused on studying the impact of CBD on sleep. Based on the reports, CBD could prove useful for REM sleep behavior disorders and extreme daytime sleepiness.

Another 2020 study also published similar results. The sleep-altering molecular mechanisms of CBD can influence sleep. Experts have pointed out the potential benefits of cannabinoids for sleep improvement.

Studies indicate that CBD is packed with notable pharmacological potential. It has anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, antipsychotic, and anxiolytic properties. This can definitely prove useful for fitness enthusiasts who just can’t get the rest their body deserves.

Now, when you pair CBD’s sleeping properties with all of its other benefits, then you can see why it could make for a good pre-workout supplement. Particularly its pain soothing effect. When it comes to CBD oil before or after workout, some reports estimate that CBD can give the body energy.

Although it’s not a quick boost, like you would get from coffee or an energy drink, it does have sustained uses for healthier and lasting natural energy. Some experts believe CBD could be used as a natural stimulant and a sustained source of energy.

It is important to point out that CBD products can come with adverse reactions. They may be minimal but can still occur, such as appetite changes, weight fluctuations, diarrhea, and fatigue. Depending on how the body reacts to the product, it could affect a person's workout routine.

When it comes from a legal standpoint, CBD was taken out of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) list of prohibited products. But, some renowned sports leagues and organizations prohibit THC use. Nevertheless, CBD users are not supposed to test positive for THC. Particularly those who are using CBD isolate.

As of now, more research is necessary to know for sure whether CBD could come in handy for pre or post-workout routines. So far, studies have shown remarkable results. It seems that CBD is a high-quality product with a range of benefits. Many of which can help fitness enthusiasts.

Final Thoughts

People want to know more about using CBD before workout. Products such as these have gained momentum, becoming a focal point in the alternative treatment market. Because of the currently available research, CBD has potential. It can help with pain relief, inflammation, energy, and much more.

That's why users have opted for this natural option rather than conventional pain relief. But, due to the limited amount of reports, we can't know for sure whether it can come in handy for workouts. What we do know is that it has a plethora of benefits. All of which can be very useful. Keep in mind that CBD supplements are not FDA-approved. So, it is very important to watch the quality to supply the system with the right amount of properties.