The growing power of CBD on athlete health
Cannabis products are set to completely transform the management of sports related maladies in the not too distant future. This as tolerance for cannabis increases and scientific understanding of its effects on athletes grows.
Anyone who participates in sporting activities either recreationally or professionally is often exposed the the myriad of wear and tear effects on the body. Pain, inflammation, mood changes, loss of appetite, the list is endless.
Up until recently the default solution to these problems was regulated pharmaceuticals, provided they were approved by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) for those participating in professional leagues and competitions.
When it comes to pain management for example, many sports people have used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen (eg. Advil). These are cheap and easily accessible however research has shown them to have negative effects on the renal function of endurance athletes. NSAIDs have also been linked with an increase risk of cardiovascular conditions as well as strokes.
The recent opioid crisis has highlighted the adverse effect of prescription pain medications, with many victims being retired athletes and sports people dealing with chronic pain linked to sports injuries.
With WADA having removed CBD from the prohibited substances list back in 2018, the door is now open for a new range of alternative therapies which can deal with a wide range of sporting related conditions in a more sustainable way.
It is important to note that THC is still a banned substance (particularly in competition), despite the threshold restricted in on-season athletes having been increased in line with the removal of CBD from the restricted list.
Also important to note is that the field of cannabis related sports science is still in its infancy.
While scientists understand that the endocannabinoid system (where both CBD and THC acts in the human body) is focused on homeostasis functions such as pain management and immune system regulation, they do not yet fully understand the effect of cannabis on high activity individuals such as sports people.
There are however a few areas where the science does show benefits of cannabinoid use when one is dealing with the negative effects of sport.
Positive effects of cannabinoids for sports people
1: Pain management: Both THC and CBD are known to have pain killing effects particularly when it comes to musculoskeletal pain as well as connective tissue and ligament related pain. In some athletes these cannabis products are powerful enough to replace NSAIDs and even opioids in their pain management program.
More important than the level of efficacy, cannabis derived pain medication has to-date not been linked to any adverse negative side effects such as renal failure, heart complications or death (something that both NSAIDs and opioids are guilty of).
2: Inflammation reduction: CBD has been noted to have a modulating effect on immune system response when it comes to rigorous workouts. This means that an athlete can have a much more intense workout without suffering extreme inflammation of their tissues. This is particularly important when it comes to the speed of recovery.
The reduction of inflammation is body wide, meaning that those endurance athletes who suffer from inflammation of the gut will also experience massive benefits from CBD products. This without needing prescription medication to manage these gut symptoms.
3: Appetite stimulation: While the recreational use of cannabis has been noted to result in hunger (often called, “the munchies”) more regulated dosages of CBD have been seen to result in manageable and positive stimulation of appetite.
Some athletes struggle to reach their caloric intake goals because they reach an appetite threshold. This can be managed in a positive way using CBD products which can effectively stimulate appetite.
4: Nausea & vomiting suppression: CBD is also noted for its antiemetic effects which is an important effect for many athletes who struggle with exercise related nausea or even vomiting.
5: Other anecdotally recorded effects: As stated, the full benefits of CBD (and THC) products are still being researched, however many athletes have noted other positive effects including:
- The reduction of muscles spasms and seizures (well documented positive effects of CBD on epilepsy sufferers)
- Reducing cell-death after a concussion which is expected to improve recovery and long term health for head trauma victims
- Improved sleep, many users of CBD report being able to manage their sleep much better which aids in recovery as well as psychological wellness.
This list of positive benefits of cannabis will only grow with time, especially as more money goes into research as well as product development.
Cannabis derived products are becoming more accepted in sports. Recently the CBD product maker Craft 1861 was announced as a sponsor of the Carlin race team meaning that the Indy 500 will be the first major sports event to publicly feature a CBD related sponsor.
Other leagues in sports such as basketball and rugby have also seen more public endorsement of CBD products. This will only serve to increase the momentum of cannabis products in sports. A revolution which is much needed.
At the time of this piece, Throwne Consulting Group (TCG) is not affiliated with any of the companies or individuals cited. TCG is a leading boutique PR agency serving entrepreneurs in emerging industries such as distributed ledger technology (blockchain and cryptocurrency), cannabis and big data.
