If you live an active lifestyle, you do not want your body to hinder your performance. Whether you are running, lifting weights, or going for a walk in the park, you want to be at your best. For this reason, many people are drawn to Cannabidiol (CBD) as a means for post-workout recovery.
CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties make it wonderful for anyone who is dealing with sore muscles and joints. Many even claim that it helps speed up the recovery time of minor injuries. What many people do not realize, however, is that CBD use for exercise goes beyond post-workout recovery.
Low and behold, the CBD workout journey begins with a good night of sleep. As you may, or may not know, CBD has the unique ability to interact with receptors in our body’s endocannabinoid system. These receptors, in short, send out signals between different types of cells that regulate and maintain homeostasis for numerous bodily and neurological functions. This system is prevalent throughout your entire body, including the brain and central nervous system. It helps us regulate mood, pain, energy, sleep, hunger and circadian rhythms among others. In regards to sleep, research is pointing to the fact that CBD can help maintain various aspects of obtaining a good night’s rest.
One of the main reasons for how CBD affects sleep is through its impact on adrenal glands in your brain. These glands release cortisol, a stress hormone. It is typical for this hormone to be at its highest in the morning, but people who deal with sleep problems may continue to have high cortisol at night, causing restlessness. CBD, because of its ability to interact with neurological receptors, can sense this problem and thus regulate the issue. What you get in return is high quality sleep needed for a great workout the next day.
Among other reasons, CBD has been tested and said to help those with insomnia, daytime drowsiness, and correcting REM sleep behavior disorder.
Quality sleep is necessary for our body’s ability to repair damaged muscles from prior exercise. Inadequate sleep, on the other hand, inhibits the production of glycogen. Glycogen is where our body stores carbohydrates, which acts as an energy reserve for our muscles. Good luck being motivated to go workout without it.
With this being said, you may be wondering if CBD will make you tired during the day. The short answer is no.
That is, only if your body and brain are properly regulated. What I mean by this is that a regularly functioning brain will already have pre-set functions of how we manage sleep and maintain energy/alertness. If our nervous system is properly in check, then there will be nothing to regulate. Using CBD the night before to help with sleep problems will in turn help set everything in balance for the next day. Therefore, you should not be discouraged from taking CBD to help with sore muscles and joints prior to or during your workout.
Note that if you wish to take CBD prior to a workout, the timing of when you take it is dependent on your delivery method. A gummy or capsule, which requires time to digest in your body, should be taken an hour or two before you workout. A tincture acts much quicker, needing only to be taken 30 minutes prior to help with soreness. The quickest and most effective way, however, is a topical/salve that can be applied directly to any sore muscle or joint.
There you have it. We all know that sleep is important, but many people fail to realize that they are failing themselves in their workouts by not getting enough of it. With the help of CBD, we can all get the rest we need to power through the most strenuous of exercises. It will also help our body feel less hindered both before and after any workout. It may be overlooked, but CBD is just as an effective pre or post-workout as any supplement on the market.
