How CBD Could Help With Muscle Recovery
10 September 2020CBD could help with muscle recovery after an intense workout. Muscle soreness usually isn’t harmful, but it can be bothersome. Having done a strenuous workout, the pain in arms, legs or shoulders can last for a couple of days. Muscle soreness is a sign that you overtaxed your body, but afterwards it can cause your muscles to grow. However, there is something you can do to accelerate this process and make sure it’s not as painful. By taking CBD, muscle recovery can improve, making this natural supplement a great way to support your body.
Muscle Recovery: This Is What Happens
Working out is healthy, it helps your muscles to become stronger. This doesn’t happen without a struggle, though. When you tax your muscles, this causes micro tears in the muscles. These are tiny tears on the microscopic level. This is not as bad as it sounds, it’s normal that it happens. The body notices that this trauma occurs and starts repairing the damage.
The cells start this repairing process. Your body needs growth hormones and proteins to do this. The process is called muscle hypertrophy: cells absorb nutrients and this will cause the muscle to grow in size. Training will result in muscle growth, which in the end is what you want. Muscle recovery, for the most part, takes place when you’re asleep. The body has all the time and energy to put into this process.
Two Kinds Of Muscle Pain
If you get muscle pain, this is the result of intensive overload. There are two kinds of muscle soreness:
- Acute Muscle Soreness (AMS): this might start during exercising. Your muscles feel tired and tight and you get a burning sensation. The cause for this is a buildup of lactic acid (this is a waste product) in your muscles. This kind of muscle pain will usually fade away quickly.
- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): DOMS may set in at around 24 to 48 hours after your workout. Microscopic trauma is the cause of this pain in your muscles. Your muscles will object to any kind of movement and they can’t handle heavy exercise. The pain can last for several days.
It’s actually possible to get muscle pain as a result of any kind of sport or workout, as long as the physical pressure is large enough. This is the reason that many athletes would love to try a remedy that might alleviate the pain.
CBD Muscle Recovery: How It Works
CBD is a cannabinoid derived from the hemp plant. Research shows ever more clearly that this compound can really support our health. This is possible, because CBD can influence a regulating system, the endocannabinoid system or ECS. This system tries to maintain homeostasis, which is another word for balance, in the body. Through cannabinoids it regulates different processes, like your appetite, emotions, memory, hormone production and processing pain stimuli.
The positive effects of CBD can also come in handy in case of muscle soreness:
- CBD can have a relaxing effect, also on muscle tissue
- It can alleviate pain
- It could reduce inflammation
- Because it has a relaxing and calming effect, it could improve the quality of your sleep
- It can have a positive influence on your metabolism, which in turn results in more fuel for the muscles.
As you can see, CBD can be useful for muscle recovery on different levels. It can alleviate pain, reduce inflammation and improve quality of sleep. This way it helps your muscles to recover faster and muscle pain doesn’t last as long.
Using CBD During Or After Exercising
If you would like to use CBD for muscle pain, you can do that in a variety of ways. Do you suffer from muscle soreness? You could apply CBD salve or cream to the affected area. It could help with the pain, but might also inhibit inflammation and could help your muscles to relax.
In addition to creams, there are also CBD products which you can take orally. For example CBD tablets, CBD oil or CBD edibles. Take them right after your workout, to support your body or take them just before going to bed. This gives you the possibility to stimulate muscle recovery, which happens at night.
CBD tablets and oil are quickly absorbed in the blood, through the mucous membrane in the mouth. The effects are noticeable within 10 to 20 minutes. If you take CBD gummies or a CBD bar, it might take a little longer, because CBD has to pass through the digestive system. But of course, you profit from the fact that you get some extra energy from eating a snack or drinking a CBD beverage. That will also help with muscle recovery!
