PLANT MEDICINE
CBD’s Potential to Improve
Muscle Recovery After Exercise by Thomas Rocco and Krystle MacDonald
CBD can be part of an exerciser’s training/exercise regimen to improve muscle inflammation recovery, allowing better muscle healing and strength. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound from the cannabis plant that has achieved great interest for many medical issues. CBD oil can help to relieve health problems such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression, seizures and insomnia. While those seem like potentially huge breakthroughs, CBD is also said to help with smaller stuff, like helping exercisers recover faster from workouts due to its anti-inflammatory properties and aid to improve sleep habits for muscle recovery. After vigorous activity or exercise, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is provoked. DOMS is referred by exercise physiologists as a normal gradual increase of discomfort that occurs between 24 and 48 hours after activity. Any workout, especially a vigorous one, causes microscopic damage to the body’s muscles and tissues. It is this inflammation that triggers the body’s repair processes, allowing tissues to grow back stronger and healthier. However, too much inflammation left unchecked can contribute to excessive muscle damage and poor workout results. As the tearing of the muscles continues, this results with swelling which leads to muscle fatigue. Inflammation is experienced when muscles are damaged. Damaged muscles are difficult to heal until inflammation is improved. Inflammation is also a hallmark of exercise injuries including strains and sprains. While studies currently debate exactly when exercisers should try to curb inflammation and when they should allow the body to recover on its own, it is suggested that CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. The anti-inflammatory mechanism was demonstrated in a recent review published in Frontiers in Neurology that concluded CBD is an effective way of improving pain and mobility in patients with multiple sclerosis since it reduces inflammation. Interestingly, CBD can be utilized for athletes to prevent fatigue after workouts as an anti-inflammatory and a muscle recovery supplement. Medicating with ibuprofen is common for recuperation, however there are potential severe risks associated with regular NSAID use. Side effects from NSAIDs include stomach pain/heartburn, gastric ulcers, increased tendency to bleed, leg swelling, elevated blood pressure and kidney problems. It may be advisable for people to use a more powerful, less toxic, natural supplement like CBD oil. It is new to our modern culture and further studies on its potency and effects would reinforce its beneficial effects. …continued on page 18 16
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