As of September 2017, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed cannabidiol (CBD) from their banned substance list for international athletes. This action made the World Cup 2018 the first that allows the use of a CBD. CBD has several potential benefits. These benefitswould be attractive to athletes. Some of these benefits include anti-inflammatory properties, pain relief, and fewer side effects.. This change in international policy shows that social sentiment toward CBD is changing. This could encourage other sports organizations to follow suit.
Table Of Contents
- Why Would Athletes Use CBD?
- CBD Helps Athletes Recover
- CBD is Safer Than Other Pain Relievers
- Which Athletes Use CBD?
- What Does This Mean for the Future of CBD?
Why Would Athletes Use CBD?
World Cup 2018 was first that allows use Of CBD. Athletes may use CBD because of its ability to relieve pain and inflammation. It is also more favorable safety profile as compared to most pain relievers.
CBD Helps Athletes Recover
Athletes put their bodies under intense stress during exercise and competition. This stress often causes pain and inflammation.
Signals cause pain. Central nervous system (CNS) carry these signals from nerves of damaged areas to the brain.
Athletes experience inflammation due to this damage. This damage can contribute to pain intensity.
Heavy exercises lead to muscles breakdown. These broken muscles experience micro tears, essentially small injuries. When the immune system senses the micro tears, it releases an inflammatory response to heal the “damage.” This response comes in the form of cytokines. Cytokines are proinflammatory immune cells.
A 2012 study led by the Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience of the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. This study reviewed previous scientific literature along with the results of their own research.Result of this research showed that CBD suppressed inflammatory and chronic pain by activating specific glycine receptors in the central nervous system.
Activating glycine receptors with CBD relieved pain by suppressing nerve signals and reducing inflammation.
The Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of South Carolina compiled a review of research on CBD for inflammation. It showed that CBD targeted cytokines and significantly reduced them in several studies. This results in reduced inflammation, which can also help with pain relief.
Thus, CBD can help athletes reduce pain and inflammation. It helps them recover quickly to continue training or competing.
CBD is Safer Than Other Pain Relievers
Athletes typically use traditional pain relievers such as opioid medications or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Opioids can cause serious side effects. Side effects that can be caused by Opioids are withdrawal symptoms and possible addiction. NSAIDs, like aspirin-based medications (e.g., ibuprofen), are not addictive but also have potentially adverse side effects usually due to long-term use including liver failure, kidney damage, heart issues, and stroke.
As a result, some athletes have decided to use alternative therapies to avoid the risks presented by traditional pain relievers.
CBD’s safety profile was surveyed in a 2017 review conducted by the nova-Institute, an independent research institute in Hürth, Germany.
The review showed the most reported side effects of CBD were tiredness, nausea, and changes in appetite. CBD also did not alter physiological factors such as heart rate or blood pressure, nor did it adversely affect psychological or psychomotor functions.
CBD was also noted to be well tolerated in chronic administration.Amount of CBD that can be tolerated is 1,500mg per day.
Tolerance to CBD has not been developed in any patient uptill now. This means patients do not need to raise their dosage of CBD to continue being effective, unlike some medications.
Which Athletes Use CBD?
Several athletes use CBD, including:
- Nate Diaz, UFC Fighter: Uses CBD to help relieve pain before and after fights.
- Jake Plummer, Retired NFL QB: Found CBD to be just as effective as medication but without the side effects he experienced from traditional pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.
- Eugene Monroe, Retired NFL OL: Managed pain with medical marijuana and is an activist for cannabis in pain relief.
- Derrick Morgan, NFL LB: Uses CBD for its neuroprotective properties and is an activist for the awareness of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease common in athletes.
- Chris Camozzi, UFC Fighter: Used CBD to help him recover from an MCL injury.
What Does This Mean For The Future Of CBD?
Currently, professional sports organizations in America do not allow CBD or marijuana use of any kind.
However, WADA’s policy change indicates the international scene is responding to the anecdotal and scientific evidence surrounding CBD as an effective treatment for athletes, which may help forge the path for domestic organizations like the NFL and NBA to do the same.
Some American athletes have begun to take an active role for getting CBD off the banned substances list in their respective sports, such as through increasing awareness and donating money towards research.
Eugene Monroe and Derrick Morgan have both donated money to future cannabis studies that will be conducted by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania.
This research could expand the scientific support of CBD, which may help change the stance of major sports organizations on CBD.
With WADA’s changed stance and athlete advocacy of CBD, the future is bright for the acceptance of CBD in the realm of sports; and if CBD gains validity there, further societal support would likely grow exponentially.
Have you used CBD to recover from athletics? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
Disclaimer: The content on this site is for informational purposes only. We are not medical experts and nothing should be construed as medical advice. Be sure to speak with your physician before taking CBD or any other treatment.
