I’ve been taking CBD oil for a good length of time now, however being someone who weight trains 4-5 times per week, it was inevitable I’d get curious about its effectiveness pre and post workout, so I began researching! Here is a combination of the most important factors I could find on the subject.
What Are DOMS?
I felt like this was an important area to start. DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness, which are those muscle aches and pains you get, normally the day after training. These aren’t bad, if anything, they’re a sign of a hard workout really pushing your muscles.
Anti-Inflammatory
One of the most commonly discussed benefits of CBD is its anti-inflammatory properties. According to a study on Frontiers in Neurology, CBD’s anti inflammatory properties and pain relief helped people with MS. Through a number of studies, this worked both via oral consumption with CBD oil, plus with topical treatment, such as the Vitlete muscle recovery lotion. If muscles can heal quicker thanks to CBD then it is clear it could have significant effects on muscle growth and the removal of DOMS.
You may also want to read up on a study around the effect CBD can have on the glycine receptors.
Improved Sleep
Ask people why they take CBD oil and some of the most common answers will be to alleviate stress and anxiety and to improve sleeping patterns. CBD doesn’t work like normal sleep medication, it doesn’t make you drowsy, it works by clearing your mind of stress or anything else you’re thinking about, allowing you to drift off more easily. Many people think you build muscle in the gym, however this is when you make micro tears to the muscle fibres and they are repaired when you sleep, leading to muscle growth. This is why it is so important you get plenty of sleep if you want to see real results.
Chronic Pain
A huge number of athletes actually use CBD oil to treat chronic pain, such as chronic back pain or arthritis, which is especially important if any of these issues are impeding you from working out properly. Without pain and stiffness, you can feel free to push heavier weights without fear or concerns.
How Much Should I Take Post Workout?
This is dependent on the individual; I’d recommend experimenting on the quantity and adjusting based on how your body reacts. From a personal perspective, I tend to have 20mg of CBD per day, split into two different time slots. I’d have 10mg of CBD post workout and a further 10mg of CBD 30 minutes before going to bed.
Can I Take CBD In My Post Workout Shake?
No! I know a lot of people that make this mistake, however CBD should be taken sublingually. This means dropping it under the tongue and holding it there for 1-2 minutes. There are alternative options available if you want to put it in a shake, such as CBD isolate, however without the other cannabinoids and terpenes, you won’t benefit from the entourage effect. I would instead just take CBD oil straight after your post workout shake.
Is CBD Better Pre Or Post Workout?
There isn’t enough research to show which time would work better, but personally I would say post workout. Pre-workout I’d stick to BCAA’s to ensure your muscles get plenty of leucine.
Why Not Anti-Inflammatory Drugs?
While CBD has a host of supposed benefits (I say supposed just as we require further evidence and research to be applied and legally you can’t directly state them as benefits), many alternative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can have negative health effects in the long term. This can include issues from high blood pressure to kidney damage, or even heart health ailments. This is why the need for something more natural and less damaging than aspirin was always required.
