CBD for Crossfit Athletes: The Soft Landing you Deserve

Crossfit has attracted a lot of criticism with many people alleging that it has a higher risk and rate of injury than other forms of exercise. Whether this is true or not remains a point of contention. That is not the point of this. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. The real issue here is how to use natural remedies to help enhance te crossfit regimen. Possibly, reduce the chances of injury. 

Crossfit is high intensity activity involving several forms of exercise from gymnastics to weight training and even rowing. It involves large loads and large distances. It aims to maximise the amount of work whilst minimising the time it is done in. However, the repetitive nature of the activities might cause some common work out injuries. One will encounter overused and strained muscles most times. 

Crossfit experts say that prevention and decrease of injury risk can be done by following the mantra. Mechanics, consistency and intensity. The experts advice you not to overtrain. To observe proper recovery time and to seek treatment when appropriate. Often inexperience is a key element in the injuries experienced. One might go too hard too fast thus causing damage to some element in the body. It is also possible that the same inexperience or mere stubbornness might lead one to worsen a pre-existing condition. In the light of this, it is possible that Crossfit is not any more risky than other types of exercise at all. 

CBD Before, During and After

Cannabidiol is all the rage right for all sorts of great reasons. From managing cancer treatment to increasing appetites. CBD effects the Vanilloid receptors. These regulate pain. CBD also affects the adenosine receptors which affect the circadian rhythm. CBD also affects the serotonin receptors which enhance stress and mood. All these connections will help enhance performance, improve sleep and even shorten recovery time after a workout. These reasons were highlighted by Crossfit Invictus in a campaign for CBD use. 

Right before a work out, one may experience some jitters. This is brought about by trauma from a past injury or anxiety of some sort. These fear memories can be detrimental and may pull focus from the task at hand. Then one will suffer an injury because their mind is not completely focused on the task. CBD has been found to help with such. Studies were done to look into CBD for PTSD. This application is useful to people who experience fear memories. 

CBD During 

When the body is subjected to physical strain , the glands work overtime. They work harder to produce more hormones. This includes cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone. It reduces endurance. You will be prompted to quit before you have peaked. CBD reduces the production of cortisol. A study at the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Medical Psychology at University of Sao Paulo revealed this very fact. The conclusion is that CBD will increase endurance. 

You may also start to experience pain and soreness during the work out. This may happen earlier than it should relative to your capability. CBD helps alleviate these pains for easier mobility. The muscles will be more relaxed therefore pushing the body that much further. You will find that with CBD you are able to do more. You are a step higher on the intensity scale than usual. 

CBD After

Cannabidiol is incredibly useful after a crossfit session. It will reduce the recovery time as it will hasten muscle repair. CBD helps suppress inflammatory responses to physical stress. This is according to studies by the National Institutes of Health. Inflammatory is the reason for all that joint pain, sore muscles and stiffness. At times after an injury, you might feel hesitant to get back on the floor. CBD will help alleviate such anxieties. 

CBD for Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is  a very common issue with Crossfit athletes. See, the back is built to absorb shock and pressure. After some time, the shock absorbers wear out if they are not properly taken care of. Also, the back has so many elements that work together for proper function. If only one of these elements is adversely affected the effect will be felt widely and every so often, excruciatingly. There is a natural healing process aimed at taking care of back injuries. CBD works well to enhance this natural healing process. Through the endocannabinoid system, the back is better equipped to undergo natural repair after exertion. 

CBD for Tendons

These are thick cords that connect the muscles to the bones. This connection is crucial to joint movement. It is through the tendons that the muscles are able to move joints. Like some sort of pulley system. When the tendons are injured, one develops tendonitis. Tendonitis is very common in athletes and not just Crossfit athletes. 

• Rotator Cuff Injury

Rotator cuff injury is a type of tendonitis. It is an inflammation of the tendons and muscles of the shoulder. If not properly treated or attended to, an impingement will develop. This is when the top of the shoulder blade exerts pressure of the soft tissues. Later on, the rotator  cuff might tear. You will experience pain while moving the shoulder. There might be some swelling and stiffness. This injury is gradual. It wordsens the more one continues to exert themselves.  CBD reduces the inflammation. It will also bring down the swelling. There will be less pain during physiotherapy. In some cases, CBD has been found to improve the rate of recovery from this injury. Others have reported using CBD for injury protection. 

• Golfer’s Elbow

During weight training and other repetitive exercises, the arm muscles will be stressed. This might cause pain to emanate from the forearm tendons to the inside of the elbow. This is called golfer’s elbow. It makes it impossible for that particular tasked to be executed without pain if at all. CBD has been successfully used by veterans to help manage this. Of course, one must also follow the directions by physicians like rest and temperature treatment. 

• Achilles Tendonitis

Did you know that the term ‘achilles heel’ was derived from an old timey story. A man was dipped in water by his mother to prevent vulnerability. The water did not cover his heel. He was later killed by an arrow to that same heel. Today, it is used to describe va small point of weakness that can cause a downfall. This may have nothing to do with achilles tendonitis but it is a fun fact.

Achilles tendonitis is damage to the tendon that joins the calf muscle at the back of the leg to the heel. This causes pain when one attempts to bend their foot. A study was done to investigate the expression of cannabinoid receptors in the achilles tendon. This was done by looking at biopsies from healthy volunteers and those of people with achilles tendonitis. Receptor immunoreactivity was nted in the blood vessel wall and nerve perineurium. Such big words! The point is, these researchers found that people with achilles tendonitis had a dysregulated endocannabinoid system. What better to fix this that CBD administration? This research is applicable to all forms of tendonitis. Thus, providing evidence of the efficacy of CBD for damaged tendons. 

CBD for Sleep

Have You ever tried to work out while exhausted from lack of sleep? You will drag yourself. You will be on the verge of tears at the mildest nudging. You will hate it. Not to mention the high risk of injury. As mentioned before, CBD affects the circadian rhythm. This means that it better regulates the sleep cycles. This makes for an improved quality of sleep. It is during sleep that the body repairs itself. It readies itself for another session at the Crossfit gym. You will feel and be ready for the next session.