Do you even lift, brah?
Just kidding. This is a no bro zone, so feel free to read on. This article is about dissecting the best ways to use CBD in order to increase muscle recovery for lifters.
What is CBD?
CBD, cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid found in both hemp and cannabis. CBD does not create a high and is approved in the United States for medical use. (link to other cbd article) It can be used for an array of ailments including muscle recovery. With a market that’s overflowing with new supplements and wellness products, CBD offers a natural alternative to artificial solutions. While CBD can certainly replace products designed to specifically reduce pain and increase recovery, it cannot replace proper daily protein and carbohydrate intake. That being said, always check the labels on any product to see what you are actually buying!
The Dangers of Some Recovery Products
I just mentioned checking the label, but did you know that the FDA leaves it up to the manufacturers to assess the safety of these recovery products? Yep. And then of course, the FDA also leaves it up to them to handle the proper labeling. What does this have to do with checking the label? There’s no way to know if what’s on the label is in fact what’s inside! Yeah… Let that sink in. This is not gossip or internet hearsay. A Harvard Health Letter was issued in 2018 explaining how protein powders on the market (a popular muscle recovery product for health-conscious consumers) can actually contain added sugars, calories, and even toxic chemicals! Want to see if your protein powder checked out? See the list of tested powders and their results here.
The Harvard Health Letter cumulated with the solution that people, unless they have an eating impairment, should strive to get their daily suggested amount of protein from whole foods such as nuts, low-fat dairy products and the like. “You’ll find,” McManus says, “that there are many ways to get protein without turning to a powder.”
CBD Helps Muscles Recover
Aside from relieving pain and being a nice replacement for the artificial substances found in most protein powders and other recovery shakes, CBD literally helps you protect and increase your gainz. (Okay, I promise no more bro-y references for real now!)
What I mean is, CBD has anti-catabolic properties, so it helps you build muscle and create protein molecules. Let me unpack that a little bit, because I know when I first read it, I found it a little hard to understand and believe. Catabolic hormones break down muscle tissue. One of the most common catabolic hormones is cortisol, aka the “stress hormone,” which reduces protein synthesis and prevents tissue growth. How does CBD assuage this? CBD interferes with cortisol secretion within the body helping your muscles grow stronger while relaxing and calming the body. By contrast, a majority of the pre-workout shakes on the market actually increase cortisol secretion by adding substances like caffeine and taurine.
CBD Muscle-Recovery Tips
Tip #1 Put Down the Powder & Plan for Protein
This is pretty self-explanatory. Stop using your powder for about 3 weeks or so and try meal planning, preferably with a scale to weigh how much protein you are taking in everyday. Using a food scale can ensure that you’re in fact getting your daily recommended amount of protein. Also, your meals are almost 100% guaranteed to smell and taste better than a protein shake, because YUCK. For protein meal-planning tips, go here.
Tip #2 Choose Your CBD “Medium”
There’s a crazy amount of ways to take this stuff in. You can ingest it, vape it, put it under your tongue for 30 seconds, and even rub it on your skin as a lotion. Whichever way you decide on, make sure you’re going to stick with it and that it’s right for you budget-wise too. I have found that the lotion is not as easy to use when you’re working out as I sweat a lot and tend to just sweat it all off within the first 10 minutes. I prefer to vape it and use tinctures. See the CBD medium options at the end of this article if you’re looking for a guide.
Tip #3 Use Before, After, & Whenever You Feel Pain or Stress
To decrease pain, cut down on cortisol, and help increase protein synthesis, use CBD before your routine and after. I even vape while I’m waiting for my gym buddy to finish their set. But don’t stop there. Since CBD doesn’t get you high, use it whenever you are feeling stressed. Why? When you feel stressed, this is the infamous cortisol seeping into your system. So keep the CBD handy and do not use it sparingly.
CBD “Medium” Options
- Tinctures
Tinctures are concentrated liquid forms of CBD extract. They come in dark, UV-protectant vials with droppers for easy dosing. You put a drop under your tongue for 30 minutes and then swallow. This is called sublingual absorption and it is extremely popular, especially for people who do not enjoy vaping. See a product guide on CBD tinctures here.
- Vapes
You can of course take CBD through a vaporizer. There are pens that are great for on the go or at home, but there are also larger vaporizers that are better for strictly at-home set ups. I recommend starting with a pen, but since there are SO many pens out there and new ones come out quite often, I’d check out a pen guide first at CBDOilVape.com.
- Lotions
Not as popular but good if you’re averse to tinctures or vapes or perhaps just want to switch it up a bit. We recommend trying CBD Pure’s line of creams since they’ve been tested and are safe.
- Edibles
Remember taking Flintstone or gummy vitamins as a kid? It’s a similar, fun feeling. You can get CBD gummies, candies, and all sorts of stuff nowadays. Just be sure to do your research and stay focused on user-generated reviews.
- Pills
We are living in “take a pill” culture, so of course, you can also get CBD gel capsules. This is probably the least fun way to take CBD, but it’s also the fastest. CBD Pure’s Softgels make a great, easy option.
- Protein Powder (if you really can’t meal plan)
After all that talk of protein powder, I still list it because I’m a realist and I understand why protein powder is so popular. Time! We only have so much of it, so if you truly can’t find any time to meal plan but still want to get some protein and CBD in your life, get a CBD-infused protein powder.
Feel like you aren’t progressing as far in your workout regimen as you’d like? Take a look at what you are using to recover. You might just find that CBD is the change you’ve been waiting to make.