CBD oil contains cannabidiol as its main ingredient, which, like THC, is a cannabinoid. Unlike THC, however, CBD is not psychoactive, despite its slightly different chemical structure.
In addition to many different positive effects on your health, CBD oil can especially promote your sleep and regeneration.
Every sports enthusiast knows how essential both are for high athletic performance. Learn how CBD can support this in this article!
Table of contents
1. CANNABINOIDS IN THE HEMP PLANT
The main components of the hemp plant ( Cannabis sativa ) are cannabinoids, of which around 60 have been extracted so far. They interact with receptors in your body and spread their effects primarily to your nervous system and brain.
The best-known cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) , which is found in cannabis. It promotes the release of dopamine , which in turn induces feelings of euphoria and happiness and boosts your well-being. Therefore, its effects are referred to as psychoactive .
2. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CBD AND THC
CBD and THC differ in their chemical formulas. In recent years , cannabidiol (CBD) has emerged as the second most important cannabinoid because it is non-psychoactive . This means it is not considered a narcotic and also has many positive therapeutic effects .
Therefore, according to the latest legislation , CBD oil is also legally available in Germany. You can therefore safely enjoy its positive effects in the form of drops. However, it's important to note that CBD oil is not the same as cannabis oil .
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3. THE RELEVANT PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTS ABOUT CBD OIL
First, some physiological facts about cannabinoids so we can better understand their effects: In your body, you have so-called cannabinoid receptors, which are located in the central nervous system.
They form the docking site for the CBD from our oil. Two distinct types are distinguished, each active in different areas of the body: CB1 and CB2.
The CB1 receptor is mainly present in nociceptive areas of the central nervous system (CNS), the spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system, whereas the CB2 receptor is more abundant in lymphatic and immune tissue.
Together with endogenous ligands, the two receptors form the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is considered to be of great importance in many of the health-promoting effects of cannabinoids. [1]
Endogenous ligands are substances that bind to receptors and, through this resulting bond, exert a receptor-mediated effect on the cell. This is how the processes in your body function.
Learn more about the endocannabinoid system
Take-Home Message #1: CBD and THC from hemp are both cannabinoids, the main active ingredients of the hemp plant. However, CBD is non-psychoactive and is legally available in Germany, for example, in the form of CBD oil !
Episode 60 | CBD: Effects and Uses of the Crop - Dr. Grotenhermen
4. CBD AND CLINICAL EFFICACY
In recent years, CBD has gained increasing importance in therapeutic applications. Since it is legal in Germany, its health benefits have been increasingly scrutinized. Numerous studies have already confirmed these effects.
However, there are currently no health claims regarding its beneficial effects, so further research is needed. CBD oil is only available as a dietary supplement in Germany and is gaining popularity among many athletes.
5. CBD AS A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT IN SPORTS
In September 2017, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed cannabidiol from its list of prohibited substances , allowing many athletes to use CBD as a natural dietary supplement in sports.
Anyone who trains a lot knows how important a balance between training and recovery is. Only during the recovery phase can your body become more efficient , your muscles grow , and you make progress. This, of course, also includes good and efficient sleep .
If you want to optimize your training conditions and increase your performance , you should definitely ensure adequate regeneration and recovery.
As you've already learned, CBD is a multi-acting molecule and can therefore have an impact on various aspects of sports. There are various forms of CBD administration, from CBD oil to crystals, tablets, and capsules.
CBD OIL AND SPORTS INJURIES
Pain , regardless of its form, is widespread. Whether it's muscle pain or pain associated with other physical ailments, it often limits well-being .
Many pharmacological agents are used for pain therapy, as are natural ingredients. You're probably familiar with some of them.
In sports, too, minor or major injuries often occur during training or competitions.
The previously mentioned ECS is very important for us because it is involved in nociception [1], i.e. in pain control and mediation of the sensation of pain.
It also interacts with other pain-control centers in your body and can reduce pain sensation by stimulating CB1. [2] This is why CBD oil is often used to treat some types of sports-related pain.
CANNABIDIOL FOR INFLAMMATION AND REGENERATION
A variety of inflammatory processes occur in your body every day. These can have a variety of causes. Short-term inflammation is actually important because it protects your body from pathogens such as viruses and bacteria and can also eliminate damaged cells.
It is important that these inflammatory processes do not become a permanent phenomenon, because then they become a burden for your body and ensure that you cannot perform as well as you would like in the long term.
Inflammation during exercise
Inflammation is also associated with normal training and physical exertion, as such processes naturally occur in the body. This is completely normal and, in moderation, even necessary for sustained performance improvement.
You can imagine it like this: During a workout, when your muscles are under stress, an accumulation of small inflammatory processes occurs in the muscle tissue. When the muscles are stressed and contracted, your muscle fibers suffer this kind of damage.
However, your body's inflammatory response to these processes leads to a long-term increase in muscle strength and thus a real performance boost. When your body notices that an inflammatory process is occurring somewhere in the tissue, so-called cytokines (regulatory proteins for signaling) are released, essentially trying to attract attention from the affected tissue.
This triggers a reaction from the immune system to counteract this. In this case, these signaling proteins not only initiate muscle repair, but, more importantly, muscle growth! Of course, this doesn't happen immediately, but only with regular training.
CBD for regeneration
Your body naturally has its own immune defense mechanisms. However, sometimes inflammation cannot be reduced on its own. CBD oil can support your body's cells in maintaining your immune system .
Why is this? CBD is involved in the modulation of the factor TNF-α , which is released as a support factor during inflammatory processes and is responsible, for example, for the development of fever. Furthermore, CBD inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway , which plays an important role in severe inflammation. [3]
To support the body's natural processes during strength training and enhance muscle recovery , many top athletes use CBD oil after intense training ! The CBD contained in the oil can support cell protection through its anti-inflammatory effect, thus enabling faster recovery.
If you like to train frequently and intensely, the oil could help you perform well. Here, too, it's important to find and adjust the individual dosage. Depending on the level of physical exertion, a different dosage may be helpful. Just give it a try!
Take-Home Message #2: CBD is becoming increasingly popular among athletes and is being clinically studied for its positive benefits in many aspects. Some athletes report benefits from using CBD for injuries and muscle pain, while others report benefits in recovery and reducing natural inflammatory processes.
6. CBD OIL TO PROMOTE SLEEP: HOW IMPORTANT SLEEP IS FOR REGULAR EXERCISE
How well do you sleep?
On average, humans spend a third of their lives sleeping. You probably already know how important sleep is to you!
Just a quick refresher: It's essential for your body's biological and physiological regeneration processes and important for processing and storing all the information and stimuli of your day. Good, efficient sleep permanently improves your mental performance and, of course, also helps you excel in sports.
Sleep problems, on the other hand, are widespread worldwide. These can be divided into: difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, regularly waking up intermittently, or simply not getting restful sleep. Everyone struggles with these difficulties at some point; perhaps you've experienced them yourself.
The consequences of such difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep can include a lack of energy, drive, and motivation in the following days, as well as a severe reduction in your concentration and performance. This can negatively impact your everyday life.
What is sleep actually?
Defining sleep precisely is quite complex. It can be said that sleep is a reversible behavioral state that you regularly enter.
While you sleep, your reaction and response to environmental influences, as well as your perception and awareness of your surroundings , are greatly altered, namely very reduced or almost non-existent .
This is supported externally by a restful sleeping position and closed eyes. At the same time, numerous physiological and biochemical processes are still taking place in your body!
Rare, but not uncommon, are sleep-related events in some people that can occur under unusual circumstances. These include sleepwalking, sleeptalking, or teeth grinding.
More than falling asleep-sleeping-waking up: The sleep cycle briefly explained
At night, you go through a sleep cycle that is divided into two phases with different characteristics: the non-REM phase and the REM phase . These phases are visible through the waves in the electroencephalogram (EEG). This measure and record the electrical activity of the brain.
The non-REM phase is divided into stages 1-4 . Stages 1 and 2 are considered light sleep with a low arousal threshold. Stages 3 and 4 are defined as deep sleep and are also referred to as "slow wave sleep" (SWS) because the EEG amplitudes become increasingly larger and the frequency progressively lower. Stage 4 has a high arousal threshold. Your breathing and heart rate increase.
REM sleep , also known as dream sleep , is characterized by very intense eye movement (REM = rapid eye movement) and is highly emotional. Nightmares can occur during this phase. Blood pressure and body temperature typically decrease during this phase.
A complete sleep cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes and repeats 3-4 times per night, depending on the sleep pattern and the individual! Did you know that sleep phases shift with age? Light sleep increases (stages 1 and 2), while REM sleep, deep sleep, and sleep duration decrease.
How does your body know to sleep?
Your sleep is a highly regulated process. Your body and its functions are controlled by the so-called circadian rhythm , also known as the sleep-wake cycle .
This means that all processes are synchronized to a 24-hour schedule. For this to work, the body's own (endogenous) signals are important. Melatonin production also depends on them.
Melatonin and your sleep
Melatonin is the hormone in your body that regulates your sleep rhythm . Your body produces it itself, depending on the amount of light. In daylight, melatonin production is suppressed and greatly increased in the dark at night.
For a good night's sleep, it is important that you keep your environment as dark as possible, as this is the only way to maximize your body's melatonin production!
Take-Home Message #3: Your sleep is a reversible behavioral state that you regularly enter. Your body goes through a sleep cycle consisting of two phases several times per night. Your sleep is controlled by the circadian rhythm and the associated body's own melatonin production.
Why is good sleep so important?
If you want to stay fit, you need to get enough sleep. During your sleep, numerous processes take place that allow your body to be fit the next day and, of course, stay healthy in the long run! Of course, there are exceptions. But sleep is a basic need and essential for your mental performance.
Sleep and its importance for your brain
During sleep , the information , impressions, and stimuli you gathered during the day are processed, evaluated, and, above all, stored. This is extremely important for learning processes so that they can be consolidated. For example, if you memorize exam-relevant material, it is only properly stored during sleep and can then be recalled.
Furthermore, during sleep, facts are linked to existing information and certain behavioral patterns are derived. This is particularly important for motor skills, such as learning sports or musical instruments .
Sleep also helps rid your brain of waste products . These waste products are naturally produced as byproducts because your brain has a very high metabolic rate.
They are therefore nothing unusual. What's important is that they are eliminated. This is why the glymphatic system plays such a crucial role. In short: The glymphatic system is your brain's natural cleansing system and is most active at night .
Cerebrospinal fluid, a transparent and colorless fluid, flows between the brain cells and into every nook and cranny, collecting toxic substances. You can find out more about this here . This protects you from degenerative diseases and also boosts your mental performance.
How important sleep is for your athletic performance
For athletes' performance, not only is tailored training so important, but also restful and quality sleep. When you're well-rested , you can concentrate and focus better on your athletic goals and training, whether during preparation or directly during competitions . You stay focused on your task and perform better.
This is also important for the accuracy with which you train and execute movements . In many sports, precision is crucial; well-rehearsed movements and techniques are effective, and complicated moves are profitable. The more rested you are, the more focused and precise you can be in your sport.
Good sleep also sharpens your judgment . You can better assess risks and thus avoid injuries, for example. You distribute your energy more efficiently and thus significantly improve your performance. This happens faster when you're well-rested.
You're probably familiar with this from everyday life, even in the simplest situations: After a night of sleeplessness, you react more slowly and take longer to perform the required movement. It's very similar with exercise.
Finally, good sleep is important not only for exercise itself, but also for recovery afterward. While you sleep , growth hormones are released , which lead to muscle growth in your body and help you become more athletic and stronger.
Since small injuries to your muscles naturally occur during training , your body needs repair mechanisms so that they heal quickly.
This also happens efficiently while you sleep . Even major injuries are healed while you sleep, and all of this leads to you getting fit and progressing faster in your training.
Sleep after exercise is therefore important for your mind and mental performance, your muscles, and the necessary regeneration. Only then can you become more efficient and achieve your athletic goals.
Take-Home Message #3: Sleep is extremely important for many areas of your body. In the brain, learning processes are consolidated, information is linked, and toxic substances are eliminated. In sports, it stimulates muscle growth, increases your concentration and precision, and greatly improves your recovery. Sleep therefore contributes significantly to mental and physical performance!
The effect of CBD on your sleep
The quality and efficiency of your sleep is strongly linked to tension , stress , and restlessness . Everyday situations sometimes combine with external factors that negatively impact your sleep. This is where CBD oil can play a role as a sleep aid .
It doesn't directly address fatigue. Rather, according to many clinical studies , CBD may have a relaxing , anxiety-relieving, and stress-reducing effect . Here's how it seems to work:
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is responsible for regulating your body's emotions. Anxiety, stress, and relaxation, for example, are closely linked.
If they persist, problems falling asleep and staying asleep can trigger anxiety, and anxiety can lead to sleep problems. [4] The ECS is involved in the plasticity and modulability of these neuronal synapses and thus also in emotional control.
Now things are getting a bit more biochemical. As in so many signaling pathways in your body, receptors play a key role here as well. That's why it's important to know how it all works. It's actually always the same pattern: Receptors are located in the target cell.
But for the effect to reach the interior of your cells, the receptor must receive a signal. This happens with the so-called ligands. These are substances (molecules or ions) that bind to the receptor and thus transmit a signal.
It's a kind of communication between cells, also known as the cellular language. There are thousands of such receptors and ligands in your body, all with different, confusing names and designations. But they always have one goal in common: to enable a very specific effect in a specific cell through a signal.
Such cellular communication also appears to exist in the context of CBD oil consumption and sleep quality: The CB1 receptor mentioned above, for example, is involved in the regulation of anxiety and restlessness. In one study, researchers showed that activation of CB1 by CBD can have an anxiolytic and thus calming effect.
This suggests that falling asleep is easier. As mentioned above, cannabinoid receptors are present in many areas of your body, and for this reason, CBD can activate not only the CB1 receptor but also the 5-HT1A receptor.
What can it do? The 5-HT1A receptor is also involved in signaling pathways that play a role in the development of restlessness and stress. [4]
So you can see how diverse CBD oil can be in your body and, according to initial scientific findings , can have a relaxing , anxiety-relieving , and stress-reducing effect . Without all that head-scratching, you'll generally find it easier to fall asleep and thus recover better.
A more restful night's sleep usually makes you feel better the next day and therefore fitter, allowing you to perform your tasks more efficiently! This is also crucial for your mental performance and thought processes. If you want to stay focused during the day, your brain needs the regeneration it needs during sleep.
Students therefore often take CBD oil before difficult exam periods , partly because of its neutral taste. Unfortunately, there is currently no prescribed dosage, as each person reacts differently to CBD oil.
Therefore, as with many other preparations, simply try it out and see how it affects you and find your own dosage!
Take-Home Message #4: Good sleep is extremely important for your body. Depending on the situation, sleep difficulties can be caused by anxiety, restlessness, or even stress. According to initial scientific findings, CBD oil can potentially counteract these processes, helping you fall asleep faster and thus rest well at night!
7. OTHER BENEFITS OF CBD THAT ARE PROMISING AND ARE BEING CLINICALLY STUDIED
What does CBD oil have to do with headaches?
Headaches are very common worldwide, and you may experience them yourself at times. On average, women suffer from headaches 2-3 times more often than men.
A migraine is characterized as a one-sided, throbbing headache lasting between 4 and 72 hours, associated with sensitivity to light and sound, and ranging in severity from mild to severe. However, the course can vary greatly from person to person.
Numerous studies have shown that cannabidiols , such as those found in CBD oil, act on the neuronal and vascular systems , modulating components involved in the pathogenesis of headaches and other symptoms. [5]
CBD is a natural antioxidant CBD
Oxidative stress occurs daily in your cells . They are then exposed to excessive concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to cell damage because they produce the "harmful form" of oxygen. Such species are generally formed through oxygen-dependent redox reactions.
These are necessary chemical reactions in your body in which electrons are transferred from one reactant to another. But you can also absorb ROS from environmental toxins. Our body has many protective mechanisms.
Antioxidants are one such protective shield, as they interrupt the production of ROS. CBD oil is also used as a natural antioxidant and can potentially be even more effective than vitamins E and C! [6] It can therefore help bind the harmful ROS in your cells. Antioxidants thus support your health!
Take-Home Message #5: Your body's so-called ECS includes cannabinoid receptors and other ligands. This system is of interest to you because there is initial scientific evidence that CBD, such as that contained in our oil, can contribute to reducing oxidative stress.
8. CONCLUSION
CBD from CBD oil and its health effects have already been researched in several scientific studies. The interesting thing is that cannabidiol receptors are present in so many places in your body.
In particular, the use of CBD oil to promote sleep and after training in athletes seems to be a very interesting field, but further research is needed to make reliable statements.
As a natural dietary supplement, it's already very popular among athletes. It works differently for each individual. Just give it a try. Before you decide on a CBD oil, there are a few things you should consider.
Success begins in the mind. Do you want to further optimize your mental performance? Would you like to learn from trained coaches how you can increase your performance to meet your challenges? Then start our free Performance Coach now.
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9. Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5549367/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25061872
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5436334/
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26264914
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