CBD Oil For Runners: Potential Benefits, Potential Risks

Statistics show there are more than six million runners in the UK and almost 50 million in the US. Those numbers have grown substantially since the Covid pandemic hit, right around the time that CBD oil and other products became widely available in most Western nations.

The timing could not have been better. Cannabidiol (the full name of CBD) appears to provide a large number of health and wellness benefits. And many of them could theoretically help runners, whether they’re elite athletes or people who simply enjoy going out for a leisurely jog a few times per week.

• Stress and strain on runners’ joints and muscles commonly cause inflammation, and fatigue makes that issue even more likely. CBD is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties that could ease the problem.
• CBD appears to provide pain relief for many types of pain when taken orally, and for topical pain when infused into a cream, lotion, or other topical product.
• Cannabidiol is believed to help users not only with insomnia but also with the poor sleep quality that’s common among runners who train hard and over-exert themselves.
• CBD seems to be an effective weapon against stress and anxiety, so it could be a valuable ally for competitive runners.
• Cannabidiol may even help the body repair muscle damage and grow new muscle tissue.

Those apparent benefits imply that CBD use could be extremely helpful to runners.

It can be also somewhat risky, though. That’s not because of side effects; it’s because of ingredients.

Most CBD oil and other products also contain a very small amount of psychoactive THC, which isn’t enough to impair users in any way — but possibly enough to get competitive runners banned from events. And even products whose labels claim to contain extremely low levels of THC often have far more than promised.

Only “CBD isolate” products manufactured by trustworthy companies contain no THC, and it’s crucial to inspect the results of independent lab tests before you can be completely sure your competitive status won’t be at risk when using CBD.

For the details, read on.

What Is CBD?

CBD is one of the two major cannabinoids found in hemp and cannabis plants. The other is THC. Cannabinoids are compounds that help plants defend themselves against natural elements like sunlight and predators like insects. They also appear to deliver a wealth of health and wellness benefits when taken inside the body.

THC, of course, is the active ingredient in cannabis that makes users high; those plants contain high levels of THC and very little cannabidiol. Hemp, by comparison, contains high levels of CBD and very little THC, which is why the cannabidiol used to create CBD products is sourced from hemp plants and is non-intoxicating.

That largely explains CBD’s increasing popularity. Unlike those who use medical marijuana, CBD users can receive the many apparent medical benefits of cannabidiol without being impaired in any way.

Once consumed (or applied externally), CBD and THC interact with a crucial network of receptors and chemical messengers inside the body (and in the skin) known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is important because it governs the majority of major bodily functions, including thought, memory, sleep, pain, immunity, and inflammation.

Cannabinoids are extremely similar in chemical structure to the neurotransmitters that serve as ECS messengers, known as endocannabinoids. Just as endocannabinoids work with ECS receptors to send and deliver messengers, CBD’s similar structure allows it to interact with those same receptors to send its own messages and alter the ones being sent.

That’s how CBD (and THC) delivers its effects and apparent benefits.

The Reported Benefits of CBD

What we know about cannabidiol’s apparent benefits comes from preliminary research results, which are not yet sufficient to convince the medical world or regulatory authorities that CBD should be prescribed and used as a medical treatment. The only approved prescription of cannabidiol is to help those suffering from a few types of childhood epilepsy.

Evidence stemming from that research, however, is impressive enough to have convinced millions of people in Britain — and a majority of adults in America — to try or use CBD oil and other products.

Many of CBD’s apparent benefits aren’t directly applicable to the needs of runners and the issues they face. For example, cannabidiol is believed to help patients with other forms of epilepsy, fight the effects of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, prevent or reduce outbreaks of acne and other skin diseases, and possibly battle some types of cancer.

Many others, though, may directly benefit casual and competitive runners.

Inflammation and Pain

One of the highly-touted potential benefits of cannabidiol is that it appears to ease the inflammation and pain caused by inflammatory and anti-immune diseases like arthritis. Researchers believe that CBD’s interaction with a group of ECS receptors that regulate inflammation in the body (the CB2 receptors) is responsible for those effects.

Numerous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of cannabidiol in battling inflammation and pain; in one, participants reported that their pain decreased by as much as 83%, almost 50% were able to reduce or eliminate the anti-inflammatory medications they took regularly, and more than a third reported that they could stop taking other pain-killers.

Many runners, of course, regularly suffer inflammation and pain, primarily due to the strain and stress placed on their muscles and joints. No reputable scientific reports have yet been conducted on the specific impact CBD may have on runners’ pain and inflammation, but research reviews agree that it’s a topic worthy of in-depth study.

Sleep

In repeated studies, poor sleep has been linked to fatigue, decreased endurance, bad decision-making, and delayed reaction times. Not getting enough sleep prevents the body from completely healing damaged tissues and building new muscle, delaying recovery. All of those issues can have a marked negative effect on athletic performance.

CBD would seem to be tailor-made for runners experiencing the sleep disruptions that are commonly reported by runners, particularly elite runners. There are many theories about the causes, ranging from a correlation between running and type-A personalities to overly-intense training.

However, preliminary research clearly points to cannabidiol’s apparent ability to ease insomnia and poor sleep quality. Among the theories: CBD helps to ease stress that can disrupt sleep; CBD reinforces natural circadian rhythms; CBD relieves pain that can interrupt normal sleep patterns; CBD calms muscle twitches that can wake users during sleep.

Whatever the reason, it appears that CBD oil and other products may be able to help runners get the good night’s sleep that leads to better performance.

Stress and Anxiety

Numerous studies have established an apparent connection between CBD use and decreases in stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.

Stress and anxiety, as we’ve mentioned, may stop some runners from getting the quality sleep they need. While running, stress can also lead to abnormal movement patterns and muscle imbalances, becoming distracted or losing focus, or imbalances in the body that cause cramping — all risk factors for running-related injuries.

It might seem like a minor factor in overall performance, but CBD’s apparent ability to ease stress could provide runners, particularly competitive runners, with an added advantage.

Recovery and Muscle Repair

Some studies show that CBD appears to have neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. Both could have important implications for runners.

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology found that those apparent neuroprotective effects, combined with cannabidiol’s anti-inflammatory properties, help athletes recover from muscle damage and fatigue when using CBD after significant exertion. Another study, published in Nutrients, reported significant improvement in muscle repair after training.

CBD’s antioxidant properties could also be a boon for runners. Cellular damage is caused by free radicals in the body; antioxidants are crucial for fighting the activity of those free radicals, so cannabidiol could potentially limit the muscle damage caused by intense physical activity and possibly even contribute to the growth of new muscle.

CBD vs. Prescription Medications

There’s one more argument in favor of trying CBD oil and other products.

Cannabidiol is only associated with rare and minor side effects like fatigue, stomach upset, and diarrhoea, most of which are only experienced by new users or those taking extremely high doses.

That could be far preferable to the more serious negative effects associated with the prescription medications runners often take to alleviate pain, inflammation, insomnia, and stress.

How Should Runners Use CBD?

CBD products are available in several forms: CBD oil and capsules (the capsules simply contain CBD oil), CBD-infused edibles, CBD vapes, and CBD topical products. Which would theoretically be the most effective administration method for runners? There are several factors to consider in your decision.

Speed

Some ways of using CBD work faster than others. Dropping CBD oil under the tongue, vaping it, or applying CBD creams, lotions, and other topical products all work much more quickly than consuming edibles, capsules, or CBD oil added to food or beverages. Swallowing CBD requires digestion, which can reduce effectiveness and delay it for as long as two hours.

Any runner looking for fast relief would probably want to choose one of the first three alternatives.

Internal vs. External Use

CBD applied to the skin — for runners, that would mean rubbing it into the areas requiring pain or inflammation relief, or recovery for sore muscles and joints — is unlikely to make it into the bloodstream to provide full-body effects. Cannabidiol rarely penetrates all of the skin’s layers, so it’s best used topically to interact with the ECS receptors in the skin for localised benefits.

CBD creams, lotions, salves, and similar products are designed to provide external relief, often containing additional analgesic and anti-inflammatory ingredients as well as others that moisturise and repair skin. They’re the common choice for strains, sprains, spasms, pain, inflammation, and muscle recovery.

Other forms of CBD taken internally would be a better alternative for runners in search of better sleep quality, anxiety and stress relief, and long-term support for recovery and cellular repair.

Types of CBD

The type of CBD product you choose can not only have a bearing on its effectiveness but also on whether you get to compete at all.

When extracted from hemp, cannabidiol contains most of the plants’ other important compounds, including terpenes, and other cannabinoids — including the small amount of THC found in hemp plants. That’s generally a positive. All of the plant compounds work together, in what’s called an “entourage effect,” to maximize CBD’s performance in the body.

Some people are allergic to THC, however, and it might show up in drug tests looking for indications of cannabis use. That’s potentially a huge problem for competitive runners, who could unexpectedly be disqualified from competition if they test positive for THC. The World Anti-Doping Agency, for example, has THC on its Prohibited List.

Thankfully, there are three types of CBD products to choose from, and two of them could let runners avoid that problem.

• CBD Isolate: This is extracted cannabidiol that has been processed to remove all other plant compounds, so it contains no THC and doesn’t put runners’ competitive status at risk. However, the absence of those other compounds means isolate products will be the least effective type of CBD.
• Broad-spectrum CBD: This is extracted cannabidiol processed to remove only the THC. It’s somewhat less effective, and traces of THC may remain after the lab process is completed.
• Full-spectrum CBD: This is the cannabidiol extracted from hemp, containing THC and all of the other plant compounds. It’s the most effective type of CBD, but it also puts competitors most at risk for a positive drug test.

How can you know how much THC your CBD product contains? Products from reputable companies will have an online link to a Certificate of Analysis (COA), which shows the results of third-party testing. It will list the cannabinoid profile of the product, where you can see how much CBD it contains and whether it contains any THC.

Choosing between the three types of CBD products isn’t an issue for casual runners; full-spectrum CBD will be the most effective. Those who regularly compete, however, should carefully consider which type of product makes sense for them before buying.

How Much CBD to Take?

That’s a tough question to answer. Cannabidiol isn’t an approved medical treatment (except for the epilepsy cases we’ve mentioned), so there’s no accepted dosage recommendation for those who want to enjoy any of CBD’s apparent benefits. And preliminary research has shown widely varying doses to be effective for different health and wellness issues.

Dosing choices are complicated even more by other factors that can affect cannabidiol’s effects. They include the user’s weight and BMI, metabolism, overall medical condition, and the other medications they take. An additional complication is that the recommended doses on CBD package labels aren’t specific suggestions for the benefits the user wants to receive.

The best approach is to discuss CBD usage and dosing with your doctor, another healthcare professional, or your trainer. In general terms, however, experts often suggest starting doses between 5 and 25 milligrams per day, increasing the dosage after a few weeks if no results are seen.

The best news: medical authorities all the way up to the World Health Organization (WHO) say that CBD oil and other products are safe, causing no harm and having no abuse potential — and that doses as high as 1500mg of CBD are well-tolerated in humans.

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