CBD (Cannabidiol) has been a rising point of conversation in the fitness world. Now, I’m gonna be honest – before I started doing research on this subject I just thought “Well the stoner in my apartment building isn’t really jacked. He looks like he could be blown away by a gentle breeze…”. But are CBD’s really the stuff that’s in his joint? Does it really have anti-inflammatory benefits? In the next 10 minutes we’ll discover all these answers, and more.


What are the best CBD Supplements?




Oils ?
Gummies ?
Capsules ?
Vape Juices ?
Topicals ?


How to take them
Sublingually
Orally
Orally
Inhaled
Applied to the skin


Pros
Rapid absorption
Easy to use, discreet
Easy to dose
Fastest absorption
Direct relief to specific spot


Cons
Can taste bad
Gelatin my melt
Long time before in blood
Could have health drawbacks
Difficult to dose




What is CBD even?
CBD (Cannabidiol) is derived directly from the Hemp plant, but is different to THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is what causes the high feeling associated with Cannabis, whereas CBD does not cause the high feeling or any of the side effects associated with this, like being very hungry. Using CBD as a supplement for pain relief has been popular with various cultures around the world, and has been used by athletes to get similar benefits.


How does CBD work?
Throughout the body, we have receptors for certain compounds. For instance, estrogen binds to estrogen receptors. Testosterone binds to androgen receptors, and makes you larger. CBD is thought to bind to receptors in the endocannabinoid system to help the user calm down. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, however they do know it does not interact in the same way THC does.







Benefits of CBD for Bodybuilding
This is where we need to discuss how exactly you plan on using CBD. When we look at building muscle, inflammation is needed. This provides blood and nutrients to the muscle and definitely drives muscle growth. The real concern with using CBD constantly, especially in a bulking phase, is limitation of inflammation.


Limiting inflammation is going to limit muscle growth. This is not to say you cannot use it in an off season, but be conservative with your dosing. The topical creams can still be used on joints that are inflamed. Some also complain that CBD decreases appetite, which is counterproductive to an off season in the first place.


In stark contrast to this, during a cutting phase CBD supplementation can be extremely beneficial. Limiting inflammation close to your show can be a great factor, but also just helping you sleep and recover. By doing this, you get to lower your cortisol level as well which has been shown to limit fat loss if they are too high.


Other benefits you can expect are:


  • Management of anxiety and depression
  • Management of stress
  • Improved sleep and recovery
  • Reduced inflammation

What are the best CBD Supplements for Bodybuilding?
CBD’s biggest claim to fame is going to be that it can aid recovery. Anyone who’s ever done a real bodybuilding prep will tell you that something like under recovery can make you look like Mrs Jones down to the street. Fat. Weak. And having a peculiar smell. Jokes aside, even something like sleeping less than 7 hours a day can increase your calories eaten the next day by a whopping 500! With claims of decreasing pain, decreasing inflammation, having neuroprotective properties (remember this) and having heart benefits. Without further ado, let’s look at some of the best.


Best CBD Oil: cbdMD Premium Oil



cbdMD is a well known brand and loved by various bodybuilders and athletes in general. No surprise they produce a very high quality CBD Oil, dosed at 300mg per ml. This product does not contain any THC (the compound we associate with getting high), and when taken before bed can really help fight inflammation which can aid recovery, especially in a fat loss phase.


With 98% of the oil having a Hemp Seed, and the other 2% coming from MCT oil you are ensured that the product is extremely high quality.


Pros[/b][/i]Available in four flavors (Natural, Berry, Mint and Orange)

[/i]Superior broad spectrum oil

[/i]Third party tested and GMP certified
[/list]
Best CBD Gummies: Just Live Sleep Gummies



To make sure we progress optimally, we need to make sure to prioritize sleep. In walks Sleep Gummies from Just Live. As the name suggests, this product is specifically designed to help you sleep. It achieves this by not only being a CBD oil, but also including other ingredients like GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) and Melatonin.


The combination of GABA and Melatonin plus the CBD will result in you getting to REM sleep at a much faster pace, and sleeping much better as well. Dosed at 25mg MG of CBD per gummy – 750mg MG of CBD total / 3mg MG of CBG per gummy, you’ll see a lot of benefits from taking these before bed for recovery purposes.


Pros[/b][/i]Has more than just one ingredient

[/i]You can subscribe and get a better price

[/i]Zero THC and it’s vegan friendly
[/list]
Best CBD Capsules: Green Roads CBD Relax Capsules



These isolate CBD capsules contain a great dose of 25mg of 5-HTP, 25mg of Hemp Derived Cannabinoid Extract and 500mg GABA as well. The main goal of using a CBD supplement as a bodybuilder is going to be recovery. Recovery happens most when we’re asleep and the body is healing. The Relax Capsules will also have a calming effect which can only further promote relaxation and recovery.


The GABA in the capsules will also promote rest and can even induce growth hormone release, which can aid in recovery, muscle growth and fat loss.


Pros[/b][/i]Subscribe and save up to 30%

[/i]USA-farmed hemp, pharmaceutically produced
[/list]
Best CBD Vape Juice: Pure Rawz




Yup, apparently you can drive a Subaru, disappoint your parents and vape CBD at the same time. Your life has peaked. Just kidding. That’ll never happen. Jokes aside, vaping your CBD actually has a great benefit of getting into your system a whole lot faster. Pure Rawz capitalized on this and released their CBD Vape Juice Isolate Lemon Haze, dosed at 500mg per 15ml.


It also has added Terpenes to help with flavor and scent. With minimal to no heavy metals, Pure Rawz stands for high quality pure products.


Pros[/b][*][/i] [/i]Very quick delivery system

[/i]Easy to use, might fight hunger as well
[/list]
Best CBD Topical Cream: cbdMD Premium Recover 3000



Topical Cream is a very particular and popular method of using CBD as it can be used at specific points on the body where you have pain. cbdMD has developed Premium Recover 3000 specifically as a painkiller, which of course is great for bodybuilders since we’re in emotional pain 24/7. Plus, sometimes our bodies get sore and then this cream will be absolutely perfect.


Premium Recover 3000 also contains Histamine Dihydrochloride, Arnica Montana Extract and of course the joint formula favorite Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). These compounds can really help you recover from really intense training.



Side effects of CBD
First off, CBD will not make you high. The compound does not interact with the body in that manner, and is thus not capable of doing this.


  • Can interact with other medications, potentially performance enhancing drugs and SARMs
  • Combining CBD with alcohol can create a environment that damages brain cells
  • Can reduce appetite
  • Drowsiness
  • Diarrhea
  • Dry mouth

FAQs
1) Will CBD make me high?
Unlike the THC counterpart, CBD cannot make the user high as it does not interact in the same way upon the body.


2) Is CBD legal?
Yes. CBD is completely legal in the US, and there are various vendors online and some retail stores stock them as well.


3) Does CBD help muscle growth?
The mechanisms are counterintuitive. CBD can limit inflammation which in turn limits muscle growth. CBD can also improve sleep quality which in turn can increase muscle growth capabilities. If you are using CBD for the purpose of muscle growth, I would only use it before going to bed.


Conclusion
CBD can be a great tool in your arsenal when used correctly. It makes sense that it’ll be much more beneficial in a fat loss phase, however there are still some uses in a muscle gaining phase as well. Strength athletes may also benefit from it greatly as it can help with joint and ligaments.







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