How can cannabidiol (CBD) improve athlete training and recovery? This is what a recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated the benefits of athletes using CBD, along with discussing past studies regarding CDB use among athletes. This study has the potential to help scientists, legislators, athletic trainers, and the public better understand the benefits of athletes using CBD, especially while CBD isn’t banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the health risks remain unknown.
For the study, the researchers conducted an anonymous online survey from 80 elite-level Canadian athletes from October 2021 to June 2023 regarding their CBD use. The goal of the study was to ascertain the level of use and the athletes’ opinions on CBD safety. In the end, the researchers found that 30 respondents had used CBD with 9 reporting they were actively using CBD. Of the CDB users, approximately 96 percent stated they perceived CBD as safe, approximately 93 percent and 90 percent reported better sleep, respectively, and 77 percent reported decreased pain after training.
The study noted in its conclusions, “Friends and the internet were major sources of information on CBD and many athletes expressed concerns about the potential for inadvertent anti-doping rule violations due to CBD product contamination with THC or other banned cannabinoids. The insights provided by this survey may help guide future research into the effects of CBD use in athletic populations and the potential risks associated with CBD-containing products marketed to and used by athletes.”
As noted, CBD is currently not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but studies like this highlight the health benefits of athletes using CBD, which could open the doors for expanding its use and knowledge.
What new insight into CBD and athletes will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Frontiers in Nutrition, Marijuana Moment