Cannabis proves useful for those who practice physical activity. Let's start from an assumption, applying body and mind in sporting contexts is essential in order to take care of one's psychophysical balance.

”[...] Exercise is helpful, sweating a lot, keeping the stomach loose [...]” Verse from chapter 113 from the "Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum

Over the centuries the rule of mens sana in corpore sano has been declined by every medical institution, revealing its usefulness not only for the purposes of physical well-being but also for mental well-being which is stimulated and is forced to face challenges towards other competitors and, again better, with the aim of overcoming one's limits.

1. Why CBD

Cannabis represents a world of natural resources from which to draw and the CBD ( Cannabidiol ) molecule is the concrete help we need in the sporting context. CBD is one of the 146 active phytocannabinoids in cannabis plants that is able to communicate and provide benefits to the endocannabinoid system (our balancing system that regulates the perception of pain, hormones, metabolism and immune response, among other things. we talked about it in more detail here .

You will probably have heard more frequently about another phytocannabinoid, THC , the cannabis molecule with the most powerful central psychotropic effect. The distinction between CBD and THC becomes of fundamental importance in competitive contexts where it is not permitted to take doping and prohibited substances. From 1 February 2018 for World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) CBD has been excluded from the list of natural and synthetic substances considered doping or prohibited although it is still treated with attention in some countries. Since this is the only phytocannabinoid allowed, it is essential to clarify that since CBD is still extracted from cannabis plants containing THC (therefore possibly present in traces) it is necessary to pay absolute attention that the product you intend to take has been treated in a careful and optimal manner.

Check it out for yourself:

• World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA) prohibited substances list .

• Decree no. 221 of 11 June 2019 in the Official Journal which excludes CBD from the list of prohibited substances in sporting contexts .

After its elimination from the list of prohibited substances, the use of CBD has grown exponentially, among contact sports athletes it has become the second most consumed substance, replacing nicotine. Around 28% of rugby players, for example, use it to alleviate and improve recovery from the frequent traumatic events to which the body is exposed.

Having made the necessary assumptions, it is time to understand how CBD affects our endocannabinoid system and therefore how it can improve the health of our body.

2. How CBD interacts with our body

The endocannabinoid system , thanks to the CB1 and CB2 receptors (present throughout the body in the nervous and peripheral systems respectively), has a regulatory function to maintain homeostasis , i.e. the ability of our organism to self-regulate and sustain a state of physiological balance as external factors vary.

During exercise, cannabinoids (in this case hemp phytocannabinoids) are involved, for example, in the release of:

• glucocorticoids : responsible for controlling mood, depressive states and anxiety;

• dopamine : linked to states of satisfaction:

• brain-derived neurotrophic factor : neurogenesis and neural plasticity;

• amide hydrolase of fatty acids: with analgesic effects.

Physical activity itself optimizes the stimulation process and amplifies its beneficial effects .

 

3. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic

Inflammations are the most frequent discomfort among athletes and are the basis of acute and chronic pathologies . The prolonged effort to which the body is often exposed and the traumas it suffers (such as those of the sarcolemma, the membrane of the muscle fibres) are among the triggers of annoying inflammatory states.

CBD controls the inflammatory response:

• regulating the release of cortisol ;

• reduces some markers of inflammation such as cytokines ;

• reducing the response of overactive immune cells .

We must also consider the analgesic effect of CBD which is useful in recovery and performance processes as well as for inflammatory pathologies . Cannabidiol has a direct action on the central nervous system on which it acts with a sedative effect; thanks to the activation of Vanilloid receptors it inhibits psinaptic neurotransmitters which reduce neuroinflammatory signaling and inhibit pain.

Some scientific evidence suggests that CBD may have a role in soreness, in DOMS ( Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), delayed onset soreness, in "overuse injuries" , in chronic pain.

 

 

4. Sports performance anxiety and sleep

Sports Performance Anxiety (SPA) damages the athletic performance and quality of life of the person who suffers from it. Anger, aggression, loss of appetite, increased sweating and muscle tension are just some of the manifestations of a body and mind under pressure.

CBD represents an alternative or support to behavioral therapies where they do not prove to be one hundred percent effective. By interacting with the endocannabinoid system, cannabidiol intervenes in stress-induced conditions both in healthy subjects and in those with social anxiety disorder.

In the central nervous system, CBD, by activating the neurotransmitter receptors gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin ( 5-HT ), releases a sense of calm in the body which positively influences sleep and allows us to face sporting challenges in a clear and calm manner. of everyday life.

 

5. Neuroprotective action

 

Traumatic brain injuries common in contact sports are a real risk for athletes. After American football, rugby, combat sports and hockey, it has been highlighted how even headers in football can in the long run be harmful to brain health, testifying to our superficiality on the problem in the last century.

The symptoms of a brain injury are many: headache, lack of concentration, poor memory, irritability, dizziness, fatigue, pain. CBD represents one of the few effective therapies against this symptomatology and thanks to its antioxidant properties it reduces the risk of contracting chronic diseases such as CTE , chronic traumatic encephalopathy . CTE is a neurogenerative disease whose symptoms include depression, dementia and suicidal tendencies.

 

Conclusions

Sport has recognized CBD as playing a role within the training, recovery and competition processes, offering an alternative for the treatment of the athlete's psychophysical balance. We want to specify that none of the information written on this page should be interpreted as advice or suggestions. Physical and mental health care is a path that must be discussed and entrusted to professionals and medical consultation.

Hentourage will continue to monitor studies linking the principles of hemp and sport.

Bibliography and sources

💻 https://leafytrade.com/blogs/news/cbd-in-sport-sports-performance-anxiety

💻 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661819326143

💻 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.722550/full