Famous Sports Athletes Using CBD:
Awareness around cannabis and its primary cannabinoids (CBD) is growing every day. People are using CBD-infused products for various health ailments. However, many people want to know about CBD legality in famous sports. Luckily, one thing that has helped clear up the confusion is the increasing number of professional athletes advocating & using CBD.
Several sportsmen and women, from MMA to Golf, have spoken out about using cannabidiol. Many of them work with CBD brands and companies to endorse the products they have been using for years.
The CBD industry has been taking the world by storm. You might be thinking about why athletes are recommending CBD oil. Several famous trainers and wellness gurus are now convinced about using CBD oil to support fitness and improve health.
Additionally, CBD oil is also known for enhancing athletic performance, and so, many top professional athletes around the world have incorporated CBD into their daily fitness regimen.
But Firstly, Is CBD Allowed In Sports?
Many sporting bodies have banned CBD considering the relationship of CBD with the cannabis plant. However, with the legalization of cannabis around the globe, an increase in research studies and evidence has enhanced people’s interest.
Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid with unique properties. Unlike THC, CBD does not cause euphoria and paranoia among users. Some increasingly reported health benefits of cannabidiol includes:
- Pain relief
- Stress & anxiety management
- Improved sleep
- Reduce inflammation
World Anti-Doping Agency – WADA lifts its restrictions around CBD within sports and competition. Now athletes can use CBD products as long as it is from a legal source. Tokyo 2020 was the first Olympic Games where athletes were allowed to use cannabidiol.
Why Do Athletes Use CBD In The First Place?
Generally, sportspeople find cannabidiol help them with:
- Pre-match nerves – relaxing properties of CBD help athletes to overcome stress and anxiety performance. It helps them get a better night’s sleep.
- Weight Management – several CBD products act as an appetite suppressant, making it easier for athletes to stick to their diets and maintain their physique.
- Pain-relief – CBD helps reduce pain due to sore muscles. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD alleviate inflammation and pain.
- Better Sleep – CBD helps attain a better night’s sleep before the competition, as quality sleep is critical to support proper training.
- Digestive system – CBD interacts with ECS that regulates sleep, mood, appetite, and more. Gastrointestinal problems are inconvenient in daily life, but they can be detrimental for athletes. In turn, CBD promotes digestive health and appetite.
Famous Athletes Who Use CBD:
Given the many benefits of CBD for athletic performance, training, and recovery, it is not surprising how many athletes use cannabidiol. These include some of the world’s most famous players in a range of sports.
Let us take a look at the stars of MML, Rugby, Boxing, NFL, and more who have been enjoying the benefits of CBD for years.
MMA Fighters:
Mixed martial arts athletes are the most vocal supporters of CBD. Nate Diaz – a UFC fighter with 19 wins under his belt, is the first who publicly speak about his cannabidiol use. Also, he vapes CBD at a press conference. Diaz prefers the use of CBD over-prescribed medications due to its natural origin. Diaz uses CBD with his brother Nick to relieve pain.
Gina Mazany is another UFC athlete who is happy to discuss using CBD to help her body recover after training.
MMA fighters regularly suffer from a concussion, soreness, and inflammation, amongst several other painful ailments and traumas. By addressing all these problems, CBD helps them recover quickly and continue performing at 100 percent.
Rugby Players:
The sport associated with CBD is rugby in the UK. Like Mixed Martial Arts, rugby is another incredibly physical and combative sport.
George Kruis is a renowned rugby player with over 12 years of experience. He was first referred to CBD by his teammate Dominic Day. Dominic uses CBD supplements in his daily routine to help him from a knee injury. Dominic Day recommends that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of CBD will be beneficial for George to recover from ankle surgery.
James Hackle is another most famous rugby player from the UK who uses CBD for training and fitness regime. He concludes the CBD has helped him get an impressive physique. Moreover, his wife, Chloe Madeley, is a fitness influencer who recommends CBD to her social media followers. Hackle has shared numerous YouTube videos about the benefits of CBD oil.
Ben Franks is another CBD fan and world top rugby player. Frank has been using CBD supplements for years due to their natural effects and health benefits. His teammate recommended CBD to improve performance and training for the first time.
Football Player:
Megan Rapinoe is an exceptional football player and feminist icon who advocate CBD for athletes. She has been widely praised for her leadership in the 2012 Olympics. Megan has spoken publicly about the health and wellness benefits of taking CBD oil.
Moreover, American football players who use CBD are:
- Rob Gronkowski
- Eugene Monroe
Rob publicly speaks about the advantages of natural hemp cannabinoid as it can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, alleviate stress and anxiety symptoms. Monroe is the 1st active NFL player who advocates CBD and cannabis in 2014.
Body Builders:
Bodybuilding is highly competitive and requires a high level of discipline on the part of athletes. Kieran Kevan is a vocal CBD user who shares his passion about CBD on Instagram regularly. He describes that CBD helps relax the nerves after a strenuous workout.
Toman Wolfe is another bodybuilder who uses CBD to calm his nerves and has become a staunch fan of CBD throughout his career. CBD has the power to promote the well-being of an athlete.
CBD for Athletes:
Overall, CBD is beneficial and effective for athletes with zero to minimal side effects. The natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and anticonvulsant properties of CBD help athletes to recover faster.
Moreover, there is a wide variety of CBD products in the market, from CBD oils to lotions and creams. Athletes even use a combination of ingesting CBD oil and using CBD topicals on the skin.
References:
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wada-lifts-cbd-ban-professional-120500138.html
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2021/07/21/cannabis-takes-the-world-stage-at-the-tokyo-olympics/?sh=5e5d98af4cb7
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5333598/
- https://mmasucka.com/2021/02/13/why-cbd-is-becoming-popular-in-the-mma-world/
- https://thenewsstation.com/megan-rapinoe-stepped-right-in-it-by-endorsing-thc-free-cbd-products/
- https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/eugene-monroe-on-nfl-cte-and-how-weed-changed-his-life-205616/
- https://www.theextract.co.uk/health/recovery/kieran-kevan-cbd-recovery/