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How CBD Benefits Boxers and MMA Fighters

How CBD Benefits Boxers and MMA Fighters

boxers mma cbd

Boxers and MMA Fighters that use CBD

Since 2018 when WADA removed CBD off its prohibited list many athletes from various sports started using and promoting this plant extracts products and benefits. WADA – World Anti-Doping Agency which regulates and states rules for banned substances athletes can or can’t use; from the Olympic games to UFC MMA fighters. With them seeing no unfair advantage an athlete has taking CBD products over another using other supplements during their training a number of athletes are openly sharing their admiration for the products, such as:

 

Nate Diaz UFC blunt
Nate Diaz
UFC fighter who was the first to give the promotions biggest ever Superstar Connor McGregor. His first loss in the UFC by submission and openly vapes CBD at fight press conferences.

 

 

Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman
Considered the Pound for Pound Best MMA Fighter on the Planet. Not a smoker of the majuaiana plant like Nate however is a user and promoter of CBD products for its recovery benefits.

 

Eddie Hall
Eddie Hall
2017 World Strongest Man, who broke the world record with an incredible 500kg Deadlift! Has also had a boxing bout this year and has been a promoter of CBD products and now an owner of a CBD Company.

 

Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua
Former 2x Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World and arguably boxing’s biggest draw. Is an ambassador for a CBD company promoting its benefits via his multiple platforms.

These are just to name a few. There are 100s of fighters who publicly use and promote CBD products and companies.

 

What is CBD?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis and hemp plants. It is one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis. The cannabis plant contains high levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which produces psychoactive effects when consumed, (Psychoactive effects is what gets you High). Hemp, on the other hand, has very little THC, but high levels of CBD. CBD, is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana plants. It is extracted from the cannabis plant and used as an alternative to other medications. It helps to heal various ailments by interacting with your endocannabinoid system (ECS). Your ECS is made up of receptors that are found throughout your body and respond to cannabinoids like THC or CBD. It has become popular as an alternative to other medications. It’s used for treating pain and inflammation, along with other conditions like sleep disorders, anxiety and depression.

The 3 health benefits of taking CBD products, which aids Professional fighters, amatuer pratitioners a like are:

 

Anxiety

Anxiety

CBD can be a natural alternative to assist with dealing with anxiety. This is a really common mental health disorder which some of your favourite fighters at the highest level can suffer from as much as you on daily decisions in life. A fighter can at times train at a gruelling pace from 8 to 12 weeks pushing their body and mind to limit. All for 36 or even 15 minutes of a contest where all the hopes and pressure of their families and coaches sacrifice for them to be victorious falls on them. Not 10 other teammates wearing the same jersey on a field or 4 other colleagues on a court, all the thrill and agony to the public falls on them and them alone. Especially if you end up losing by way of a horrific KO, seen by millions around the world and becoming a trending meme in various social media platforms. For this reason this hemp compound is really popular to calm, focus the nerves and settle the mood of fighters and your average everyday citizen alike. 

As stated in the ‘What is CBD?’ paragraph above. As cannabis this compound can interact with your ECS receptors in your brain, it has the potential to positively alter the Serotonin signals. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which plays a key role in your mental health and having low levels of serotonin can lead to anxiety and even depression.

 

Sleep Aid

can't sleep

A crucial but often overlooked factor to recovery and growth is Sleep. This is the best time your body has to recover and improve you mentally and physically. Most, if not all top athletes know this and are encouraged by their coaches and nutritionists to get their recommended minimum hours of sleep. Thus when they are awake they are at their optimum productivity and with high energy levels. The average Joe (Paul) like myself can benefit from the sleep aid products. As there are so many things that can have your eyes peeled wide open at all hours of the night:

  • Family
  • Financial woes
  • Too much time looking at computer and phone screens during the day
  • Social media
  • Trending series everyone is saying to watch on the streaming services

For this reason personally I need a natural helper to get them nightly z’s in other than a few shots of whiskey. As I do tend to feel the results the following morning at a Boxing class where I am getting loudly ridiculed by the coach for lack of energy. The properties found in cannabidiol can not only aid in you drifting off but also having a nice deep refreshing sleep.

 

Pain Relief

pain

One of the most common reasons people take CBD is for its pain relieving properties. Studies have shown that cannabidiol can be used to treat neuropathic pain and inflammation.

My personal introduction to its pain relieving properties is when I just finished a 2 and a half Muay Thai session. Which had the last 45 minutes of sparring practice, with minimal breaks in between; doing burgers, press ups, sit ups between rounds. To say I was feeling sore and tired after that class is an understatement. On my drive home I decided to detour to a CBD shop and enquire about any products which directly help muscles, joints and pain relief. The lovely lady who runned that franchise told me to spray a CBD cooling gel on an affected area and I should feel pain relief within seconds if not a minute. Thus I sprayed and rubbed the product onto my neck which was stiff from the jabs I received to the face. (I landed more than I received that day, trust me, you don’t need Compubox to verify lol). Just as she said 30-40 seconds later in mid conversation my neck started loose again when turning my head left to right. I have been a regular user of the gels and balms ever since. 

Now I have nowhere near a fraction of the skill, experience and athleticism of the professional athletes and fighters who benefit daily from the pain relief and recovery aspects of CBD. Yet I still benefit from this natural alternative pain reliever/recovery aid.

 

How to take CBD?

 

Vapes 

vapes

This is one of the most popular categories to take CBD as in most cases it has the highest absorption rate as you inhale the compound instantly into your body. You can use a vape kit or disposable vape pens and various delicious flavoured juices to enjoy your CBD intake at your own pace.

 

Oil Tincture

tincture

Is widely considered as secondary to vaping when it comes to the activation speed of CBD being absorbed into your body. This is a Sublingual method of taking the compound. It is taken by dropping the oil tincture under the tongue and holding it in your mouth for 60 seconds before swallowing it. Oil Tincture can take a while to get used to at first but after a few days many buyers get a custom to the texture. There are also tasty flavoured options out there in the market and you can easily add this to your daily meals and drinks.

 

Pills and Tablets

pills

Is a method of ingesting the plant extract by tablet/pill form with a desired amount of water or drink. This can be a preferred method if you’re more acclimated to taking medication or vitamins in this form and receive the Benefit of CBD without directly tasting it.

 

Edibles – food, gummies, drinks

edibles

Like the pill form this is a way of taking CBD by ingestion. As you are ingesting it through your digestive system before it reaches it has a lower absorption rate than the previous two ways of taking CBD. Due to the variety of products you can fuse with CBD in many tasty forms it is a really popular sector in the market. As you have many delicious types of Edibles in this market from; sought after gummies, tasty cookies to natural hemp teas. As this method can be taken as treats and snacks in many people’s favourite food and beverage forms. The variety in this sector will only grow more diverse for years to come.

 

Topical Creams, Balms and Lotions

lotion

As a Topical process, it is considered to have the lowest absorption when comparing it to vapes, sublingual, ingestion formulas. This is applied to the body’s largest organ, the skin. By entering the skin’s lower layers it can reduce inflammation and relieve aches and pains as well as be another plant extract to add to your skin regime.

 

Lastly there are different levels of strength in certain Cannabidiol products which can be measured in milligrams. It is important for beginners and first time users to carefully  acclimate yourself to from the mild to stronger doses. By taking your time getting used to what products work well with your body and then slowly increasing your tolerance level with it. As too much of a Good thing can turn out to be not a Good thing if you over do it. With some rare side effects being; drowsiness,decreased appetite, weight changes and diarrhoea.

All in all with the 3 but not all benefits mentioned previously, the different ways of taking CBD and with the increased positive legislation  and adoption by many nations globally. You can see how this compound which is found in Cannabis and Hemp plants benefits athletes, fighters and possibly YOU!

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