5 Reasons Every Runner Should Add CBD To Their Training Regime

CBD For Runners

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Plantar fasciitis is not sexy. Trust me– the achy arches, the painful heels, all of it adds up to a big, fat running buzzkill.

Perhaps you try new shoes, KT taping, acupressure rollers that look like torture devices. Maybe you resort to splints or orthotic inserts.

But the sad truth is that the condition impacts plenty of runners and accounts for about 8% of running-related injuries.

As someone whose training has often been derailed by PF– and who cringes at the thought of resorting to cortisone shots– CBD is definitely on my radar.

Caleb Simpson, ultrarunner and founder of Hemp Daddy, explains that CBD works by interacting with the serotonin and vanilloid receptors in your brain; these control your pain perception.

This sounds pretty good to me on several fronts.

Here’s why every runner should add CBD to their training regime.

Pain Maintenance

Amanda Brooks, who blogs at Run to the Finish, says that she found CBD after a knee injury. She tried many other options, including platelet injections, but ultimately discovered that CBD helped most.

It’s not so surprising– as she points out, a “2016 study in arthritic rats found that it significantly reduced joint swelling and pain ratings, without the side effects of other drugs.” If you’re popping ibuprofen on the reg, CBD for recovery might be your new best friend.

Of course, just like any pain reliever, it’s important to monitor use and make sure that you’re not pushing too hard while masking a worsening condition.

Anxiety & Stress Reduction

Anyone who’s spent months following a goal-related plan — time, distance, whatever–
 knows that the weeks leading up to an important race can be a bit tense. CBD to the 
rescue!

Its effects are often compared to those of marijuana, but without the drug-testing
 concerns.

Map My Run’s blog suggests seeking out CBD isolates, which are the purest
 form and contain no traces of THC. That said, there is an important legal distinction
 here.

According to Time magazine, hemp-extracted CBD is legal nationwide. CBD from
 other cannabis sources, however, is still illegal at the federal level (even though this may
 vary by state).

 

MORE ABOUT CBD

 

The Post-Run and Recovery Benefits


There is a wide array of products– and more entering the market all the time– that can
 easily be incorporated into your routine. Topicals like creams and lotions, as well as 
ingestibles like supplements and fortified protein powder, make it a no-brainer to add on a little CBD.

However, as Dr. Esther Blessing, associate professor of psychiatry
 at New York University, and Margaret Haney, professor of neurobiology at Columbia
 University Medical Center, pointed out in their interview with Time, CBD is almost
 entirely unregulated: promises of potency are entirely based on the honor system.

Avoid
 getting hoodwinked by doing your research– and know you’re probably dropping some
 coin to get the good stuff.

If you buy it at 7-11, it’s unlikely that you’re getting high (no
 pun intended) quality.

Keeping your body like a temple

You work out to be strong and healthy– so shoveling unpronounceable chemicals into your body post-run seems counter-productive.

CBD is a natural substance that is not only safe, it’s also non-addictive. The World Health Organization determined that there’s no risk of addiction (in case you’re concerned about loving it so much, you become completely hooked).

Benefits To The Body Beyond Exercise

According to the National Institute of Health, your endocannabinoid system helps with
 brain and endocrine function, as well as regulating hormones connected to reproduction
 and stress response.

CBD also supposedly increases your body’s access to anandamide 
(often referred to as the “bliss molecule”), which promotes an overall sense of wellbeing. 
 Not surprisingly, this is more commonly linked to CBD derived from cannabis vs. 
hemp-sourced, but then there’s that whole pesky legality thing again.

Given the many reasons and methods for trying out CBD as part of your running regimen, why not give it a shot? For me, it’s a no-brainer alternative to more intensive and gnarly options.

I’m totally willing to invest some time in researching the most reliable and recommended options and some money in trying them out.

Hopefully, it’ll make my runs a little smoother and less wince-inducing, maybe even minimizing the time I spend rolling out my feet with lacrosse balls and wearing my Oofos around the house.

But hey, even if it just chills me out a little, especially before a big race? That would be just fine, too.

Looking to learn more about CBD or find the brand/product that is right for you? Check out CBDEE.com, they are the Amazon of CBD.

Mariah Douglas has written about sexy stuff for Playboy and Men’s Health. She mainly tweets about lingerie and burlesque at @halfbuttoned1.