Every sports enthusiast and professional athlete must deal with the pain and soreness that results from overworked muscles. But there’s a solution in CBD, one of the over 500 active compounds inside the cannabis plant.
When you consume CBD, it interacts with the receptors that form the endocannabinoid system, or the ECS. This system’s primary function is to maintain a homeostatic balance in the body, ensuring that all systems operate at the right level and in harmony with each other. It regulates multiple bodily functions, including sensory pain, appetite, and memory.
This detailed guide will give you an overview of water soluble CBD and take you through the numerous benefits of adding it to your athletic regimen.
Why Is Water Soluble CBD Better?
Typically, CBD is extracted from the hemp varietal of the cannabis plants as an oily or waxy mixture. This is soluble in carrier oils like MCT, and most people are accustomed to this consumption mode.
However, scientific research and technological advancements have brought about new ways to further process CBD oil and turn it into a water soluble compound. The four-step conversion process results in tiny particles that disperse freely in water instead of floating on the surface.
So what makes this water-soluble option superior? The issue with fat-soluble CBD is that our body has a natural gatekeeper to block fats from smoothly entering the bloodstream—a water layer over the mucosal membrane. Fat-soluble CBD is much less bioavailable than water-soluble CBD. When our water-soluble CBD oil hits the mucosal membrane, it goes straight into the blood quickly, safely, and effectively. The effectiveness of water-soluble CBD is higher, so you get more for your money.
Liposomal vs Colloidal Methods
Ojai Energetics uses colloidal encapsulation of cannabinoids. Colloidal nanoemulsion, or swollen micelle encapsulation, encases CBD in tiny water bubbles called micelles. It’s designed to emulate natural gut encapsulation processes for improved bioavailability and more immediate onset. The colloidal method increases the body’s absorption with over 20x improvement in CBD bioavailability.
When water-soluble CBD comes into contact with the mucosal membrane under the tongue, it gets absorbed into the bloodstream immediately, bypassing the digestive process that is detrimental to liposomal delivery.
The liposomal method uses
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liposomes, constructed vesicles consisting of a phospholipid bilayer. Liposomal delivery has a more prolonged onset than colloidal delivery, at least 30 minutes, while the colloidal formula starts working almost immediately. It can also only improve bioavailability by up to 8x.
Benefits of Water Soluble CBD for Athletic Recovery
Kassia Meador. Cynthia Currie. Julian Carr. The list of former and current athletes endorsing cannabidiol use by sports personalities is endless. But why are more athletes turning to CBD?
The primary benefit of CBD for athletes is its ability to manage inflammation caused by intense workouts. Once absorbed, the compound will interact with cannabinoid receptors in your body. The interaction stimulates the ECS to facilitate bodily processes like healthy inflammatory response and sleep quality. It can also positively impact your muscle development and recovery pre- and post-workout.
The pre-workout benefits of CBD include the following:
- Get into flow state: When you take CBD before exercising, it can help you enter a flow state during your workout. Flow, or complete immersion in what you’re doing, allows you to get “in the zone,” enhances attention, and improves the effectiveness of your workout. CBD also optimizes your endocannabinoid system so all your systems, including muscular and fascial systems fire more functionally.
- Reduce exercise’s impact on muscles: Ever wondered why you’re more likely to get hurt when you get into an accident when sober than when you’re drinking? You’re much looser when intoxicated than sober when impacted. Typically, tensing upon impact can significantly intensify your injury risk. But when your body can physically “go with the flow,” the chance of negatively affecting your muscles is minimized.
CBD also offers the following mid-workout benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory benefits: CBD eases exercise-induced inflammation by selectively restraining the temporary pain and inflammatory response when overexerting your muscles.
- Extend your set: If you want to level up your game during workouts or feel fatigued in the middle of training, taking CBD helps extend your set and performance.
Finally, CBD provides the following post-workout benefits:
- Relief from overworked muscles: Athletes get used to their fair share of post-workout pain. But after interacting with your endocannabinoid system, CBD can ease the discomfort and pain due to overworked muscles or too much exercise through multiple mechanisms, including targeting TRVP1 receptors and increasing anandamide levels in the body.
- Balanced cortisol levels: Catabolic hormones usually break down muscle tissues. The stress hormone called cortisol is responsible for breaking down our muscles. This isn’t just an issue we deal with every day, but one that aggravates when you’re working out. A high-intensity exercise can subject your muscles to immense physical stress. Despite facilitating the release of the chill-out hormones (endorphins), working out can increase cortisol, potentially negating the purpose of exercising and building muscle. But CBD can regulate the hormone and homeostasis involved with muscle growth.
- Faster muscle recovery: Exercise breaks down muscle fiber, and your body must repair the damage after working out. This repair process makes the muscle grow and become more robust. CBD enables faster recovery after exercise by interacting with the ECS to influence the necessary body functions. It supports the body’s regeneration and allows more immediate, natural repair of overused muscles.
- Improved sleep for better gains: Finally, there’s the additional benefit of a sound, restful night. When you sleep better, your body will have the right conditions for exercise recovery. You’ll also be more motivated, happier, and have a clearer mind. Fitness junkies acknowledge how imperative a good night’s sleep is to your lift quality, workout success, and progress rate.
While CBD can alleviate soreness from overworked muscles after a competition or high-intensity workout, you’ll achieve the best results if you combine it with stretches and ice or heat therapy. You also have the most significant impact when you consume it at the most appropriate times.
When Is the Best Time to Consume CBD?
Generally, there’s no scientifically-proven best time to take CBD. But you can ensure its optimal effectiveness by timing your consumption. Taking CBD immediately after you wake up will enhance your focus and set you up for the day ahead. Consuming CBD at night can promote restful sleep and maintain your sleep quality. In this case, ensure you take it at least 40 minutes before bed.
Check out our pro athlete’s guide to water-soluble CBD to get more insights on correct CBD usage and a closer look at how the compound works in your body.
Does CBD Show Up On Drug Tests?
In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency excluded CBD from the list of prohibited substances, but it’s still possible to have a positive drug test result. Most athletes fail the test because they consume poor-quality CBD products containing traces of THC beyond the 0.3% legal limit. Other products are laced with prohibited substances.
While most manufacturers state that their products have no THC, this is sometimes not the case. Occasionally, these products can be inappropriately labeled or may not have undergone third-party testing, distorting the actual THC content.
The best way is to verify the content with the respective providers before purchasing. You can ask for a Certificate of Analysis, which provides testing results, so you know the exact contents of your product. They should be from a third-party lab and are ISO accredited with proper standards. You can find COAs from Ojai Energetics on our home page. Fortunately, this should be fine when you buy from a reputable company.
Many people have taken our products without issues of failed tests, including a pro racer who got tested by NASCAR. But, CBD is like a poppy seed bagel, in that there are trace amounts of compounds that, in theory, could show a false positive on a drug test. We do not make any guarantees regarding drug tests, and CBD users should use their best judgment.
Prioritize High-Quality CBD Products
Despite being one of the latest CBD products to hit the market, water soluble CBD is now a go-to remedy for many athletes and professional sports personalities looking for a simple, natural solution for temporary muscle soreness and inflammation caused by exercise. One of the primary attractions of this form of CBD is consuming less to achieve more. Furthermore, the water-based compound has been proven to offer more immediate outcomes.
However, water soluble CBD products aren’t the same. Purely profit-focused CBD companies can encapsulate their products with nano-synthetic compounds, which many would not want to take. At Ojai Energetics, you get quality full-spectrum CBD products encapsulated with certified organic plant compounds recognizable to your body.
