Cannabis and its many derivatives, such as CBD oil, have been shown in scientific studies to aid athletes in various aspects of their physical health and athletic performance. So if you are suffering from chronic pain and are looking for a natural way to improve your athletic performance, then medical marijuana dispensary might be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Here are 5 reasons why cannabis improves athletic performance:
Benefit #1: Reduce inflammation
So what is inflammation? It’s essentially your body’s way of protecting itself from outside invaders like bacteria or viruses. When you get an injury or cut yourself, your immune system kicks into high gear to repair the damage. That process involves sending cells called macrophages to the site of the injury to clean up any dead cells or bacteria that might be causing an infection. Over time this process can cause swelling in tissues or joints because there’s too much fluid in them—think about how your ankle swells when you sprain it!
Cannabis is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, and it can help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation is a normal response of the body to injury or irritation, but when it becomes chronic or results in pain and discomfort, it can be problematic.
Benefit #2: Ease soreness and pain
You know what sucks? Sore muscles after a hard workout! If you’re not careful, sore muscles can keep you from getting back in the gym for another week (or even worse: months). But using medicinal marijuana can help ease that pain so that you can get back on track sooner than later.
Benefit #3: Treat muscle spasms
We’ve all been there—you’re just trying to get some rest on a Sunday night when suddenly… *CRUNCH* *CRUNCH*. Your legs start shaking uncontrollably and you can’t stop them from moving. Cannabis is a great way to treat muscle spasms, especially for athletes. While it’s not a cure-all, cannabis can be effective in treating muscle spasms by reducing the pain and inflammation associated with them.
Benefit #4: Improve sleep
Many athletes struggle with sleep as part of their training regimen, but cannabis can help you get more restful sleep by decreasing anxiety and providing natural pain relief.
Benefit #5: Improve cognitive function
Cannabis can also help improve your mental processing speed and learning ability, which is especially helpful when you’re trying to learn new techniques or strategies while you’re training. This can help improve your athletic performance!
How to use cannabis for a healthier lifestyle?
If you’re looking for a way to incorporate cannabis into your life that’s more than just smoking and vaping, here are 5 ways to use cannabis for a healthier lifestyle.
- Make a tincture
Another way you can use cannabis is through tinctures and sprays (also known as “dabs”). These are liquid concentrates that you put under your tongue, like an oil or dropper spray bottle. This method has been used for centuries to treat pain and other ailments.
While the effects take longer than edibles or topical applications but they’re also much more potent because they go straight into your bloodstream through your mouth instead of being processed by digestion first before entering your bloodstream like food does when you eat it!
You can make your own tincture by soaking dried cannabis leaves in alcohol for about two weeks before straining out the plant matter (and drinking!).
- Take a bath with cannabis-infused oil
You can add a few drops of THC or CBD oil to your bath water to help relieve stress and muscle pain. You can also use this time to meditate and relax, or just have some alone time.
- Apply a cannabis-infused lotion to your skin
Topicals are products that contain cannabinoids like CBD and THC in lotions, balms, salves, and oils. Topicals aren’t psychoactive but they do have many health benefits including pain relief and reducing inflammation.
Experts from canadiangrowsolutions.com says, Cannabis-infused lotions are great for people who want to take advantage of the benefits of cannabinoids without having to smoke or vape them. They’re especially helpful for sore muscles, as they provide localized relief without getting you high. Just rub the lotion on wherever you need it most!
- Eat some edibles
One of the most popular ways to consume cannabis is by eating it. Edibles are a great way to get high without smoking (which can irritate your lungs) and can be made from just about anything—from cookies and brownies to candy bars and even popcorn!
The Bottom Line
In short, for athletes who are looking for alternative ways to improve their game, cannabis could be your perfect match. It may just be that cannabis is the key to reaching peak athletic performance. Regardless of the reasons behind it, one thing is certain: athletes are starting to explore cannabis in a new light.
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