With more and more countries legalizing different forms of cannabis, the research on the plant and its possible uses have grown exponentially. Though THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana is also studied extensively around the world, CBD, or cannabidiol, is the compound responsible for most of the medical benefits of ingesting cannabis. People with diseases like Parkinson’s, epilepsy or multiple sclerosis can all benefit from ingesting it since it can either provide temporary relief or even slow down the progression of certain degenerative illnesses.
That isn’t the only place CBD is used though. It is also used for relaxation, for recreational purposes, and also to aid in sports and martial arts progression. One of the most popular martial arts nowadays is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ is effective and great, but it does come with the cost of sore muscles, joint pain, and a lot more, all of which CBD can help you counter. In today’s article, we will be looking at some of the most significant areas in which CBD can help with Jiu-Jitsu training, so if you are interested, read on!
What is CBD?
For those of you who might have not gotten onto the marijuana hype train, we will quickly run through what CBD is in the first place since this will allow for a better understanding of the effects it can have on your training.
CBD, as mentioned earlier, is short for cannabidiol, and it is a chemical compound from the Cannabis plant, which is also known as marijuana, weed, or hemp, according to the US National Library of Medicine (though there is a difference between the cannabis plants which are used for recreational use and hemp, which is an industrial strain of cannabis with lower than 0.5-1% THC content).
It is a substance that can be found almost everywhere in nature around the world, and it is used in a variety of different products like oils, sprays, and edibles to provide a feeling of relaxation and calm. Unlike its sibling found in marijuana strains, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the major active ingredient in marijuana, CBD is not psychoactive.
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This means that CBD will not, at all, make you high or give you the sensations that are generally associated with “smoking weed” or “getting stoned”, it works much more like an amazing natural relaxation pill mixed with a painkiller.
THC is the compound responsible for most of the “high” when it comes to marijuana, but also for most of the dangers associated with it.
Usage of CBD as a Jiu-Jitsu Pain Reliever
Though visually, kickboxing or Muay Thai can seem more tiring than BJJ, most people who have trained both will tell you that the latter arts can sometimes be even more tiring and painful. The explosiveness of the former arts is nowhere to be seen in BJJ, but the constant pressure, mental battle, rolling, turning joints and stretching limbs and muscles can tire anybody out in 5 minutes.
This isn’t all that bad. You are, after all, learning to defend yourself and also getting a great workout in. The problem comes the next morning when you have to get out of bed and some of your joints and all your muscles hurt like crazy.
Related: Is Cannabidiol Bad For You?
This is where CBD comes into the picture. It is best to ingest it in oil or edible form since smoking it (since there are nearly pure CBD-strains to smoke) has been linked to various forms of cancer. Consider using a form of CBD edibles for your pain, like CBD gummies. However, even if that is the method you choose, after ingesting it, your pain and discomfort should subside quite rapidly, and you should feel calm and relaxed.
This way, you can actually rest and relax, not only physically but also mentally on your off days or after a really tough class, whereas if you didn’t ingest CBD, the day would be torture to survive.
Muscle Recovery in MMA
Another amazing benefit of ingesting CBD in any form might be reduced muscle recovery time. Muscle recovery actually depends on a lot more than people intuitively think.
How much micro-scarring you caused isn’t the only factor that determines the length and the difficulty of the process, but also things like sleep, diet, and your current level of body inflammation.
Related: Taking CBD for Muscle Pain
Whenever you work out, when straining your muscles, you get your body a little bit inflamed. If you have a weaker immune system, you might actually get sick in a couple of days because your body has to both fight off illnesses and recover from your training.
What CBD can help you in is it can dramatically reduce levels of inflammation in the body. After ingesting CBD, your body’s inflammation levels will drop, thus your recovery functions and immune function will also recover somewhat, which will allow you to recover from muscle soreness faster than you could otherwise.
Sleep
The next big point is sleep. Sleep is one of the most important activities humans do, and what is almost as important as doing it regularly, is doing it properly. High-quality sleep is really, really important, and CBD oil can help you achieve that easier than you could without it.
There are some important things you can do to increase sleep quality, such as sleeping in a colder room (about 65-68 degrees F), sleeping in a completely dark room, etc.
However, if you still want to improve some of your sleep quality or just, in general, have problems falling asleep, CBD will probably help you.
Related: How Much CBD Should I Take?
Being anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety will make both your mind stop from being all over the place and also calm your body enough so you can properly relax. This will help in muscle recovery, immune function, muscle relaxation (which is great for BJJ flexibility), and the amount and quality of rest you get.
Summary – CBD Use in MMA or Jiu-Jitsu
Altogether, if you are training in Jiu-Jitsu, taking CBD can be your ultimate post-workout or nighttime fitness booster, since it will make you relax, recover faster and sleep better. Martial arts can be very intensive on the human body – some mores than others. The anti-inflammatory effects of CBD might be the number one reason you should take it after every single training round. It will help save you a LOT of recovery pains.
