CBD is a compound derived from cannabis, well-known for its anti-anxiety and relaxation inducing effects – but how can it benefit your workout? 

In the sports world, natural CBD oil is widely cited as providing numerous benefits for sportsmen and women such as being an effective anti-inflammatory and providing herbal pain relief (thanks to its analgesic properties). CBD’s positive effects are even said to rival those of standard pharmaceutical pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs, with many athletes choosing this legal (when it contains zero THC) and inexpensive substance over the likes of paracetamol and ibuprofen. It’s clear that CBD oil can benefit your workout, but this often leads people to ask – is CBD best taken before or after a workout? The truth is there’s no conclusive answer, with there being pros to both options.

Taking CBD oil before a workout or a big sports match helps to increase concentration and improve performance by reducing stress levels. Anxiety is a common occurrence when your performance is under scrutiny, or when you feel as though it is. You don’t have to be playing a televised football game to feel nervous when exercising, with many people reporting that they feel self-conscious just going to the gym. CBD can help ease the nerves and feelings of intimidation that many people experience just from walking over to the weights section; this lets your mind settle and focus on what’s important - your workout. 

It is important to pay particular attention to your dosage if you plan on taking CBD before a workout, as taking larger quantities may make you feel sleepy and hamper your motivation. Start with small doses or try using CBD infused coffee beans to make your own cannabidiol coffee. Just try to ensure you time when you take it according to when you’re going to workout or would like to feel the effects. 

If taking CBD before a workout has primarily mental perks, using CBD drops after a workout provides great physical benefits. We’ve mentioned that CBD oil is an effective anti-inflammatory and pain relief, but why is this so important? 

Ever felt so sore after a long run or high-intensity workout that you find it hard to be active the next day? When you push yourself during exercise, the damage is inflicted on your body. This isn’t a bad thing; microtears allow your body to grow muscle and tone. However, this wear and tear is exhausting and means you often have to set aside time off from your workouts for your body to recover. That’s where CBD comes in handy. The oil’s anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties help to combat this feeling of exhaustion and actually improves your recovery time by promoting increased cell action and tissue regeneration. 

By reducing your recovery time, you might be able to fit more workouts into your routine without feeling like you’re ‘overdoing it’. Of course, you still need to be careful that you have an appropriate exercise schedule for your fitness level, but lab tested and FSA approved CBD can healthily aid your body in working to the best of its ability.

Whether you take it before or after your exercise, incorporating favoured CBD drops (such as 5% or 10% CBD) or CBD-infused coffee into your workout routine is a delicious way to make your exercise more effective.

When you’ll want to take it? That all depends on your desired effects and workout priorities.