September 19, 2019 By: Jeffrey Stamberger

Whether competing at the highest level or just looking to boost your workouts, CBD for athletes is proving to be a valuable tool for helping the body perform at its best. 

CBD use among athletes has grown significantly in recent years as the benefits of CBD in sports has become wider known. Athletes are using CBD prior to workouts and competition to help them train harder and perform better. CBD oil products can also be used after vigorous activity to boost recovery and encourage balance. 

Because products created using 99 percent pure CBD isolate don’t contain measurable levels of THC, amateur and professional athletes alike feel confident adding CBD to their routine, even when competing. 

Keep reading to learn more about the role of CBD for athletes in performance and recovery.

Benefits of CBD for Athletes

It’s no secret these days that CBD can give athletes the edge they need. CBD offers its unique benefits for athletes due to its ability to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a central regulatory system tasked with keeping the body in balance or homeostasis. When the body is in balance, it is able to perform at its peak. 

Whether training, competing, or recovering, professional and amateur athletes are using CBD oil products as part of their daily routine, using a number of different types of CBD products before, during, and after intense activity. 

Is CBD Safe for Athletes?

CBD is non-toxic and non-intoxicating, so athletes can feel comfortable adding CBD products to their supplement regimen. 

CBD has shown to be safe and non-toxic, even when consumed in high amounts. In 2011, researchers from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil explored the safety of CBD in a research review titled “Safety and side effects of cannabidiol.”

After investigating the findings in previously published studies, the research team concluded, “high doses up to 1,500 mg/day of CBD are reportedly well tolerated in humans.” This level of CBD intake is far higher than what is present in the suggested servings of Medical Marijuana,Inc. CBD products.

In 2017, German investigators set out to extend and update the 2011 review’s findings by exploring new evidence from more recent studies in their article, “An update on safety and side effects of cannabidiol: A review of clinical data and relevant animal studies.”

Their findings were consistent with those of the earlier review, and “the often described favorable safety profile of CBD in humans was confirmed and extended by the reviewed research.”

Hemp-derived CBD oil is also non-intoxicating, so you don’t have to worry about it adversely impacting your coordination, mental focus, or reaction time, which are all critical to an athlete’s safety and their ability to perform.

When shopping for Medical Marijuana, Inc. products, you can be confident that they are of the highest quality. Our products begin with non-GMO hemp grown using organic methods that avoid using herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers that can contaminate our CBD products or damage local ecosystems. 

All our CBD products undergo our strict Triple Lab Tested™ standard, which examines our CBD oil at three points in our cultivation, extraction, and manufacturing processes to check for both the safety of our oil from contaminants and the consistency of our CBD content. Our products are also created using Good Manufacturing Processes. Because of our dedication to quality, Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s products were awarded one of the first seals of approval from the U.S. Hemp Authority. 

CBD Products for Athletes

Medical Marijuana, Inc. has a wide range of CBD products in our store, all of which can be worked into an athlete’s supplement regimen with minimal effort. That means that CBD can fit seamlessly into your existing routine. CBD products can be split into two types: those with THC and those without THC.

Full spectrum CBD oil products capture all the same natural components of the hemp plant, including nutrients and active compounds like essential vitamins and minerals, proteins, fatty acids, terpenes, flavonoids, and of course, cannabinoids. This complete botanical extract allows hemp’s many compounds to interact with the body in what is known as the entourage effect. 

Although only present in trace amounts, far too low to get a user intoxicated, full spectrum CBD oil products do contain THC. If you are looking to avoid THC in your CBD product, then those created using CBD isolate will meet your needs. 

Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s Real Scientific Hemp Oil-X™ (RSHO-X)™ CBD hemp oil is an ideal option for competing athletes looking to safely incorporate cannabinoids into their regimen without violating the rules of their league or association. Free of THC, the well-known compound in marijuana that gets users high, RSHO-X™ fits leagues’ restrictions on cannabis use.

That is because it is made with CBD isolate, an over 99 percent pure CBD crystalline powder. By removing our hemp oil’s plant matter, and compounds like terpenes and other cannabinoids like THC, we are able to create this incredibly pure CBD powder. RSHO™ CBD Isolate is available in our store along with our RSHO-X™ CBD isolate liquid and CBD Isolate Tincture. 

What About Drug Tests?

Because standard marijuana urine testing employed by these major leagues and associations analyzes metabolites of THC, athletes who consume CBD hemp oil instead of marijuana have very little risk of testing positive since CBD hemp oil is derived from high-CBD, low-THC hemp. Athlete’s concerned over even low levels of THC can opt instead for our CBD isolate products.

Some studies, however, have shown that eating hemp foods and consuming hemp oils can, in rare cases, cause a positive result in urine and blood tests. Anyone who is concerned about having a positive drug test should avoid consuming CBD oil until first talking with their sport’s governing body or drug screening authority to learn more about their CBD policies.

Most major athletic leagues and associations with marijuana restrictions test specifically for the presence of THC or the primary metabolite of THC, carboxy-THC. For an athlete to test positive, he or she must have consumed a cannabis product containing high levels of THC, which after sessions of heavy consumption can stay in the body for up to 21 days. 

Cannabis Policies of U.S. Sports Leagues

Here’s a look at how the major sports leagues in the U.S. treat marijuana use by their players: 

National Football League (NFL)

Players in the National Football League (NFL) undergo urine tests once in the offseason from mid-April to mid-August. A positive test is considered when 35 nanograms or more of extracted THC is found per milliliter of urine. After the first violation, players must enter an intervention program. On subsequent violations, players are punished with game suspensions that range from two to 10 games. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has urged the league for new cannabis policies, and as of recently league officials appear to be open to changing the regulations.

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program prohibits the use of marijuana, and sets a high threshold of 50 nanograms THC per milliliter. Players are only tested if the league or union officials have reasonable cause. Players do not face game suspensions for positive marijuana tests, but failure to comply with the treatment program is met with suspensions and fines.

National Basketball Association (NBA) & Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has one of the strictest marijuana testing regimens, as players are subject to four random screenings throughout the season. The league has set the high threshold of 15 nanograms per milliliter of THC. After the first infraction, players are required to complete a substance-abuse program. After a second positive test, players are subject to a maximum $25,000 fine. A third violation is punishable by a five-game ban.

Players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) can be randomly tested up to three times throughout the season. Like the NBA, the league has set a marijuana metabolites high threshold of 15 nanograms per milliliter.

National Hockey League (NHL)

While players in the National Hockey League (NHL) undergo limited drug testing, the league does not include marijuana on its list of banned substances. The league screens for marijuana and THC, but only so that anonymous stats on use can be presented to its player association’s Performance Enhancing Substances Program Committee.

Major League Soccer (MLS)

Major League Soccer (MLG) follows the same threshold limit guideline for positive THC tests as WADA, which is set at 150 nanograms per milliliter. The league has not established a set number of tests, and all screens are unannounced.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has among the strictest marijuana testing regimen in all of sports. College athletes that test positive for THC metabolites at 15 nanograms per millimeter are considered in violation. While the association has not established a uniform policy on marijuana violations, its drug policy states “marijuana use… can result in suspension.”

Read More About CBD

Still have questions about CBD? You can find much more to learn about CBD, its effects, and the types of CBD products available on our CBD Oil Education page. Ready to get started with CBD? Shop our online CBD store now.