Muscle soreness is a vital part of building stronger muscles. The importance of firm muscles should not be overlooked, as it is essential to keep us mobile and on our feet. But sometimes that pain doesn’t go away when it should, and it’s something that can cause discomfort. Read on to find out how CBD could reduce the inflammatory response and contribute to faster recovery.
The importance of keeping your body in good condition
Whether you’re a dedicated runner, an amateur weightlifter, or like to bike to work instead of the car, your muscles play a crucial role in all physical activities. Therefore, it is essential that your muscles are in the best possible condition. Stronger muscles will not only recover faster, but can also help make us less prone to injury and ultimately help us reach our fitness goals a little faster.
No matter what kind of physical activity you do, muscle pain is inevitable. Don’t worry, it’s not a sign that you’re overdoing it (in most cases), or that you have weak muscles. Traditional remedies for muscle pain include a high-protein diet, hot or cold treatments (a nice long bath is a favorite), and plenty of rest. For most people, the combination of these remedies should be enough to support your muscles’ ability to recover and repair themselves after exercise.
However, if you find that muscle soreness is still a problem no matter how much time you spend in the bathroom, there are other options you can try. Before looking at them, it’s worth taking a closer look at what happens inside the body when muscles feel sore.
Sore muscles are a crucial part of getting stronger
The elaboration process is the example of the saying: “what does not kill you makes you stronger”. When we run, lift weights, or even stretch, we create tiny tears in our muscle fibers. As these tears are repaired, the affected muscle grows larger, and stronger. Part of that repair process includes inflammation, and while it may seem like a bad thing, inflammation is a good thing, unless it becomes chronic.
Our newly repaired muscles are better equipped than before and we can keep working towards our fitness goals. Sometimes, however, that pain remains, leading to a condition called tardy muscle soreness. Mild pain or tension that we feel in our muscles can appear even 48 hours after exercise. There can also be cases where we push ourselves too hard, and a slight pain turns into a moderate and persistent pain. If you’ve ever done too many squats at the gym, you’ll know how you feel the next day, especially when you try to get out of your chair.
Although muscle pain is inevitable, it doesn’t mean we have to sit back and wait for it to go away so we can continue exercising. We’ve already mentioned some of the things you can do to support your body’s ability to recover and repair muscles. But as our knowledge of CBD increases, it becomes a fascinating candidate for relieving muscle pain.
CBD as a recovery agent
A 2012 study showed that cannabinoids “significantly suppress chronic inflammation and neuropathic pain” by targeting specific receptors. Although the study used a rodent model, it provides an encouraging indication of the compound’s potential. In the same year, another review also suggested the therapeutic potential of CBD. The researchers indicated that CBD influences inflammation far beyond its typical antioxidant properties by affecting intracellular signaling.
The key to recovering from exercise is promoting a reduction in our inflammatory response. By decreasing the amount of inflammation surrounding our muscles, we can lessen the pain and swelling we feel. This is where CBD comes in. Its effectiveness lies in the way it activates and supports our endocannabinoid system, a system that researchers believe may be instrumental in managing inflammation. In a 2014 paper on the endocannabinoid system, scientists concluded that “it is becoming increasingly clear how closely related the endocannabinoid system is to key processes involved in inflammation.”
The road to recovery has many stops
The effect that CBD has on inflammation is multifaceted. By supporting the production of endocannabinoids and modulating the activation of specific receptors, CBD helps our endocannabinoid system, the same system that plays a regulatory role in our immune system and therefore our inflammatory response. If you notice that even light activities make you feel excessive pain, it seems that the benefit of influencing the endocannabinoid system should be a key consideration.
Pain is an essential part of ensuring muscles are better prepared to deal with daily movement or mobility issues. Whether it’s lifting weights at the gym or getting in and out of bed comfortably, healthy, active, and flexible muscles are essential. In circumstances where recovery is slow, or pain persists, CBD may provide additional support, at least based on preliminary results above.
As always, the key to a healthy and active lifestyle is balance, whether it’s balancing the endocannabinoid system, balancing our diet, or balancing our workouts. Knowing when to push a little harder, or when to slow down, is crucial. Find out what works for you, but remember that as we continue to learn, CBD could be a helping hand in faster muscle recovery.
