A runner knows she must run six miles a day to prepare for a marathon, but endurance training alone may not be enough to win the big race. Lack of energy or muscle soreness from the day before could affect her daily targets, which will ultimately impede her maximum muscle development and her goals in turn.
Enter the pre-workout.
While a pre-workout can be a routine, within the fitness industry “pre-workout” is used as a noun to describe a supplement or drink that helps energize, hydrate, and nourish an athlete prior to their exercise. A well-formulated and effective pre-workout allows an athlete to workout for longer, thus accelerating their fitness milestones. CBD pre workout is another great option for many reasons, as it can help support muscle recovery and soreness, improve sleep, and more.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at exactly why bodybuilders and athletes use pre-workout shakes and supplements, what goes into them, and why CBD may be an effective alternative (or complement) to a pre-workout. We’ll also tell you when to take CBD oil for workouts so you can get the most out of this dietary supplement.
Key Takeaways:
- CBD can be an effective alternative to a pre-workout due to its energy promoting properties
- Given CBD’s energy, sleep, and stress relief promoting properties, athletes are using CBD to complement their existing pre-workout supplements
- CBD is thought to help soothe exercise-induced inflammation, meaning it can help athletes recover faster
What is a Pre-workout?
Pre-workout mixes are designed to bolster energy and optimize performance. They usually come in powdered blends, where they’re mixed into water and drank thereafter. Athletes rely on pre-workouts for nutrients, a boost of energy, and routine consistency.
Before we got about a workday, many of us first indulge in a delicious cup of coffee. The same can be said for pre-workouts in an exercise regimen, as athletes rely on them for consistency. However, not every pre-workout is made equal, and to understand all of the benefits that come with a pre-workout, you need to know how they’re typically formulated.
Common Ingredients in Pre-Workouts
While pre-workouts are formulated in many different ways (often dependent on the brand), there are a few common ingredients that are used rather ubiquitously. This is due to the fact that these ingredients, when combined, help promote energy and vitality.
They include but are not limited to:
- Caffeine – This is one of the most common ingredients in pre-workouts. Caffeine has been shown to improve physical performance without increasing exertion. People drink coffee in the morning for the boost of energy caffeine provides, and (as mentioned above) bodybuilders do the same for a workout.
- Vitamin B – Niacin and vitamin B-12 are essential components to a healthy metabolism and a balance of energy, and athletes need a sufficient amount to make the most of their exercise. Studies show that poor vitamin-B nutrition decreases your ability to perform at high intensities, rendering it a fantastic ingredient to include in pre-workouts.
- Creatine – Creatine is produced naturally in our bodies. It can also be found in red meat and fish. By binding with phosphates, it promotes energy production. Studies show that both short- and long-term creatine supplementation improves performance and aids the development of fat-free muscle mass.
- L-Glutamine – Proteins are made of this amino acid. Muscle consists of protein, and when you weight-lift, you tear the muscle fibers so they heal and regenerate into more muscle. The muscle tearing and “regrowth” is what causes soreness. Imagine receiving a shot of protein directly to your torn muscle; it would shorten your recovery time and decrease post-exercise muscle discomfort. In essence, this is what L-glutamine is and why athletes seek it in their pre-workout.
Now that you know what goes into a pre-workout and why athletes lean on these specific ingredients, let’s discuss the hot new pre-workout alternative that is quickly gaining popularity in the fitness world-CBD.
What is CBD?
CBD is a cannabinoid derived from the hemp plant, and it mimics the endocannabinoids we naturally produce in our Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is responsible for regulating a variety of human functions, like appetite, memory, sensations of discomfort, and sleep. The goal of the ECS is to bring the rest of the body to homeostasis-otherwise known as the “balance” of the biological system.
When you consume CBD for exercise and in regular life, your body turns it into endocannabinoids, which get slurped up by the ECS. Unlike THC (the psychoactive compound found in marijuana), CBD doesn’t bind to receptors in the brain, which is why CBD is non-psychoactive.
CBD is thought to induce many benefits, like increased energy, less tension, and better focus. But let’s take a closer look at why athletes and bodybuilders enjoy using CBD as a pre-workout.
CBD: Your Personal Exercise Buddy
Because training is so important to athletes and bodybuilders alike, exercise enthusiasts are constantly looking for ways to improve and sharpen their routine. To that end, CBD may help you exercise better for a host of reasons. By taking CBD before a workout , you might be able to:
Combat Muscle Soreness
Soreness and discomfort is your body’s “you did a good job” signal. Now, your physiological systems are working overtime to repair torn muscle tissue. While CBD doesn’t omit the achiness, it can make the discomfort more manageable. CBD for sore muscles is a great supplement for muscle recovery for all athletes. While taking CBD before a workout can be beneficial, it can also be used to support post workout recovery.
In which case, CBD may help calm exercise-induced inflammation that an athlete may incur from the day before. When swelling and achiness are less noticeable, you’re able to work harder, lift longer, and increase your endurance. Whether you go for a CBD lotion or CBD gummy , all products can be incorporated into a pre-workout routine.
A daily CBD dosage makes a fantastic pre-workout because it’s long-lasting, which means a decrease in soreness before and after a hard training session.
Improve Sleep And Relieve Tension
Sleep is directly responsible for the effectiveness of a workout. Studies show that sleep deprivation greatly decreases the amount of time a person can work out before exhaustion. It’s also how our physiological systems regenerate.
CBD has relaxing qualities, thus athletes will use CBD the night before a workout to take advantage of its sleep-promoting properties. It helps foster a healthy sleep cycle, an essential component to any exercise regimen.
What’s more, CBD might help ease the tension that many athletes and bodybuilders acquire from such rigorous training. Without that tension, you can move with more dexterity and lift with fervor.
Increase Focus And Mental Clarity
CBD might also improve mental clarity and focus, or the mental fortitude any bladed athlete strives to achieve.
Earlier in this article, we talked about how the ECS is responsible for achieving homeostasis in the body. CBD helps stimulate the ECS, and it rewards the athlete with a balanced body and mind. With a balanced mind, you can focus more on your workouts.
Mental clarity provides a host of effects. After a CBD pre-workout , bodybuilders are able to perform more reps because they’re attuned to their pacing. They also have an easier time framing their intentions and keeping them front and center.
Bolster Energy
When we work out, we burn energy. But CBD may combat how quickly that energy depletes. Athletes who use CBD as a pre-workout may note they have considerably more energy during their training, and that the “boost” lasts until their aftercare segment.
There are two common times during the day that athletes exercise: the morning or evening (before or after work, respectively). However, these are the times of day you need energy the most.
Unless you’re a lark (someone who wakes early), you probably wake up a little tired; athletes may feel that acutely, but CBD helps to energize your mornings or evenings.
Promote Muscle Gain
Muscle grows by generating more tissue to repair the tears made from weightlifting and strenuous exercise. Exercise-induced inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury (tears), and it causes the sensation of soreness in the affected sites. While post-exercise inflammation is an indicator of a workout done right , it can hinder an athlete’s ability to conquer their workout the following day. Because CBD combats muscle soreness and exercise-induced inflammation, the unpleasant effects of a previous workout can be mitigated. This allows bodybuilders and athletes to recover quicker and focus on their training goals.
That’s why it’s suggested that CBD pre workout can aid the muscle-building process-because it helps combat exercise-induced inflammation and is beneficial for muscle growth, and regrowth.
A CBD product can be used as an alternative or a complement to an athlete’s flagship pre-workout supplement. Given our current understanding of the ECS, many signs point to the compound yielding incredible results for exercise enthusiasts looking for that “extra kick.”
Resilience CBD—Formulated for Athletes
With less discomfort, better sleep, more energy, and mental clarity, athletes can use CBD to step up their game and dominate their training.
At Resilience CBD, we formulate our CBD to help athletes improve their performance. Our products are all made with natural ingredients, and the hemp we use to make our CBD is 100% organic and grown in the USA.
That way, you know you’re getting the best in quality (what every athlete seeks) CBD product. Furthermore, we test our CBD products for athletes in third-party labs to ensure we’re meeting our label claims. If you’re looking to join the leagues of athletes turning to CBD for performance, consider scooping up our discounted CBD Starter Package.
As someone constantly striving for excellence, this might just be the edge you’re looking for.
Written by: Michael Tatz | Linkedin
Michael Tatz is the Co-Founder of Resilience CBD, and a passionate leader in the health & fitness world helping others rise to and crush their wildest goals. A former Division 1 college wrestler, Army Officer, and investment manager at Goldman Sachs, he has pushed his body and mind to the limits on the mats, dressed in camo, and in the boardroom.
Today, he spends his time leading Resilience CBD to develop the absolute best recovery products for athletes everywhere. Resilience was founded after CBD personally impacted Michael’s life, and the brand was built to partner with everyday athletes in pursuit of conquering their most difficult challenges, rebounding after their toughest performances, and rising to their goals that once seemed impossible.
Sources:
PubMed. Acute effects of a commercially-available pre-workout supplement on markers of training: a double-blind study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25302053/
PubMed. Effects of creatine loading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12546637/
PubMed. B-vitamins and exercise: does exercise alter requirements? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17240780/
PubMed. Effects of creatine loading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12546637/
PubMed. The role of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of endocrine function and in the control of energy balance in humans. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17369778/
PubMed. Sleep deprivation and the effect on exercise performance. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2657963/
PubMed. Muscle growth and exercise. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2222798/
