Double disclaimer for this article! First of all, please always consult with your doctor before starting to introduce medicines into your regimen. Second, although CBD is increasingly being accepted and sold, we can't be sure about the laws of all the places you are reading us from - so please check that CBD oil is indeed legal where you live!

You’ve spent months training for the big day, pushing your body to new extremes to cross the finish line for your first — or maybe your tenth — time.

As the date draws nearer, you start to get nervous. You want to be at the top of your game, and there are so many factors that can hinder your performance. Mood, lingering pain, and energy levels are just three of the myriad of things that you have to consider to realize your full potential.

This is the point where many of us turn to all-natural supplements, and even some drugs (think NSAIDs like ibuprofen) to help get our bodies, and our minds, to where they need to be.

When it comes to competing, or even simply running for fun day-in-and-day-out, it can pay to keep up with recent scientific advancements. Every month it seems like new discoveries are made that can help us perform at our best and recover quickly.

One of the trendiest new supplements to boost performance is CBD. Athletes the world over are using CBD oil, CBD creams, and other CBD supplements to enhance their performance.

Unlike most supplements that target only one of the factors that you need to optimize, CBD is unique in its ability to impact multiple aspects of our physical and cognitive health. Read on to learn how runners can benefit from using CBD for performance and recovery.

CBD Might Combat Inflammatory Pain

You know those aches and pains that can come from a day of intense training? Or the throbbing that occurs when you twist your ankle? These are both examples of inflammatory pain.

The most common treatment for inflammatory pain are NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). While NSAIDs are pretty effective at reducing inflammation and pain, long-term use of these drugs is tied to a whole slew of negative health effects.

Early research suggests that CBD may be similarly effective as NSAIDs at relieving inflammatory pain, but with a much better safety profile.

These studies are preliminary, though, with most of the evidence coming from studies on animals. More research is needed to determine to what extent CBD affects inflammatory pain in humans.

CBD Can Reduce Anxiety and May Relieve Anxiety-Induced Insomnia

It’s the night before the race that you’ve been waiting all year for, and your nerves are stopping you from falling asleep. Or maybe you’re about to start the race, and your pre-race jitters are enough to drive you crazy.

Multiple studies have found that CBD may help to reduce anxiety and relieve the insomnia that often accompanies it.

While most of these are preclinical studies, just this year, a review of adult psychiatric patients treated with CBD for sleep or anxiety found that CBD supplementation appeared to improve sleep and reduce anxiety.

CBD Could Improve Mood

You probably already know that how you feel emotionally can impact your athletic performance. When you’re in a depressed mood, it can be hard to come up with the motivation that you need to do your best. It can even hinder your desire to get out and run at all!

Researchers have observed CBD to exhibit antidepressant-like effects in animal studies. If these benefits carry over to the humans population, CBD may help you train harder and perform better when competition time arrives by enhancing mood.

CBD Might Speed Recovery

Getting adequate sleep and reducing inflammation may be two ways that we can enhance recovery after exercise.

Because CBD is an anti-inflammatory that may help improve sleep for some, CBD may support optimal athletic recovery. More research is needed to confirm this.

CBD May Relieve Chronic Pain

Not all pain is inflammatory pain caused by a temporary injury or from overtraining. Chronic pain is that which persists for long periods of time and isn’t expected to go away easily on its own.

There are many types of chronic pain. It can include inflammatory pain like that in rheumatoid arthritis, or shooting nerve pain like that in sciatica.

Early studies have found promise for CBD to relieve a variety of difficult-to-treat pain conditions including those caused by inflammation and neuropathic (nerve) pain.

While more studies are needed to confirm these results, this has not stopped athletes from using CBD themselves for chronic pain. You’ll find countless stories across the internet of athletes and others using CBD to successfully treat chronic pain.

Final Thoughts

CBD is a versatile supplement that’s being used for athletic performance thanks to its benefits for mood, pain, recovery, and more. Try out CBD oil, creams, supplements, or gummies to see how CBD can help boost your athletic performance.