Should Football Players Try CBD Oil?

Pain and injuries are unfortunate side effects of being a professional football player. You may think that for the amount of money they earn, the least players can do is endure a bit of discomfort. And there is merit to that argument. But some players develop injuries that never fully heal throughout the course of their careers, which leads to chronic pain problems that follow them for years, even after they retire.

Pharmaceuticals and pain medications can do a lot to help an athlete recover fast and stay active, but those come with dangerous side effects. That’s where CBD can be useful. CBD is a natural substance that can achieve similar results, with minimal side effects and no risk for addiction.

What even is CBD oil?

If you haven’t heard of it, CBD is a cannabis byproduct that can help people deal with anxiety, pain, and inflammation.

Despite being extracted from cannabis, CBD is not an intoxicating substance. It will not alter your perception of reality, or get you “stoned” in any way. The worst a large dose of CBD can do is make you sleepy.

In cannabis plants, THC is the active agent that causes feelings of intoxication. And in order to make sure that the final product isn’t contaminated with THC, most of the CBD around the world is extracted from hemp. “Hemp” is the name given to any strain of cannabis that contains only 0.3% of THC or less.

The risks of using CBD

CBD offers no risk of causing addiction, chemical dependency, or substance abuse. That’s according to a review conducted by the World Health Organization, right after they removed the substance off their banned substances list.

That said, many experts are concerned over the present lack of long-term studies looking at the effects of CBD on the body. In the USA, the FDA put out a statement informing the public that, like many health supplements, the overuse of CBD oil can lead to an increase in liver toxicity.

On top of those risks, there are also the potential side effects of CBD. It can cause dryness of the mouth, diarrhea, constipation, and other minor inconveniences. Which still makes the substance safer than most opioids, and even safer than high doses of caffeine.

Should athletes use it?

As an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory, CBD does more than mask the pain. It can actively help football players recover faster after a long workout or an injury. Combine that with the minimal risk offered by the substance, and it’s no surprise that many professional athletes have already made CBD part of their routine.Most competitions allow athletes to use CBD as well. The World Anti-Doping Agency removed it from the banned substances list back in 2018. As a result, the main barrier in the way of more athletes using CBD right now is the lack of long-term studies in favor of the substance’s efficacy. And since that is expected to change in the future, you can expect to see many more football players using products from companies like Cibdol.