Runners and other athletes are a key part of the cannabidiol market (better known as CBD) in the U.S.-a market that has quadrupled its sales since 2018. That was when federal law removed hemp, from which CBD is derived, from the list of controlled substances. Sales are expected to hit $16 billion by 2025.
Not surprising. After all, what runner wouldn't want to access claimed CBD benefits such as better sleep, fewer aches and pains, and greater focus? Here's what you need to know about what CBD is, how it might help your running, and how to buy it.
What Is CBD? Cannabis plants contain more than 100 types of cannabinoids, which are substances in the plants that interact with your body's endocannabinoid system. (More on this later.) CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, which causes a marijuana high) are the two best-known cannabinoids. A cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3 percent THC is classified as marijuana; a cannabis plant with no more than 0.3 percent THC is hemp. CBD products are made from hemp. Because hemp plants are so low in THC, CBD products can't get you high.
Why Runners Should Give It a Try
So what can these products do? CBD is said to be an anti-inflammatory, a sleep aid, an anti-anxiety agent, a mental and physical relaxant, an immunity booster, and an overall wellness enhancer. That's a lot of claims for one molecule! Unfortunately, to date, there's little clinical research to support many of those claims. Most research on CBD has to do with specific conditions, such as epilepsy, rather than broader phenomena like whether it helps athletes feel better after a hard workout.
This story is from the Issue 01, 2023 edition of Runner's World US.
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This story is from the Issue 01, 2023 edition of Runner's World US.
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TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.
RUNNING WITH HANK
How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
