How to Use CBD for Muscle Recovery

Muscle Recovery

Out of all three of us in the office, there was no doubt that I was the human who had to write this blog. If you’ve read my blogs before, you know what I’m about to say, but I have Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Fibromyalgia (Fibro), so I am acutely aware of the ins and outs of muscle pain.

It can be really easy to fall prey to the overwhelming pain that can come from muscle pain, but it doesn’t have to be that hard. We have a lot of products, tips, and tricks that have personally made a huge difference in my muscle recovery. Especially now that I am strength training with a friend in the gym regularly, finding ways to help my muscles recover is more important than ever.

What Could CBD Do?

What can be done with CBD for muscle recovery? A lot! CBD, as you may know, is a known neutralizer that works with our Endocannabinoidal System (ECS) to try and help us reach homeostasis or a state of neutrality. Whether we work our bodies too much or struggle with chronic muscle pain, CBD may be a good fit to help aid in reducing the inflammation and pain that is associated such. This is just one of the reasons CBD is so popular amongst athletes.

Recent studies are showing that many users are reporting relief from post exercise stiffness and muscle tension as well as overall improved muscle recovery. More research needs to be done to be able to conclusively state to what extent CBD could help with muscle recovery, but the research being done now has had promising results. I feel like we have only scratched the surface of understanding the full extent to which CBD may be able to aid in muscle recovery.

Topicals vs Internal

So if CBD might help muscle recovery, what is the best method for using CBD? That is entirely up to you! We always say that the best CBD is whatever you will take/use consistently. We all have different CBD needs. There are benefits to both a topical product and internal product, you just have to discern which method is the best for you.

Topicals are awesome because they can offer relief in just a few minutes and you can apply them directly to wherever is painful or sore. Some topicals also offer different sensations, like a heated or cooling feeling, which can be simply divine when you’ve got an achy muscle. The down sides are that topicals only last 2-6 hours and they only get tissue deep, so for those more consistently tight or painful muscles, topicals can become somewhat tiresome to need to keep reapplying.

An internal product, like an oil or a soft gel capsule, will store in your lipids (fat cells) and work for you all day. Your ECS will pull the CBD as needed and may offer more consistent muscle recovery relief. This can be great if you work your muscles regularly or you experience muscle pain regularly. The down sides are that you would need to take the product daily to find benefit and the relief offered is not location specific.

What Products I Use

I am what the people would call a “CBD fiend” and I use both an internal product every day and multiple topicals every day, depending on my pain level and recent activity. Because of my RA and Fibro, I am always experiencing some level of pain. Muscle pain can be one of the worst types of pain for me. The following products really help me manage both my daily pain and aid with muscle recovery now that I am regularly working on strength training.

One of my favorite topicals for muscle recovery, especially in these hot summer months, is the Lazarus Naturals CBD Relief and Recovery Muscle Gel. I used to use Biofreeze on my achy muscles because I adored the cooling sensation, but once it wore off I was just as sore as before. This muscle gel helps with my inflammation and muscle soreness while leaving me better off than before I applied it.

Another topical I reach for whenever I get home from the gym is the Hemplucid CBD and CBDa Body Cream. This is one of our more expensive topicals because of that raw CBDA compound, but boy oh boy has this little cream saved me a time or two. I don’t use this body cream all over, mostly because I am cheap and don’t like to waste money, but if I worked on my arms in the gym I am ALWAYS going to apply some to my arms. I find that the CBDa is simple the best for helping bring down any inflammation from overuse and helps makes my muscle soreness tolerable.

I do always take an internal CBD product as part of my pain management plan and that undeniably helps me with my muscle recovery. I take two of the Plus CBD Relief softgels, which is 60mgs of CBD. The reason I have switched from my previous two favorite brands, Entourage and Endoca, is the CBDa present in this product. There is 15mgs of CBD and 15mgs of CBDa per softgel and that is more CBDa in these softgels than any of our other products. Undeniably I have found these soft gel capsules to be helpful.

 

Muscle Recovery Tips & Tricks

There is so much that you can do to help with muscle recovery outside of CBD and at this point, I feel like I’ve tried it all. There are a few odd things that I have found that help me, so please don’t judge the advice I’m about to give too harshly, but I’m happy to share my tips and tricks. One of the very first things that I do when I am experiencing muscle pain is to eat a banana. The carbohydrates and magnesium, found in bananas can help flush your body of lactic acid, which is what causes delayed onset muscle soreness.

Something that I do to help with muscle recovery that has become more of an unconscious habit than anything, is using a foam roller. Rolling out my muscles, especially after exercise, has made a significant difference in both my soreness and general flexibility. When I first started working on strength training, the next day I would be so stiff I could barely touch my toes. Using a roller each day, rolling out my legs, hips, and back has almost prevented this problem entirely.

Another trick that one of my roommates actually taught me is to drink pickle juice if my muscles were cramping or really really sore after a particularly obliterating workout. It sounds strange and somewhat gross depending on your palette, but I swear this trick works. The pickle juice actually has electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which can aid in muscle recovery.

Healthier = Happier

However you prioritize muscle recovery, our end goal is always to live happier and healthier lives. I don’t know about you, but I would like to be a stronger person without dealing with mind numbing muscle pain. When stuck in a pattern of chronic pain, it can be really hard to break out of that pattern. Improving our muscle health is one way that we can prioritize living healthier lives and that doesn’t have to be inherently painful. I know that since personally prioritizing fitness more, I have found that it feels better to be in my body (when I’m not too sore) and that is all I could ask for.

Share Your Journey With Us

Whether you struggle with continual muscle pain and an internal CBD product is a better fit for you or you hit the gym regularly and a topical CBD product is right for you, keep us posted. Hey, maybe it’s the pickle juice that changed your muscle recovery routine!  Nonetheless, we would love to hear from you about your journey with CBD and muscle recovery. You can reach out to us at 866-244-4223 toll free and by email at support@greenwellnesslife.com.