If you’re a fitness guru or someone getting into the habit of exercise, you’re probably aware that it’s not what happens in the gym that counts. Rather, it’s what happens afterward.

When we push our bodies to the limit, we’re actually causing microscopic damage to our muscles. In turn, our body’s immune system kicks in to repair everything from the muscles to the bones. It’s through these repairs that we become a bit stronger and fitter with each workout.[1]

However, this damage also causes inflammation, leaving us to feel sore and fatigued. Though there are a lot of options out there to reduce the stress, many have turned to cannabidiol (CBD) as a means of easing muscle and joint pain.

But is CBD really helping your body become stronger while managing your pain?

Scientists are already well aware that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. A 2018 review concluded that use of high-quality CBD can reduce fatigue, pain, spasticity, and lead to improved mobility. While it should be noted this review focused on people with multiple sclerosis, the findings certainly have implications for muscle recovery.[2]

In fact, there are many self-reports from professional athletes claiming CBD to be very beneficial for their post-workout recovery, allowing them to go about daily training without feeling as much of a need to rest.

So, with that said, can CBD help restore our muscles?

Unforntunately, there’s a lack of scientific evidence to properly this answer question at the moment. Though we know CBD can help reduce inflammation and has shown promise for pain management, we don’t know if it’s actually helping you build muscle.

As mentioned above, the most important aspect of post-workout recovery is your immune system’s response to inflammation. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD actually suppresses your immune system from its natural reaction to your body’s stress. With that, studies have found that it can, in some cases, promote apoptosis (cell death).[3]

Unfortunately, we don’t 100% know whether or not CBD promotes apoptosis in cells that are attempting to repair while you’re recovering from exercise, as much of these data are rather mixed.

What we do know is if you struggle greatly with muscle or joint pain from a workout, CBD is safe to take to ease the pain. The cannabinoid comes with little to no side effects in most people and has the ability to greatly stress on the body.

References

1. Dupuy O, et al. An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers for muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2018;9(403):1-15.
2. Rudroff T & Sosnoff J. Cannabidiol to improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis. Front Neurol. 2018;9(183):1-3.
3. Rieder S, et al. Cannabinoid-induced apoptosis in immune cells as a pathway to immunosuppression. Immunobiology. 2010;215(8):598-605.

Post-workout benefits of CBD

As the use of cannabidiol (CBD) becomes more prevalent among mainstream stores and consumers, more questions arise regarding what the difference is between Full Spectrum CBD, Broad Spectrum CBD and CBD Isolate, as well as which type is more benecial.

While there is no denitive answer as which type is “best,” it is important for each user to understand the differences to discover which type is best for them.

In order to understand the differences of Full Spectrum CBD, Broad Spectrum CBD and CBD Isolate, it is necessary to understand how CBD interacts which your body. Our bodies are designed with a biological system made up of endocannabinoids called the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoids are internal lipid-based neurotransmitters that have the ability to combine themselves with cannabinoid receptors located throughout our body. The endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in helping regulate an array of physiological and cognitive processes, including memory and mood.

Researchers discovered that different cannabinoids, found in the cannabis plant, interact with our bodies in sophisticated and unique ways. Among the number of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, THC and CBD are the most familiar and widespread ones. THC can produce psychoactive effects, whereas CBD does not. In addition to THC and CBD, other cannabinoids like Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabielsoin (CBE) and more come together to create the “cannabinoid spectrum.” When the CBD is extracted, other compounds are also extracted from the plant, including terpenes, avonoids and other cannabinoids. Depending on the strain and type of extraction used, there will be different cannabinoid proles for each product – Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum or CBD Isolate.

CBD Isolate
CBD Isolate is the purest form of CBD and contains 99% CBD. It is typically extracted from Hemp because of its low to non-existent THC content. CBD Isolate is produced by removing all other compounds from the plant – terpenes, avonoids and other cannabinoids, including THC – to leave just the CBD for the consumer. This form of CBD is best used for those that are concerned with drug testing at their place of employment or have a sensitivity to THC, and do not need the benets of other cannabinoids.

Full Spectrum CBD
Full Spectrum is the most commonly purchased CBD oil in the market today. With a Full Spectrum CBD oil, you receive a “full spectrum” of cannabinoids, terpenes, essential oils and even trace amounts of THC from the plant that are pulled out together during the extraction process. The combination of these components is called the “entourage effect.”

Many people nd that Full Spectrum is the most benecial for them because of this “entourage effect” and keeping the whole plant properties intact. As compared to CBD Isolate, Full Spectrum CBD is able to provide the consumer with a more robust oil due to the power-packed combination of components from the plant. Full Spectrum CBD is best for those that want the full benets of the entourage effect and do not mind trace amounts of THC in their CBD product.

Broad Spectrum CBD
In looking at the composition of Broad Spectrum CBD, it is a mix between Full Spectrum CBD and CBD Isolate. Similar to Full Spectrum CBD, the user is getting the benets of the entourage effect because it contains multiple cannabinoids. However, just like CBD Isolate, the THC is completely removed from Broad Spectrum CBD. This extraction of CBD is best for those that want more than just CBD Isolate, but are either hesitant to have any THC in their product or live in states with strict THC laws.

CBD or THC: What is the Difference?

As the cannabis industry is growing at an incredible rate, you might have heard about THC and CBD. Among the number of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, THC and CBD are the most familiar and widespread ones. Most people know that THC will make you high, whereas CBD won’t, but most do not know the difference between hemp and marijuana. Both are species of the cannabis plant but have different functions. Cannabinoids, found in the cannabis plant, interact with our bodies in sophisticated and unique ways. If you dig deeper into the science behind these two cannabinoids, it will become apparent that there is more to learn about THC and CBD.

THC and the Marijuana Plant

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main intoxicating element in the cannabis plant, which was first described in the 1940s. Israeli scientist Rafael Mechoulam synthesized this molecule in 1965 and our understanding of THC has improved ever since. Marijuana is the species of cannabis that is dominant in the compound THC. This is the part of the marijuana plant that makes the user feel euphoric or “high” when it is broken down and absorbed into the body. Marijuana leaves are broad-leafed and have tight buds with some even having orange hairs coming off of the nugget shape, and it looks like a short and flat bush. Hemp has a different shape from marijuana; its leaves are skinnier and higher up and it tends to look tall and skinny as most of its foliage grows up top.

Marijuana is considered a psychoactive drug, and with its high concentration of TCH, it is illegal in many places. This is much higher than the THC levels that are naturally found in hemp. We still clearly don’t know how cannabis creates intoxication in our body when compared with other drugs; however, we do know the following about cannabis. We have CB1 receptors throughout our body and THC acts as an activator or agonist of these CB1 receptors. But if people with blocked CB1 receptors are given cannabis (by a different drug, called an antagonist), it won’t make them high. So now we know that to produce intoxication by THC, CB1 receptors in our brain play a crucial role.

CBD and the Hemp Plant

THC is not the only compound found in the Cannabis plant that has a direct impact on the functions of our brain. The second most important cannabinoid found in the Cannabis plant is Cannabidiol or CBD, and it represents about 40% of the extracts from the plant. CBD that is derived from hemp is non-psychoactive and contains little to no traces of THC. Although there are other methods of deriving CBD, such as from other forms of cannabis, CBD derived from hemp contains the lowest levels of THC and is generally legal in most places.

CBD has very powerful properties that can reduce anxious feelings and it interacts with the receptors of our brain. It is also not intoxicating. While THC binds directly with the CB1 receptors, CBD does not. CBD can actually interfere with the activity of CB1 receptors with the presence of THC, thus reducing the psychoactive effects of THC. It is because CBD inhibits the CB1 receptor, while THC activates it. The presence of the two cannabinoids balances the effects.

Know the Difference; Know the Benefits

The cannabis plant is a plant filled with compounds, such as CBD, that can be beneficial to our all-around health and wellness. Although there are psychoactive components to the cannabis plant, it is important to be able to distinguish the difference between hemp and marijuana, as well as being able to differentiate the properties that each species of the cannabis plant contains. Both CBD and THC (medically prescribed) have been found to have many health benefits that we are just really starting to explore and realize the incredible benefits they produce.