Can CBD Oil affect your BJJ Performance?

After seeing Nate Diaz smoking CBD at the open workout before the UFC 241 bout and various high level BJJ competitors like Gordan Ryan, Josh Hinger, Lovato Jr., Joao Miyao, etc.. being sponsored by CBD companies there is no way to neglect and ask yourself if your BJJ performance and overall health could benefit from CBD as well.

What is CBD exactly?

Cannabidiol is what CBD stands for, it´s one of many cannabinoids that can be found in the cannabis family. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC most commonly) CBD is NOT psychoactive, which means you won´t get high and get THC typical side effects like headache, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea, and paranoid thinking.  In contrast to marijuana containing THC, CBD is most likely legal in the country you live in.

CBD has been one of the most trending natural products in the new area of cannabis popularity. The most common way to consume CBD is CBD Oil in different dosages like five to 15 percent, but you can also vaporize and smoke it or just put  CBD as cream on your skin of the affected area.

So what about the benefits for BJJ performance?

Let´s talk about the interesting part for most of the readers – can CBD actually help with BJJ performance?

So any serious BJJ practitioner knows how the nasty little injuries can sum up to feel really awful. The biggest benefit could be the use as an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving supplement. There is a whole endocannabinoid system in the human body which can be affected by taking CBD. It modulates the neurotransmitters in our nervous system. If the inflammatory impact by practicing BJJ is less, you will overall have a better recovery and are able to address injuries without taking strong medication like ibuprofen. More or less like a feel-good supplement.

Since there is an effect on the nervous system it has been shown CBD can also help with falling asleep. Ever felt like staying awake after an exhausting BJJ training session in the evening, this is where CBD will relieve these kinds of symptoms. As the anti-inflammatory effect, sleep is even more important for recovery, if not the most important factor of recovering. Try to train BJJ six days a week with 5 hours of sleep every night – almost impossible.

If you are dealing with anxiety problems especially before a competition or even ordinary training classes CBD has also been found to reduce anxiety-related problems and depression. This may help you stay more relaxed and focused on what you actually want instead of being distracted by anxiety.

There are various more positive effects from CBD for BJJ like improving digestion, increasing metabolism and burning fat, decreasing appetite, lower blood glucose levels which may also play a role as a performance-enhancing supplement.

Are there any side effects?

Although CBD is generally considered safe, it can cause adverse reactions like diarrhea and fatigue in very few people. It may also interfere with certain medications, so better ask your doc before using. Also consider if you smoke CBD for performance-enhancing for BJJ or just for joy, there can be smoking-related side effects.

Since CBD is super safe to use and may have a lot of positive effects on your BJJ performance you definitely should give it a try. There are a lot of companies selling CBD products so consider quality and dosage. For example, 5% CBD Oil could be perfect for trying out possible effects without spending too much money. Take up to 10 drops prior to sleep, leave the oil under your tongue for at least a minute so it can be absorbed by your oral mucosal membrane. CBD cream could be used for hurting joints or injuries, just put it on the spots that hurt.