CBD for Muscle Building

Building muscle and maintaining a healthy weight are investments in your wellbeing. By dedicating yourself to a healthier lifestyle, you can improve your stamina and strength as well as your self-esteem. The process of bodybuilding, however, is a massive undertaking, which is why many gym-goers use dietary supplements to boost their energy and reach their muscle building goals. Many, however, are turning to a more natural supplement that offers a multitude of benefits — cannabidiol (CBD).

Learn more below about CBD for muscle building.

What Is CBD?

Better known as CBD, cannabidiol is one of more than 85 cannabinoids found in marijuana plants. Its well-known counterpart is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which delivers a more euphoric and psychoactive experience than CBD. In comparison, CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that’s becoming a respected medicine for treating a variety of symptoms and conditions, such as cancer. Its medical benefits are the primary reason behind CBD’s use for muscle building.

Why Is CBD for Bodybuilding Legal?

As recreational and medical marijuana varies in legality by state, it’s excellent to ask and find out whether CBD is legal for your area. Due to federal legislation, as well as standards by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it has become legal for residents across all 50 states to purchase and use CBD that comes from industrial hemp, a plant for textile applications.

To break down the legality of CBD for bodybuilding, let’s look at three influential pieces of legislation:

• Federal 2014 Farm Bill: Also known as the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Farm Bill permits any state’s agriculture department to grow or cultivate industrial hemp — which is defined as a cannabis plant with a THC concentration less than 0.3 percent on a dried weight basis — for agricultural or academic research. Institutions of higher education may also apply to cultivate industrial hemp for similar reasons.
• Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2016: Also known as the Funding Act, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2016 supports and expands on the Agricultural Act of 2014 by preventing the prohibition of the sale, use or processing of industrial hemp that complies with the Farm Bill standards. As a result, this legislation opens the door for bodybuilders to purchase and use supplements with CBD.
• New Drug Code 7350:Following the Funding Act and the Farm Bill, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) clarified the legality of CBD. The New Drug Code 7350 explains that CBD obtained from industrial hemp is legal, per the Agricultural Act of 2014. The CBD, however, must come from some part of the cannabis plant that is legal, such as the stalk.

Movements by pharmaceutical companies, such as GW Pharmaceuticals, that produce synthetic cannabis medicines do threaten the legality of CBD. Why? Their products are becoming approved for new drug authorization by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). That counteracts the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C), which does not permit the sale of products approved for investigative new drug authorization.

Why Is CBD Good for Muscle Building?

If you’re familiar with bodybuilding, you may know about anti-catabolic and anabolic supplements. For muscle building, trainers recommend anti-catabolic supplements because they lower catabolic hormone production, which contributes to muscle loss. In comparison, anabolic supplements raise the anabolic hormone production, which boosts protein synthesis for faster muscle growth. The downside to anabolic supplements is that they’ll cause your muscle to break down faster when you’re not exercising on a routine basis.

While CBD does not replace anabolic supplements, it does provide a more natural alternative to anti-catabolic ones, delivering many of the same benefits and more. It works by connecting with receptors throughout your endocannabinoid system, which regulates your body’s metabolism and appetite. As CBD attaches to your body’s receptors, it delivers the benefits that make it good for bodybuilding.

How Does CBD for Muscle Building Help?

Opting to use CBD for muscle building offers several noticeable benefits. It can:

• Improve your mindset: A noticeable difference after incorporating CBD into your bodybuilding plan is your mood. It energizes you, helping you keep your mind and body active at the gym as well as motivating you to develop new workout routines that fit your changing needs. The additional effects of using CBD, from an improved sleep schedule to decreased pain, also boost your overall mindset.
• Lower your stress level: A significant benefit of CBD for bodybuilding is its ability to lower cortisol levels that can otherwise slow down your muscle growth. A high cortisol level also indicates stress — or intensive caffeine consumption — which can affect your performance in the gym. By lowering your stress levels with CBD, you can focus on your muscle building goals versus worrying about meeting them.
• Boost your sleep satisfaction: A critical factor when exercising is getting enough rest. In fact, without enough sleep, your body is unable to rebuild and heal the minor muscle tears that come with weightlifting, and it has trouble synthesizing protein into muscle. By incorporating CBD into your exercise regime, you can improve the quality of your sleep. How? CBD can help you relax and create a sleepy effect, which will help you fall and stay asleep.
• Decrease your joint inflammation: A frequent challenge when bodybuilding is managing joint inflammation. While fish oil and other supplements can help with chronic inflammation, CBD for muscle building is often more effective. In fact, one study found that CBD reduced inflammation by 50 percent. If you cope with pain from an old injury, CBD can help you lessen it, making your workouts more enjoyable.
• Increase your energy levels: An essential factor in bodybuilding is energy. CBD also helps with that. It works by regulating your blood sugar levels, which affects how much insulin your body produces. By maintaining a lower level of insulin, your body burns more glucose into energy versus converting it into fat. That helps you not only emphasize the results of your muscle building but also power through workouts.

How to Use CBD for Bodybuilding

If you’re thinking about taking CBD for bodybuilding, you should know that it’s similar to other supplements. It’s available in tinctures and capsules, and it tends to include a recommended dosage. In most cases, you’ll want to keep your daily use to 10 to 15 milligrams per day — but consult with your trainer or physician beforehand to make sure this kind of supplement is ideal for your health and workout plan.

Learn More About CBD for Muscle Building

At MarijuanaDoctors.com, we provide a vast number of resources for patients, physicians and families curious about recreational and medical cannabis. From the latest news to the newest research findings, we keep you up-to-date on the evolving role of marijuana in medicine and personal health.

To learn more about CBD for muscle building, visit our blog and resource center!