Those with a serious interest in bodybuilding are constantly on the look out for ways of increasing muscle mass, and a new supplement that is gaining interest within this industry is cannabidiol – or CBD oil. Despite this, not many understand just what this product, which is derived from cannabis plants, actually does. This article will look at how it can help you with muscle growth.
What is CBD oil?
You might be put off by the link to marijuana, but you really shouldn’t be. Although it is found in cannabis plants, the CBD that goes into making the oil is not taken from the marijuana plant; it comes out of the hemp plant. This means it doesn’t have the mind altering effects of marijuana. The oil used as a fitness supplement is created by blending the CBD that comes from the plant with carrier oils like coconut or hemp seed and it can be taken in a number of different ways: by spraying it beneath your tongue, massaging it into your skin, using a dropper or adding it to your drinks or your food.
What are the benefits?
CBD oil can be used for several different purposes, with some people choosing to take it as a way of easing chronic pain without having to deal with the psychotropic effects caused by cannabis. Other people take is as a way of reducing mental health symptoms like depression or anxiety.
Reducing catabolic hormone production
What will interest you however is whether it can help with muscle growth, and research has demonstrated that it can. Bodybuilders will already be familiar with anabolic and anti-catabolic supplements, with the former being crucial to building muscle because they cut the production of the catabolic hormones that lead to muscle loss. Effectively, CBD oil can be seen as a natural alternative to these, working within the body in much the same way as anti-catabolics. This oil connects with the receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system that controls the appetite and metabolism and keeps the production of cortisol down. This is crucial to building muscle because cortisol prevents tissue growth and protein synthesis, both of which are necessary for muscle building.
Helping with sleep and joint inflammation
This controlling of catabolic hormone levels is the single biggest way CBD oil can help with muscle building, but it can also enable you to achieve better sleep patterns, and the body needs deep sleep to allow tissue recovery and muscle growth to take place. Another potential benefit for those dedicated to building muscle is that use of CBD oil helps reduce the inflammation of the joints, allowing you to take part in longer and more focused workouts.
In conclusion
The work that CBD oil does in cutting the production of catabolic hormones like cortisol is well established and of clear benefit in building muscle, but it also helps with this by improving sleep and easing joint pain from working out.
