The 411 on CBD

We have cannabinoid receptors dotted around our bodies as part of our endocannabinoid system (ECS). That’s the system responsible for regulating appetite, pain-sensation, mood and memory; CBD fans often claim that because our bodies have these receptors, its primed to benefit from the plant’s medicinal qualities. According to CBD brand Papilio, the ECS only came to light in the early 1990s when scientists started to explore the effects of cannabis on the human body.

A 2020 review published in Sports Medicine Open looked at the role that CBD can play in fitness. It found that “CBD has been reported to exert a number of physiological, biochemical, and psychological effects, that have the potential to benefit athletes.” It pointed to evidence of CBD’s “anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic, and anxiolytic actions”, as well as the possibility of it helping to heal inflammation-damaged guts and traumatic skeletal injuries.

However, the review also pointed out that research is so thin on the ground that it’s impossible to generalise about the benefits to a wider population. “The central observation is that studies directly investigating CBD and sports performance are lacking, and until these are conducted, we can only speculate in regard to its effects. Nonetheless, this review suggests that rigorous, controlled investigations clarifying the utility of CBD in the sporting context are clearly warranted.”

When it comes to CBD’s effects on very specific communities, however, the data is more convincing. A 2018 review of 132 studies found that CBD can reduce inflammation in the body and help improve pain and mobility in patients with multiple sclerosis. “It is anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiemetic, antipsychotic, and neuroprotective,” the study concluded. That, alongside the work looking at childhood epilepsy, suggests that research is being done to help groups who really need relief from symptoms.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see whether scientists are going to do more extensive testing readily-available strains of CBD on ordinary members of the public and athletes. While Papilio says that in order for any product to claim efficacy “there has to be a much wider body of results supported by the parametrical industry,” it’s clear that early research does suggest that CBD has a positive effect on the ECS. It also shows that the chemical is best-taken vis absorption (through the skin) or ingestion (under the tongue).

CBD and exercise: can supplementing CBD help us recover faster?