Which professional athletes use CBD?
Bubba Watson
Two times golf champion, Bubba Watson said that CBD helps sustain his career at the highest level.
Watson recently celebrated his 40th birthday revealed that he uses the products to ease the rigors of playing golf and credits it for keeping him free of injury.
Speaking to CNN, he said: “For me, it was about how I create longevity in the game of golf and spending time with my kids running around. CBD was easily a fit for me.”
Andrew Tolansky
Former pro cyclist Andrew Talansky spent seven years as a professional cyclist before he switched to triathlon. He was then using muscles he hadn’t used for years and said his body was ‘constantly inflamed.’
He then suffered a hip injury and instead of taking NSAIDs, Talanksky opted for CBD oil.
Speaking to Outside magazine he said: “I took it for a couple of weeks and there was a noticeable difference immediately. It wasn’t just my hip that was feeling better. I was feeling less anxious and I was sleeping better.”
Lamar Odom
Former LA Laker’s star, Lamar Odom has his own CBD line, Odom 7, that offers full spectrum oils, gel caps, muscle creams and water soluble.
On his website Odom uses the tagline ‘Worth Living’ and explains: “CBD oil changed my life when I began using it every day… I have worked hard to produce the oil because I want to change the world.”
Since being linked with the Kardashians, Odom very publicly went to rehab and in 2015 suffered from six heart attacks and five strokes. He personally used CBD during this recovery time and believes it is an effective, natural product.
Odom recently told his social media followers: “Hemp CBD has been a HUGE game changer for me this past year and has helped me in many ways. If you have been on the fence about CBD, now is the time to try it.”
So, how can CBD benefit athletes?
Relieves Pain and inflammation
Inflammatory pain is the most common type of pain that athletes experience. Athletes usually get pain relief with over the counter non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.
In this way, topical CBD products such as creams and balms are helpful for athletes as they can be applied directly to the area which needs attention.
Is CBD legal for athletes?
Yes, CBD is legal for athletes in both the UK and USA. CBD is not listed on the World – Anti Doping Agency prohibited list and is therefore permitted to use in all sports.
All other cannabinoids such as THC are prohibited in competition.
Although the very small amount of THC in CBD full spectrum products (less than 0.2%) are very unlikely to be picked up on a drugs test, to be extra cautious, athletes may want to opt for isolate CBD products which contain no THC.
If you’re an athlete considering taking CBD in competition, we recommend speaking to your team first.