CBD: What is it and will it improve cycling performance?

CBD, the supplement that seems to be everywhere. It’s found in gels, drinks, chamois cream, and even pizza these days.

CBD is already widespread in rugby, golf and cricket, is taking the sports world by storm and is showing no sign of disappearing. So is CBD the next big thing in cycling? And is it legal?

In April of this year, the UCI Continental Professional Cycling Outift Team Skyline announced a sponsorship deal with the Gold Medal CBD company and Tokyo 2020 has been widely recognized as the first time athletes have been able to use CBD in their preparation for the Olympics.

Former pro and disqualified Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, the CBD company Floyd’s of Leadville, has many elite athletes as ambassadors, including cyclists Sarah Sturm, Gordon Wadsworth and Peter Stetina.

According to Grand View Analysis, the global CBD industry is projected to be worth $ 13.4 billion (£ 9.7 billion) by 2028.

What is CBD?

CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant and is also known as cannabidiol.

It is one of the hundreds of compounds called cannabinoids that make up the cannabis plant.

It’s neither intoxicating nor psychoactive, unlike one of the plant’s better-known cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that gets people high.

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that “CBD is generally well tolerated and has a good safety profile”.

Is CBD legal in the UK?

Like ketone esters, CBD is legal in the UK.

CBD products fall under the Novel Food Regulation, which means that they must be marketed as dietary supplements rather than medicinal products.

In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its list of banned substances, but other compounds found in the cannabis plant, including THC, are still banned.

Cannabis is a Class B illegal drug in the UK and almost all cannabidiols are controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (excluding CBD).

In what form does CBD occur?

There are three CBD spectra: full, wide, and narrow, which indicates the number of other compounds from the cannabis plant that are present in the CBD itself.

A full spectrum product contains CBD and a small amount of THC (less than 0.2%, otherwise it’s illegal).

A broad spectrum product contains all of the compounds in the plant, including CBD, but does not contain THC.

A narrow spectrum product (also called Isolate CBD) contains only CBD and no other compounds from the cannabis plant.

There are many different types of CBD products, from capsules, oils, patches, balms, and gels to beverages, gums, pillow cases, and even yoga classes.

According to neurologist and medical cannabis expert Professor Mike Barnes, the most effective way to ingest CBD is as an oil under your tongue.

“Most people take CBD as an oil under their tongue because it can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Then the effect lasts for about 4-6 hours.

“Basically, it depends on what you want CBD for, how you should take it. For example, if your joints or muscles are sore, you can use a balm to rub the affected area. ‘

What are the potential benefits of CBD for cyclists?

CBD proponents say it can aid post-exercise recovery, improve sleep quality, and reduce anxiety.

“CBD can generally help with anxiety and physical pain,” said Michael Tacci, Sports Director of Team Skyline. “Not only does it help deal with gnawing small injuries, bumps and bruises, but it can also help with pain management on the bike during hard exertion.

“Most importantly, CBD has been anecdotally seen to significantly improve post-exercise recovery.”

Ex-road pro and gravel and endurance cyclist Peter Stetina started using CBD in 2015 after breaking his leg on the Tour of the Basque Country looking for an alternative to prescription painkillers.

For Stetina, the greatest benefit he gets from CBD is improved quality of sleep.

“When I take the capsules around dinner, I feel like I can fall asleep earlier,” he explains. “It helps me to go to bed early before I get up early on a race morning.”

He also uses a CBD cream to help with acute sore muscles after a race.

Notably, Stetina does not use CBD during the competition, but because of the relaxing benefits of the supplement, he notes a smoother recovery afterwards.

“I would definitely recommend CBD to other cyclists,” he says. “The next morning there is no drowsiness, no dire side effects, and it’s a legal substance for drug testing. I would say just start with the lowest dose and work up to what works best for you, just like anything else. ‘

Team Skyline driver Wolfgang Brandl benefits from CBD in two ways.

“It helps me calm down after a race, especially because a lot of our races are usually late in the evening or at night and my legs are less tired even after a few days,” he says.

Brandl first tried CBD in 2019 when he was feeling tired during a 10-day race and a friend told him to try CBD cream. “I used it and my legs felt pretty good. I even got a podium that day.”

Brandl, who is from Germany, adds that CBD use is better known in the US than in Europe.

What to look for in a CBD product

There is a huge range of CBD products to choose from, with 217 CBD companies currently operating in the UK.

Professor Barnes emphasizes the importance of looking for products with clear labeling that shows which cannabinoids are in what percentage and that come from a credible source.

“I think you should look for broadband products with clear labeling, clear dosages that don’t make unnecessary medical claims,” ​​he says.

“Not all CBD supplements are made equally,” says Caroline Glynn, scientific director and co-founder of Pureis CBD. “Some products on the market may contain undesirable impurities in addition to THC levels, and some may contain lower levels of CBD, as indicated on the product label, that are unknown to the average consumer.”

A paper published in April 2020 tested 29 CBD dietary supplements available in the UK market and found that 34% of the products had 50% less of the advertised CBD content and 55% of the products had a measurable THC content above what is considered safe exhibited.

How Much CBD Should I Take?

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends consuming no more than 70 milligrams of CBD per day.

For Professor Barnes, however, this is controversial.

“It’s not based on any science,” he says. “I can’t find any evidence that more than 70 milligrams is unsafe and that some people need more than 70 and others less, it is completely different for each individual. I would recommend starting with a low dose like 10 mg and building this up slowly.

Professor Graeme Close of Human Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University emphasizes the importance of exercising caution until further research is done.

“There is not enough evidence for a recommended dose right now, but there is no point going over the FSA limit.

“If you are taking other medications, speak to your doctor before taking CBD and be sure not to ingest stupid amounts.”

Is CBD doping?

Many CBD products on the market contain CBD as well as other cannabinoids, which means this could be problematic for athletes in WADA-sanctioned sports.

“An athlete could be taking a CBD product that contains 0% THC but happens to contain some of the potentially therapeutic non-psychotropic cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG) and WADA could choose to test it and the athlete would get one Drug test fail CBG, ”explains Professor Close.

“Unless WADA removes all cannabinoids from their list of prohibited substances or names the specific psychotropic cannabinoids that are banned and tested for, it will be very difficult for an athlete to try CBD safely.”

Close adds that this creates ethical challenges in CBD research, as athletes could be given products that cause them to fail an anti-doping test.

Notably, WADA recently announced that it will resume discussions about removing cannabis from the prohibited list next year.

Debate about THC

While there is general consensus among experts that CBD is not performance enhancing, there is a debate about how much THC can legally be in a product and how effective a product is if all THC is removed.

“Some people have read the legislation to believe that a product should contain less than a milligram of THC, but that is a legislative misunderstanding,” says Professor Close. “My reading of the current legal status is that the final product should not contain any detectable THC.”

“Nobody can tell you if a product is effective because of what is known as the entourage effect when all of the THC has been removed,” he adds. “There is evidence that you need the full spectrum of cannabinoids, even if it’s not very much, for them to all work well in synergy.

“We have to remember that research is miles behind where it probably should be because it has been banned for decades.”

The future of CBD in cycling

Honest Hemp, a CBD company that currently supplies an unnamed bike club, believes interest in CBD is growing and wants to educate people about CBD.

“We are involved in ongoing studies with Hull University to improve and develop our products, and we continue to inform people that CBD does not get you high – as some people wrongly assume – but has a positive effect on recovery. which in turn increases the performance. ”, explains company founder Christian Sanderson.

Professor Barnes predicts that better quality, better labeling and more understanding products will hit the market.

“CBD is not a fad, it’s an industry that will stay and I think it will help athletes in general,” says Barnes.

Professor Close agrees.

“CBD is not going to go away. I’m actually pretty excited to see what this product can do, but I’m also cautious, ”he says. “It’s the most controversial and complicated addition to hit the industry in the last 20 years.”

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/27/cbd-what-is-it-and-will-it-improve-cycling-performance/