If you play sports, you’ve likely tried a number of the different sports creams on the market. You may have hoped to find one that would relieve the muscle aches that come with practice and the pain that injuries and sprains can bring. Unfortunately, many of these creams don’t have much of an effect, or if they do, they may not always help. Often, this has to do with the active ingredients used in them. However, people are finding a new type of sports cream that does work: hemp sports creams that are infused with CBD oils.
How Do Sports Creams Work?
Sports creams work by rubbing the cream onto the aching area. You only want to use the cream on your skin—it’s not meant to be ingested, and you should never get it in your eyes or in your nose. Typically, you can use the cream three or four times a day, though it does depend on the cream and what the active ingredient is. Most use methyl salicylate, which is related to aspirin. While there’s not a lot of firm research into how it works, scientists do know that when it’s absorbed, the body metabolizes it into salicylic acid. This type of acid helps reduce inflammation and pain. This means it can work like aspirin, but again, no one is exactly sure how or why it reduces pain.
Other sports creams include NSAIDs that are designed to help reduce inflammation. These creams may not necessarily be as effective as taking an oral NSAID such as ibuprofen, though the NSAID creams do also have less risks of side effects. Menthol is another active ingredient that can be found in over-the-counter sports creams. This cream provides a pleasant-feeling sensation that can temporarily relieve pain, but it does not actually affect the inflammation of your muscles. It’s a distraction more than anything.
How Are CBD Infused Creams Different?
CBD infused creams or hemp creams do work differently than the more traditional options. That’s because CBD or cannabidiol oil is the main active ingredient. While CBD does come from cannabis, these creams will not make you high or affect your judgment or abilities in any way. What they will do, though, is help relieve pain and inflammation.
There are a few ways hemp sports creams do this. First, they increase the body’s natural endocannabinoids. These are the ways the body regulates things such as mood, hunger, and pain. The body naturally releases endocannabinoids when you work out, and they’re what make you feel good afterwards. They’re responsible for the “natural high” you experience after exercising or playing sports. The CBD in the cream elevates this feeling, reducing the pain even more.
Second, CBD deals with the micro-tears you create in your muscles when you exercise. This is what causes you to feel sore later on. When the body determines that the muscles have been damaged in this way, it causes inflammation while it repairs the micro-tears. CBD helps reduce inflammation, but it doesn’t prevent the body from repairing the small rips in the muscles.
Third, CBD also helps regulate the body’s overall temperature. The CBD actually causes the body’s pain receptors to become hyperactive. This makes the receptors hot, which desensitizes them. You’ll feel a nice warm sensation that overrides the pain.
What Are the Benefits of Hemp Sports Creams?
As you can see, there are a variety of benefits to using hemp sports creams. But in addition to how these creams effectively work, there are a few other reasons why you may want to turn to them.
First, they are made from all-natural ingredients. CBD oil is, of course, completely natural, but the other ingredients used in these products are as well. For example, some CBD salves use grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil, and avocado oil to create the cream itself. They also typically include natural fragrances such as chamomile extract, to give the cream a nice smell and natural sources of various vitamins.
Second, CBD only stimulates the body’s natural processes. It doesn’t introduce anything to your system that isn’t already present. It stimulates the pain receptors, promotes the production of endocannabinoids, and convinces the body that it doesn’t need to cause inflammation to repair micro-tears. There’s nothing artificial about these responses, so you don’t need to worry about putting anything unnatural in your body or causing your body to do anything it wouldn’t naturally do.
Is Hemp Cream Right for You?
Should you try using CBD-infused sports creams? The bottom line is that these creams are fairly new, so there isn’t a lot of studies done about them. However, the studies that have been done do show that they are beneficial, and many people have reported feeling better after applying one of these creams. The fact that they are all-natural and do not use any artificial means of reducing your pain is a good reason to use a hemp cream over a traditional option.
One thing you do need to keep in mind is that you buy your hemp sports cream from a reputable source. Because it’s so new, there isn’t a lot of regulation in the CBD market. This means some sellers may sell you something that has very little hemp in it. These creams aren’t going to be useful at all. Always check COA’sto find a line of CBD creams and CBD Roll-Ons that are crafted to contain the perfect amount of CBD.
If you also decide to try something like a CBD gummy in combination with your cream try using a CBD dosage calculator to help you find the right place to start dosing.
