Use of hemp in contact sports

Hemp is not just a medicinal plant that has individual therapeutic effects. Hemp plant must be perceived as a multifaceted medical tool that works extremely effectively for the treatment or restoration of professional athletes, especially those involved in contact sports / martial arts. 

The pages of the profile electronic publication of Ukrainian hemp breeders have repeatedly described "The possibilities of using drug-free cannabinoids in sports", "Prospects for the use of bioadditives based on non-narcotic cannabinoids by people experiencing regular physical exertion." Attention was focused on the fact that “CBD helps to restore injuries in athletes”, “Why in the next few years dietary supplements based on drug-free cannabinoids will be actively used in professional sports." Information was provided on our pages about how “MMA fighters will take part in research related to the therapeutic potential of hemp”, that “More than 90 professional athletes in the USA and Canada will talk about the possibilities of using hemp for the treatment of occupational injuries”, that "The NHL initiates research aimed at studying the effect of CBD on the health of professional athletes." This material describes the experience of using dietary supplements based on the therapeutic properties of technical hemp by athletes of our country who are professionally involved in rugby.

Monitoring emotional and physical condition

Hemp is a great help in preparing for sports competitions. The notion of “preliminary preparation” known to all professional athletes is to optimize their physical, mental and emotional state, bringing the peak level of physical and psycho-emotional form closer to the game day. It is biologically active additives (dietary supplements) based on hemp that help to resolve issues arising in all of the above areas.

Taking dietary supplements rich in drug-free cannabinoids, as part of a carefully thought-out regimen, athletes can successfully cope with stress, control systemic inflammatory processes in their body and maintain an overall increased tone of the whole body. For example, using dietary supplements on the eve of the day of competition, athletes achieve several results at once - a calm, relaxed mental state, relieving anxiety and muscle tension, improving appetite, and ensuring a deep, good night's sleep.

According to one of the professional athletes participating in the Ukrainian rugby championship “after using cannabis-based dietary supplements, it became noticeable to improve my playing condition and, most importantly, the performance of actions on the playing field. Instead of experiencing any physical or psycho-emotional anxiety before the game, calm and confidence in victory comes. ”

Recovery

The importance of recovery in competitive sports cannot be overemphasized. Athletes must be able to demonstrate 100% of their capabilities several dozen times a season, recover as quickly as possible after a match or during a competition / intensive training.  

Cannabis-based dietary supplements also play a key role in this process. “Immediately after the game, I usually use various cannabis products. In particular, ointments or creams based on the therapeutic properties of the plant are applied to abrasions, or places of bruises, various kinds of deformations or sprains (it has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, and also significantly alleviates pain). Topically or internally administered drugs based on the therapeutic properties of hemp help to relax stiff and tired muscles, as well as mitigate their excessive contractions in such a way as to provide deeper recovery and treatment of microtraumas received during the game. Moreover, hemp products do not cause negative side effects in the gastrointestinal tract that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs possess or serious side reactions caused by the use of many drugs. ”

The numerous components of hemp have a natural antibacterial effect. Using cosmetics made on the basis of hemp, it was found that they help heal the skin of athletes faster than the antibacterial ointments purchased for this purpose, which are traditionally purchased in pharmacies, which help the body get used to antibiotics.

Being a natural appetite enhancer, hemp promotes the process of normal digestion, significantly reducing the nausea and stomach irritation that athletes regularly experience after a busy competitive day. 

Sleep may be the most important component of restoration not only of the brain, but of the whole organism. The use of cannabis-based dietary supplements reduces the amount of time it takes the athlete’s body to fall asleep, and also improves the quality / depth of rest during the night. In addition, in the case of pain associated with injuries, the use of cannabis dietary supplements provides the ability to "disconnect" the brain from disturbing pain, which allows you to not feel pain during sleep.

How cannabis helps deal with injuries

Injury is an inevitable part of professional sports, especially contact as rugby. Pain relief is a major component in treating injuries, and hemp actively helps athletes cope with both acute and chronic pain. Hemp plant is an effective, but mild analgesic that does not suggest the appearance of bleeding and liver problems caused by the use of traditional pharmacological preparations.

During the use of cannabis-based dietary supplements, in addition to anesthesia, there is the effect of “tightening pain” and distracting attention from it. Those. there are effects of self-management of pain. These effects allow the athlete’s body to function better, therefore it is possible to massage the damaged areas, as well as move with greater mobility, which significantly speeds up the recovery or treatment process.

For example, in the postoperative period after removal of a sports hernia, the use of dietary supplements based on the therapeutic properties of hemp during the recovery period made the process extremely transient, the pain was controllable, in addition, the functionality of the body after the operation recovered much faster.

Hemp is not just a medicinal plant that has individual therapeutic effects. Hemp plant must be perceived as a multifaceted medical tool that works extremely effectively for the treatment or restoration of professional athletes, especially those involved in contact sports / martial arts. 

Commentary of the Ukrainian Technical Hemp Association

Between one third and one half of athletes in professional teams participating in the national rugby championship in the United States regularly use various cannabis preparations, using them before or after matches. The experience of several professional rugby players of Ukraine in the use of drugs based on technical hemp of a therapeutic orientation indicates that cosmetic preparations, ointments, creams, dietary supplements are shown in contact sports, which are based on antiseptic, analgesic, antimicrobial and other plant properties that positively affect the process treatment or recovery of the body of athletes.