Abstract
PURPOSE: The consumption of cannabidiol (CBD) to support recovery has become popular among athletes. Potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties of CBD are supposed to result in pro-regenerative effects after strength training. Therefore three studies were conducted to investigate the effects of CBD treatment on performance and muscle recovery after resistance training. METHODS: Three independent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were conducted in cross-over designs. The effect of a single CBD (60 mg) application was investigated in 1. advanced (n = 16) and 2. highly advanced resistance-trained athletes (n = 8) after intensive strength training on back squat (BS) and muscle damage proxies (MDP). Furthermore, 3. a repeated application (60 mg each day for one week) during an intensive training week was examined in advanced (n = 10) and highly advanced (n = 8) resistance-trained athletes. In addition to BS and MDP, bench press performance, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects were investigated. RESULTS: In highly advanced athletes a single CBD application reduced creatine kinase concentrations (CK) 24 h after the training bout (CBD: +87.9 ± 100.9 U/L; PL: +290.0 ± 309.4 U/L). This was not confirmed for less advanced athletes. A small but significant effect of CBD was observed on CK (p < 0.05; ES = 0.24) and myoglobin (MYO)(p < 0.05; ES = 0.21) concentrations after 72 h (CK: CBD: +50.7 ± 44.7 U/L; PL: 3069.7 ± 2106.6 U/L); MYO: CBD:6.3 ± 8.3 ng/ml; PL: 6.8 ± 15.8 ng/ml). These results are in line with previous interventions, which detected a small effect on muscle soreness via visual analog scale. Only advanced athletes showed small effect of CBD on squat performance after 72 h (CBD: +1,3 ± 0.9 kg; PL: -2.0 ± 1.6 kg; p < 0.05; ES = 0.37). For the third intervention, analysis is currently performed. Initial trends indicate differential effects on MDP and performance depending on the level of performance. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate small but significant effects of a single CBD application after strength training on MDP. Interestingly the effects varied depending on the performance level. First trends suggest similar effects after short-term repeated treatment. On performance, the results are currently inconsistent. Therefore, further human studies are needed.
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