How CBD May Interact With the Gut Microbiome in Endurance Training
A study published in Experimental & Molecular Medicine investigated the effects of CBD on exercise performance in mice and whether gut microbiome is involved. The controlled study divided 20 mice into two groups. One group was given 30 mg/kg of CBD daily, and the other was given corn oil. The mice were made to run each day for four weeks on a treadmill. The mice given CBD had increased running distance, took longer to reach exhaustion and had muscle fibers with greater endurance.
Muscle endurance is increased when oxidative capacity is increased. Oxidative capacity is associated with mitochondrial biogenesis. The researchers measured the changes in mitochondrial content and gene expression in mice that took CBD and found they had improved oxidative capacity compared to the control group.
The researchers also investigated whether the mice given CBD experienced changes in their microbiome. A microbiome is a collection of microbes, such as bacteria and viruses that serve several bodily purposes. They protect against germs, synthesize vitamins, support the immune system, and aid digestion. The gut microbiome, in particular, has been found to play a role in energy metabolism and exercise performance. Testing of the mouse fecal matter found a shift in the microbiome positively associated with improved muscle endurance, suggesting that the gut microbiome may be a key factor in the exercise performance-enhancing effects of CBD.
Additional testing was also conducted involving the specific microbes that significantly increased in the mice taking CBD. The identified microbes were administered individually, and exercise performance was evaluated. The researchers identified the microbes responsible for increasing exercise endurance through the changing of muscle fibers and metabolic utilization.
The researchers wrote,
“In this study, we identified a novel function of CBD in reprogramming myofibers to an oxidative type and enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis, thereby improving muscular endurance.”
However, testing with various antibiotics found doxycycline administered with CBD erased the exercise performance-enhancing effects of CBD. “These results suggest that the athletic performance-enhancing effects of CBD are primarily due to the gut microbiome.”
This study proposes a potential strategy for enhancing endurance exercise performance with CBD. The potential of CBD and the gut bacteria that increased with its administration (B. animalis KBP-1) offers an avenue for future research and application. While the study acknowledges some limitations, such as the small sample size, it recommends further investigation with larger sample sizes and under various conditions to fully understand the efficacy of KPB-1 and its relationship to CBD.
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