New Study Finds Positive Impacts on Fitness
Previous studies have found that CBD has value in addressing wellness issues. It has also been studied for its impact on memory, learning, and fitness. Due to contradictory study findings, especially concerning the impact on fitness, researchers from several universities decided to investigate the effects of CBD on the physical activity and fitness of active people.
The double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial involved 48 people aged 18-50. Oral capsules of 50.0 mg of CBD and 225.0 mg of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) were randomly given to the study participants for eight weeks. They took the CBD or MCT between dinner and going to bed. The individuals were assessed four times before and after taking CBD or MCT for the eight-week study period.
Various outcomes were measured, including VO2 peak, body mass, fat percentage, anaerobic fatigues, bench press and back squat 1RM, mean power, peak power, relative peak power, psychological well-being, cognitive scores, and more. At the end of the study, there was no difference between CBD and MCT groups regarding aerobic fitness, body composition, muscular strength, or cognitive health.
However, after eight weeks of taking the supplements, the researchers found a reduction in peak power (PP) and relative peak power (RPP) for people taking MCT. There was no change in PP or RPP for those taking CBD. This was interpreted to mean that regularly taking 50 mg of CBD for eight weeks may prevent anaerobic power from decreasing over time. This was likely due to CBD increasing antioxidants and decreasing free radical formation.
The researchers wrote,
“The present study observed that daily consumption of 50 mg of CBD for eight weeks did not significantly improve body composition, aerobic and other muscular strength measures in physically active adults. However, CBD supplementation attenuated decreases in peak anaerobic power over time. The study also observed a possible effect of CBD on average power output, which warrants further investigation.”
This study is particularly interesting because it concerns whether CBD may benefit physically active people. The project took a multidimensional approach to determine if CBD positively affects fitness. The researchers recommend additional projects that will add to the cumulative findings to understand CBD’s benefits and limitations better.
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