CBD May Help Ease Pain and Improve Recovery After Exercise-Related Muscle Injury, Study Finds
- The study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research found that cannabidiol (CBD) may reduce pain and physical limitations related to exercise-induced muscle injury and is safe and well tolerated.
- Researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with 29 healthy young adults who took either CBD-rich hemp extract or placebo sublingually twice daily for 15 days, with a daily CBD dose of 67 mg.
- After an experimental quadriceps injury, participants using CBD reported lower peak pain at rest and during movement, less strength loss, and reduced physical disability 48 hours post-injury compared to placebo.
- The study observed no side effects or adverse reactions from CBD use, suggesting a favorable safety profile, but researchers emphasize the need for larger clinical trials to confirm CBD's effectiveness in muscle injury recovery.
A new study published in Journal of Cannabis Research and listed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that cannabidiol (CBD) may help reduce pain and physical limitations tied to exercise-related muscle injury, while also appearing to be safe and well tolerated.
Researchers from Augusta University and the University of Florida conducted the study using a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design. The trial involved 29 healthy young adults, including nine men and 20 women, who were assigned to receive either a CBD-rich hemp extract or a placebo. Participants took the product under the tongue twice a day for 15 days, with a total daily CBD dose of 67 milligrams.
On day 10 of the study, researchers used an experimental injury protocol targeting the quadriceps muscle group in order to trigger pain and functional impairment. Follow-up assessments were then conducted from 24 to 96 hours after the injury, with researchers measuring pain intensity, strength loss and physical disability.
According to the findings, participants who used CBD reported lower peak pain at rest and during movement 48 hours after the injury compared to those given a placebo. The CBD group also showed less strength loss and less physical disability at the same point in recovery.
Researchers said symptoms and functional deficits were generally most severe between 24 and 48 hours after injury and least severe by 96 hours. Importantly, the study found no reports of side effects or treatment-emergent adverse reactions among those who consumed the CBD product.
The researchers say the results point to a favorable safety profile for sublingual CBD and indicate it may help reduce pain-related symptoms linked to exercise-induced muscle injury. At the same time, they caution that the study was small, and they say larger clinical trials are needed to determine how effective CBD may be in improving recovery and function after injury.