Best CBD Gummies for Athletes with Inflammation
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If you’re an athlete or active individual, you know how frustrating chronic inflammation can be to your training schedule. Even if you’re not suffering from constant inflammation, every athlete experiences inflamed muscles or joints. Inflammation isn’t inherently bad, but it can lead to discomfort or prolonged recovery, cutting into your workout schedules and reducing your performance.
To help reduce inflammation and manage related pain, many athletes are incorporating CBD gummies into their recovery regimen. With anti-inflammatory properties, CBD can be an excellent way to relieve muscle and joint inflammation so you can recover quicker and reach peak performance.
New to CBD and not sure where to start your search? We’ve compiled a list of the best CBD gummies for athletes with inflammation.
Best Overall: CBDistillery Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
Runner-Up: Receptra Serious Relief
Best Price: CBDfx CBD Gummies with Turmeric and Spirulina
Best Tasting: Sunday Scaries Extra Strength CBD Gummies
Most Potent: Leaf Remedys Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
How Does CBD Help with Inflammation?
People have been bringing CBD into their daily regimens for years because of its many benefits, including helping with inflammation and inflammation-related discomfort.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to an irritant. When an irritant enters the body, the immune system sends inflammatory cells to the irritated area to heal the surrounding tissue. These cells can cause swelling that can press on nerves and cause pain.
Athletes often experience inflammation after working out because exercise triggers an inflammatory response. This response is why you’ll feel sore after a tough workout and why it’s essential to incorporate rest days and recovery tools into your training.
CBD contains anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it can help reduce inflammation and inflammation-induced pain. Athletes who take CBD as part of their recovery may experience faster recovery and improved performance, although research is still looking into the specifics of benefits for athletes.
Best CBD Gummies for Inflammation in 2024
There are endless CBD options to help with inflammation, but below are a few of the most trusted brands for athletes.
Best Overall: CBDistillery Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
If you’re an athlete looking for something convenient, effective and delicious, you’ll love CBDistillery’s full-spectrum CBD gummies. Each gummy has 30mg of full-spectrum CBD to help relieve inflammation and discomfort after a vigorous workout. These strawberry-flavored gummies contain only clean ingredients and USA-grown hemp for the ultimate quality product.
Pros:
Subscription pricing is available to save 30 percent
Made from US-grown hemp
Only contains clean ingredients
Specs:
CBD Type: Full-spectrum
Size: 30-count container
Strength: 30mg of CBD per gummy
Flavor: Strawberry
What Customers Say: Users love these CBD gummies because they not only taste delicious but they do an amazing job in easing pain and discomfort. People claim they’re the best CBD gummies to add to your daily routine and are perfect for promoting relaxation to help your recovery.
Runner-Up: Receptra Serious Relief
For those days when you need serious relief after a workout, try the CBD and turmeric gummies from Receptra. Each gummy contains 33mg of full-spectrum CBD and organic turmeric for additional anti-inflammatory properties to reduce inflammation and related discomfort. Receptra naturally flavors these gummies with a ginger/peach mix, making them a delicious part of your after-workout recovery.
Pros:
All-natural and vegan
Gluten-free and non-GMO
Made from Colorado-grown hemp
Specs:
CBD Type: Full-spectrum
Size: 30-count container
Strength: 33mg of CBD per gummy
Flavor: Ginger Peach
What Customers Say: Users say these top-rated gummies are the perfect recovery addition for reduced inflammation and pain. Many customers say they use these gummies after a workout and feel like they can push to new limits in the gym.
Best Price: CBDfx CBD Gummies with Turmeric and Spirulina
The CBDfx gummies with turmeric and spirulina are a great option if you’re looking for a broad-spectrum CBD product. This high-potency formula contains up to 50mg of CBD, 25mg of turmeric and 10mg of spirulina for the ultimate recovery. Like CBD, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties to help aid with discomfort, whereas spirulina is loaded with vitamins and nutrients to improve overall wellness.
Pros:
Vegan and gluten-free
Non-GMO
Made in the USA
Specs:
CBD Type: Broad-spectrum
Size: 60-count container
Strength: 1500mg or 3000mg of CBD per container (25mg or 50mg per gummy)
Flavor: N/A
What Customers Say: Many users say these gummies from CBDfx are tasty and effective. Customers also mention that the shipping is fast and the company offers good rewards for repeat customers.
Best Tasting: Sunday Scaries Extra Strength CBD Gummies
If you want your CBD gummies to look and taste like candy, you’ll love the extra-strength CBD gummies from Sunday Scaries. Each gummy has 25mg of full-spectrum CBD and has four delicious flavors in every bottle. Sunday Scaries provides same-day shipping to quickly get these tasty CBD treats to ease inflammation and discomfort.
Pros:
Subscription pricing available to save 20 percent
USDA Organic
Made in the USA
Specs:
CBD Type: Full-spectrum
Size: 20-count container
Strength: 25mg of CBD per gummy
Flavor: Orange, cherry, apple, lemon
What Customers Say: Sunday Scaries’ customers love how these gummies look and taste like gummy bears. People find these extra-strength gummies to relieve minor pain and promote relaxation, whether after a hard training session or a long day at the office.
Most Potent: Leaf Remedys Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
Sometimes you have those training sessions where your body feels depleted and you need something potent to get you through the rest of the day. For those tough training days, try the CBD gummies from Leaf Remedys. Each gummy has 50mg of full-spectrum CBD and contains all-natural ingredients, including USA-grown hemp. Choose from either a sugar or sour finish to resemble your favorite candy.
Pros:
Subscription pricing is available to save 20 percent
Made in the USA
Gluten-free and made with all-natural ingredients
Specs:
CBD Type: Full-spectrum
Size: 30-count container
Strength: 1500mg of CBD per container (50mg of CBD per gummy)
Flavor: Mixed flavor containers with a sour or sugar finish
What Customers Say: People who use these gummies from Leaf Remedys primarily find them helpful for relaxing and sleeping, although few customers have mentioned they’ve been great for relieving pain.
How We Picked the Best CBD for Athletes
With thousands of CBD gummies available, we want to ensure we share quality products that work best for most customers. When deciding on which products to feature, we dig into each one’s product process, reviews, testing and ingredients.
Production Process
The production process is about how a company creates its CBD products. When looking into a brand’s production process, the two biggest areas we assess are extraction and manufacturing.
First, finding information on how companies extract CBD from plants shouldn’t be challenging. If we can’t find any information, that’s typically a red flag. There are different extraction processes, but the most common one most companies use is CO2 extraction. CO2 extraction utilizes temperature and pressure to create phase changes in carbon dioxide to extract CBD from plants. Most companies choose CO2 extract because it generally makes a cleaner and safer final product.
As for manufacturing, we like to see products made in the USA using Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP). CGMP is an FDA-regulated manufacturing approach that ensures companies follow protocols to ensure the quality of products.
Reviews
Reviews from verified customers can help us understand how well a product works for most people taking it. CBD products can affect people differently, but we want companies with gummies that work for most people and that customers are pleased with using.
Customer reviews can also shed light on potential red flags or issues. Customers who write reviews may share how well a brand’s customer service is or how seamless it was to return a product.
Testing
All CBD companies should have their products third-party tested and display a third-party tested icon on their label and website. When a product is third-party tested, an independent lab checks the CBD product for quality, purity and safety. It ensures that the CBD product contains the listed ingredients and that no pesticides, heavy metals, or other harmful substances exist.
Quality Ingredients
If you’re ingesting a CBD product, you want to ensure companies make it with high-quality ingredients. We prefer to feature all-natural or organic products, preferably from USA-grown hemp. We also like to find non-GMO CBD products that don’t contain pesticides or harmful chemicals.
What to Look for When Buying CBD
If you’re unsure which CBD gummies to try, there are a few things you may want to consider to help you narrow down which gummies may be best for you.
Potency
One of the first things you want to look at when shopping for a CBD product is the potency. If you’re new to CBD, you’ll want to find gummies that are 15mg of CBD or less per gummy. About 15mg of CBD is generally a good starting point to help with inflammation. However, if you aren’t feeling the desired results, you may want to consider an extra-strength product with 30 to 50mg of CBD per gummy.
Whichever potency you choose, always follow the directions and suggested dosage when starting a CBD regimen.
What it helps
Most CBD products containing only CBD as the active ingredient will yield the same results. Sometimes a company will add other active ingredients, such as turmeric or lavender oil, for additional support. If you’re shopping for CBD for a specific ailment, such as inflammation, look for products targeted toward that benefit, as they may contain other active ingredients to help you.
Form
Gummies are not for everyone and many people enjoy testing different forms of CBD. Some forms of CBD may work better for you than others, but it’s primarily up to your preference. If you like having a premeasured dosage, you’ll want to stick with gummies or capsules. If you want more control over how much CBD you have per serving, try an oil.
Flavor
Many CBD products that aren’t naturally or artificially flavored will contain a heavy hemp taste that not everyone enjoys. If you’re sensitive to taste, look for oils or gummies with fruity flavors. If you don’t mind the natural taste of hemp, you’ll enjoy naturally flavored options.
Price
The most expensive CBD product does not mean it’s the best option for you. Many CBD products yield similar results, so look for items within your budget. You should also look for brands offering subscription pricing, especially if you plan on repeating a purchase. Subscription prices decrease the cost per item and often come with free shipping.
What is CBD
Cannabidiol is one of the many active compounds in the cannabis sativa plant. CBD comes from hemp and non-hemp plants but does not cause a high commonly associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Instead, CBD is known for its calming and anti-inflammatory properties. It often makes its way into people’s daily regimens to decrease stress, alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, promote sleep and improve moods.
CBD derived from hemp is legal in the United States. It became legal in 2018 after the U.S. Congress signed the Agriculture Improvement Act, removing hemp from the Controlled Substance Act. Although CBD is permitted at the federal level, states can enact their own restrictions, so it’s always important to check with your state laws before buying or using CBD.
Benefits of CBD
CBD is great for athletes suffering from inflammation and can help with sleep, mood and overall wellness.
Aside from its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD is most well-known for providing a sense of calm and relaxation. Some research finds that the calming effect of CBD may help reduce anxiety, stress and symptoms of depression. Additional studies find that CBD can also help people fall and stay asleep, making it an excellent, non-habit-forming sleep aid option.
Research on CBD continues to expand and explore the benefits of CBD, but CBD should not replace medical treatments prescribed by doctors. Always consult a doctor before starting a CBD regimen, especially if you have a medically diagnosed condition.
Types of CBD
CBD is one of the many active compounds found in hemp. When manufacturers extract CBD from hemp, they extract the CBD along with many flavonoids, terpenes and other cannabinoids. Some products go through additional processes to remove the extra elements, resulting in the three primary types of CBD.
Full-spectrum CBD is when the product contains all naturally occurring terpenes and cannabinoids, including up to 0.3 percent of THC.
Broad-spectrum CBD is similar to full-spectrum but undergoes additional processing to remove any THC.
Isolate is the purest form of CBD and contains no other naturally occurring hemp compounds.
Forms of CBD
CBD comes in various forms to appeal to people’s likes and needs. Most CBD forms will provide similar benefits and choosing a form of CBD is primarily about preferences and what’s conducive to your lifestyle.
Oils: One of the most popular forms of CBD is oil. People like oils because it’s easy to control your dosage using the attached dropper. Users also find that CBD oils work more quickly than other forms. You can take CBD oil orally by placing it under the tongue and holding it for about 30 seconds before swallowing. You can also mix CBD oil into your favorite beverage, such as coffee or smoothies.
Gummies: Another form of CBD that many people love is gummies. Gummies are CBD-induced edibles with a premeasured amount of CBD per gummy, making them convenient on the go. People also like that they’re discrete because they look like candy. They also taste like candy and come in tons of delicious flavors. Although, if you don’t like sweet treats, you can also find gummies in natural hemp flavors.
Topicals: A topical is a CBD-infused lotion, gel, cream, or roll-on that you massage into the skin. People primarily use topicals to relieve pain or inflammation because it allows for more targeted relief. You can also use them to relieve dry or irritated skin. You can find topicals in various scents, but most try to avoid being too heavily perfumed so as not to cause skin irritation.
Flower: People who enjoy smoking tend to like CBD flower. CBD flower is similar to THC flower and comes in buds. You can roll flower in papers or cones or smoke it from a pipe. Smoking CBD has additional side effects, such as a cough, but they are related to smoking, not the CBD itself.
Capsules: If you like having a premeasured way to take CBD but don’t enjoy gummies, capsules or soft gels may be a good option. You take capsules like any over-the-counter tablet, swallowing them with water and a meal. CBD capsules are not flavored and typically don’t have an after-taste, making them perfect for anyone who isn’t a fan of the natural hemp flavor.
Side Effects of CBD
CBD affects everyone differently and may cause side effects in some users. Most people who suffer from side effects feel fine once the CBD leaves their system, which usually occurs if you take more than the suggested dose or those taking prescription medications. Common side effects include:
Drowsiness
Nausea
Diarrhea
Dry mouth
Dizziness
While CBD is relatively safe, if you’re experiencing side effects, stop CBD usage and contact a doctor if symptoms persist, as there may be an underlying cause contributing to the effects.
FAQs
Is CBD legal?
Yes, CBD is federally legal. However, some states may restrict the selling and usage of CBD products that contain more than 0.3 percent THC.
Can CBD alone help with inflammation?
CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that can help limit mild inflammation and related pain. If your inflammation and discomfort persist, talk to your doctor about relief options and ways to treat the underlying cause of the inflammation.
Will CBD make me high?
No, CBD should not make you high. Even full-spectrum CBD products that contain THC (the compound that causes a high) do not contain enough THC for a euphoric effect for most people. If you live somewhere where recreational THC is legal, you may find CBD products containing more than 0.3 percent THC, which may cause a high.
