Since 2017 CBD may be used by elite athletes too
Using CBD is legal in the Netherlands and many countries around us. Additional rules apply to professional athletes: they may not use substances on the doping list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). CBD was on it, but that was changed in 2017. Since then CBD is no longer on that list.
Why athletes come across CBD
CBD is a food supplement. There are currently no EU-approved health claims for CBD, so we make no promises about it and do not put a list of expected results here either.
What we can explain is where it acts. CBD acts on the endocannabinoid system, a network of the body’s own that is involved in a wide range of processes, including sleep, mood, the experience of pain and digestion. CBD molecules closely resemble the body’s own compounds in that system, which is why the body recognises them. How that interaction plays out, and what it means for an athlete, is still the subject of research.
Take care with THC if you are an elite athlete
Do you play sport at a high level and do you fall under the WADA rules? Then bear in mind that THC does remain banned. In the Netherlands CBD oil with less than 0.05% THC is permitted, but with elite athletes the THC content in the blood is what is looked at.
So choose a product that is established to contain no THC. Those are products based on broad spectrum CBD or CBD isolate. Pay attention to the brand: at Dutch Hemp and Wedihemp every batch is externally tested and certified, so there you know what you have in your hands.
What else to look out for
Have you never used CBD and is an important competition coming up? Then do not start just before it. Some people report a dry mouth, others become sleepy from it, and a change in appetite or mild gastrointestinal complaints also occur. Neither is convenient on a competition day.
So start at a time when no top performance is expected of you, keep it low and see calmly how your body responds.
CBD is not a replacement for training, nutrition, recovery or medical care.
