A new scientific review published in the International Medical Journal found that the cannabis component CBD “supports post-exercise recovery” for athletes “but does not directly enhance performance.” Cannabidiol “demonstrates efficacy in modulating delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and lowering concentrations of muscle damage markers (creatine kinase and myoglobin), particularly within the 48-72 hour window following intensive exercise,” the paper found.
Polish researchers with the 4th Military Clinical Hospital and the University Clinical Hospital performed a search of the PubMed and Scopus databases for previous studies published between 2021 and 2026. The review said CBD is “a safe substance with a low risk of inducing side effects that could impair athlete comfort.”
While CBD doesn’t have a “statistically significant impact on improving performance in endurance tests, such as time trials, maximal power output, or running economy,” the authors wrote, it has been shown to improve pain sensations related to muscle soreness. One study involving sublingual administration of 67 mg of CBD each day for 15 days “resulted in participants reporting significantly lower peak pain at rest and during movement 48 hours after induced muscle injury compared to placebo,” the review said.
The researchers said it was a “key turning point” when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) moved in 2017 to officially allow athletes to begin using CBD without fear of being suspended from competition. That policy change opened the door for athletes to consider CBD as part of their post-exercise routines, the review indicated.
Despite WADA’s decision, the authors cautioned that many products on the market today are mislabeled and may contain THC creating “a real risk of inadvertent anti-doping rule violations for athletes.” Because of that labeling problem, athletes who use commercially available CBD products could face sanctions even when they do not intend to consume the psychoactive component of cannabis.
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