Real Wellness - Repair Hemp Salve
Floyd's of Leadville - CBD Sports Cream
Pure Power - CBD Daily Boost
While marijuana is only legal in certain U.S. states, hemp-derived CBD is legal nationwide. And many everyday athletes choose CBD for the same reasons pro athletes do: recovery and calm nerves. In fact, CBD is the only cannabinoid permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Its benefits arguably help boost performance, and CBD can ease the wear and tear of training. It’s also well documented that CBD promotes sleep and relaxation. It can settle the nerves of competition and combat inflammation after.
Based on interviews with experts, consumer reviews, and product testing, here are some of our favorites CBD products for athletes.
The Best CBD Product for Athletes
1Real Wellness – Repair Hemp Salve
This healing salve is a mix of full-spectrum hemp extract, plus organic coconut oil, beeswax, arnica, calendula, camphor essential oil, cayenne, lavender essential oil, menthol crystals, rue, St. John’s Wort, and wintergreen essential oil. Your aching muscles will thank you.
350mg CBD full-spectrum hemp extract
9 analgesic herbs
Helps loosen up and relax stiff muscles, joints, and tendons
- BrandReal Wellness
- Weight1.75oz | 50g
2Papa & Barkley – CBD Releaf Patch
Ideal for athletes looking to ease the day-long aches of training post-morning-workout, this slow-release patch offers a gradual application of CBD. It also includes menthol, camphor, methyl salicylate, mineral oil, and oleic acid.
30mg CBD per patch
Non-intoxicating
Good For: Whole-body wellness, normal inflammation, restful sleep, overall relaxation.
Fresh-pressed rosin
100% solvent & chemical-free
- BrandPapa & Barkley
- CBD Content30mg per patch
3Pure Power – CBD Daily Boost
Athlete-focused Pure Power uses “a unique, heated air-extraction process and flash activation, which creates an ultra-pure, potent oil that preserves the full spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids in the plant.” This is one effective daily tonic. It also includes pharmaceutical-grade liposomal or MCT Oil activators to complement the CBD.
1,350mg of full-spectrum hemp oil
45mg of hemp extract per serving
Lemon turmeric flavor
1 full dropper (1 ml) per serving, 30 servings per bottle
Helps modulate the body’s response to stress
- BrandPUREPOWER
- Size1 fl oz | 30 mL
4Floyd’s of Leadville – CBD Sports Cream
Pure and simple, this cream contains isolated CBD from organic hemp grown in the U.S.A. (zero THC). Easy to apply to the spots that hurt after a ride or run, it’s the ideal rub for sore muscles as well as chronic pain.
350mg of CBD
Ideal for sore muscles as well as chronic pain
THC free
12mg of CBD per pump
Preservatives or additives free
- BrandFloyd-s of Leadville
- Weight0.53 oz | 15g
5Binoid – CBD Gummies
Tasty and easy to swallow, these gummies are ideal for workouts or recovery. Each bite includes broad-spectrum hemp extract, with zero THC. They come in mixed berry, mango, and sour-strawberry flavors.
300mg CBD
10mg CBD per gummy
Mixed berry, mango, and sour-strawberry flavors
100% All-Natural and Organic
Vegan, non-GMO, and made in the USA
- BrandBinoid
- CBD Content300 mg
CBD Products for Athletes
Football player Ricky Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 1998. After 13 bruising years of playing professional in the NFL and the CFL (and after multiple suspensions for violating league drug policies), he retired from football in 2012. In short, Williams refused to give up on cannabis. To most onlookers, his choice seemed like a life-defining mistake. Millions of dollars were at stake. But Williams believed more in the ability of cannabis to treat pain and anxiety than he did in the continued windfall of professional sports.
In 2018, he went on to found Real Wellness, a cannabis-based herbal health company with a focus on healing. “I’ve been studying alternative healing and how it works for almost 15 years,” Williams told Remedy Review. “I started thinking 'with the knowledge I have of herbs and herbal formulas, I can create real medicine for people.'”
Pro Athletes and CBD
Williams is not the only pro athlete to embrace cannabis and cannabinoids such as CBD as keys to managing the physical and mental stresses of athletic competition. Tour de France cyclist Floyd Landis also left his sport amid controversy but has since rebounded to build Floyd’s of Leadville, a cannabis and CBD company with a focus on athletes. Landis even opened a CBD, coffee, and cycling cafe in his home state of Pennsylvania. Former NBA standout Al Harrington was anti-cannabis for most of his career but has now embraced the plant and launched Viola, a California-based cannabis brand. Colorado-based ultrarunner Avery Collins has been incorporating and advocating cannabis and CBD in his training routine for years and is an ambassador for athlete-focused CBD band Pure Power. Decorated U.S. Soccer star and Olympic Gold medalist Megan Rrapinoe works with CBD brand Binoid.
“I wanted a healthier, more natural option for pain management, sleep aid, relaxation while flying, and general recovery," Megan Rapinoe told Forbes. "I think there is still a lot of stigma around the use of CBD and cannabis in soccer. There needs to be greater education so athletes can make an informed decision.”
Clinical research on CBD for athletic performance is ongoing. A 2017 study published by the National Institutes of Health, claims that “At lower doses, [CBD] has physiological effects that promote and maintain health, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotection effects.” On the hunt for any performance edge, athletes are often early adaptors. Hemp oil-derived CBD has the positive attributes health-conscious people want. Anti-inflammatory and calming, CBD will get you to, and across, the finish line.
