The thing is, you need to feed your body (and we’re not just talking about food here) with the right stuff to replenish all that’s lost. Without that, you’ll just feel like a husk of a person, and we don’t know about you, but we’re not into feeling husk-like.

Enter the workout recovery. This is a little routine that nourishes damaged muscle and tissue, rebuilds stronger fibers, and helps you recover from strenuous activity. Now, we don’t like to overcomplicate things, but let’s be real from the start, this is about more than just grabbing a glass of water (although note – that’s an essential tip). You need to combine nutrition, rest, and resources for optimum recovery. Without that, injury and lackluster results are all potential risks, and no one likes to see hard work go to waste.

Now, here’s something that could blow your mind. Among its many wonders, CBD has been linked to a list of yummy benefits when used both pre and post-workout. Get ready to be impressed because these run from promising anti-inflammatory properties to relieving pain. There’s a horde of anecdotal evidence to support these findings, with CBD post-workout aiding aches and going hard on those inflamed joints.

While that bit was the “what and why” here’s the juicy part because we’re onto the “how”. Let’s dig deep.

How Much CBD Should I Take Post-Workout?

This one depends on your type of CBD and your body. We’re all unique and beautiful snowflakes right, and that means you’ll need to see what works for you, being mindful of recommended dosages of course.

If you’re taking CBD oil as a dropper under your tongue (remember to hold it there for 60-90 seconds), or CBD capsules, take it right before you start pumping iron or whatever your thing is, and then you’ll benefit from it to the max. once you’ve finished. This way, you’ll be meeting AMS (remember that funky acronym?) head-on.

Another way to enhance your post-workout routine is with a CBD pain relief cream because applying CBD topically may rack up the potential to fight DOMS thanks to its promising pain-relief and anti-inflammatory properties. Remember, this isn’t a shortcut to proper post-workout recovery either. Always do the sensible thing and rehydrate, eat well, and rest to give your body what it needs.

Heard that CBD could also be taken pre-workout? It’s true and that leads to the old should I take CBD before or after exercise. Experts out there shed some light on this, and it comes right back to those anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving potentials CBD has.

We already know CBD might help with AMS, but there are other cool little perks worth noting too, and that’s CBD’s potential to inhibit the release of stress hormones. This lovely melting pot of benefits could help endurance levels and bust anxiety around exercise (yup, we feel that too).

If this sounds like something you’d like to explore, here are two biggies to note first. One, small doses of CBD can be alerting. Yay to that in this instance. But go too far, and you’re more likely to feel mildly sedated. Experimentation is the order of the day with this one to figure out where your cut off is because snoozing mid vinyasa flow is not cool.

So, how and when do you take CBD pre-workout? To answer that, we need to rewind to the night before. Yes, really. Sleep is the most important component in your recovery. So, before anything else, think about how you can suck up all the benefits of a great night’s sleep, with or without the help of CBD.

Sleep is important for everyone, of course, but even more so for active people. When we’re in non-REM sleep, our bodies do lots of mending and fixing through protein synthesis, which is good for our muscles. If you sleep badly, glycogen production is inhibited, and this critical compound is the mover and shaker for fueling muscles.