What could CBD do for athletes? A review of the evidence
A narrative review found preclinical evidence for CBD in inflammation, pain, and neuroprotection relevant to athletes, with early clinical evidence for anxiety reduction but little direct sports performance data.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Preclinical studies show CBD has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and analgesic properties potentially beneficial for athletes. Early clinical evidence suggests anxiolytic effects in stressful situations. Evidence for sleep improvement, GI protection, and skeletal healing is preliminary. CBD appears safe and is no longer WADA-prohibited. However, no studies have directly tested CBD in athlete populations.
Key Numbers
CBD removed from WADA prohibited list in 2018; preclinical evidence for anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and analgesic effects; no direct athlete performance studies.
How They Did This
Narrative review of preclinical and clinical CBD evidence relevant to sport and exercise contexts, sourced from animal models and limited clinical trials in non-athlete populations.
Why This Research Matters
CBD use is rapidly growing among athletes, but scientific evidence is far behind consumer adoption. This review maps out where the evidence is strongest and where critical gaps remain.
The Bigger Picture
The gap between CBD marketing to athletes and actual evidence is enormous. While the biological plausibility is reasonable for some applications (pain, anxiety, inflammation), the absence of any athlete-specific data means claims remain unsubstantiated.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
No direct studies in athletes; preclinical findings may not translate to humans; CBD products vary widely in quality and composition; narrative review format.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would CBD improve recovery after intense training?
- ?What CBD doses are needed for anti-inflammatory effects in exercise-induced inflammation?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Zero studies have directly tested CBD in athlete populations
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: narrative review relying on preclinical data and non-athlete clinical studies; no direct sports performance evidence.
- Study Age:
- Published 2020.
- Original Title:
- Cannabidiol and Sports Performance: a Narrative Review of Relevant Evidence and Recommendations for Future Research.
- Published In:
- Sports medicine - open, 6(1), 27 (2020)
- Authors:
- McCartney, Danielle(22), Benson, Melissa J(5), Desbrow, Ben(4), Irwin, Christopher, Suraev, Anastasia, McGregor, Iain S
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02717
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research without a strict systematic method.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is CBD banned in sports?
No. CBD was removed from the WADA prohibited list in 2018. However, other cannabinoids (including THC) remain prohibited, and many CBD products contain trace amounts of THC.
Does CBD help with athletic recovery?
Preclinical evidence suggests anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that could help recovery, but no human studies have tested this in athletes.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02717APA
McCartney, Danielle; Benson, Melissa J; Desbrow, Ben; Irwin, Christopher; Suraev, Anastasia; McGregor, Iain S. (2020). Cannabidiol and Sports Performance: a Narrative Review of Relevant Evidence and Recommendations for Future Research.. Sports medicine - open, 6(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0
MLA
McCartney, Danielle, et al. "Cannabidiol and Sports Performance: a Narrative Review of Relevant Evidence and Recommendations for Future Research.." Sports medicine - open, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabidiol and Sports Performance: a Narrative Review of Re..." RTHC-02717. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mccartney-2020-cannabidiol-and-sports-performance
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.