A new scientific review suggests that CBD, the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, may offer meaningful benefits for athletic performance and post-exercise recovery. Researchers at Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica analyzed 70 peer-reviewed studies to assess whether cannabidiol could uniquely benefit athletes, finding evidence that the compound may help with inflammation, pain, anxiety, and muscle recovery.

What Does the Research Show About CBD and Athletic Recovery?

The review identified several potential benefits of CBD for athletes. According to the researchers, CBD appears to have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic (pain-relieving), anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing), and potentially performance-enhancing properties. The studies examined included research on athletes, people with epilepsy, and animal models.

Specific findings highlighted in the review include improvements in both physiological and cognitive functions. For example, studies demonstrated that CBD can treat central and peripheral neuropathic pain, while also providing antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. One particularly revealing study found that CBD intake could lead to structural and functional improvement of muscles, suggesting muscular recovery benefits.

The research also noted that CBD is linked to reduced resting blood pressure, which can improve athletic performance and help with body weight regulation. Additionally, research on CBD and sleep quality improvement holds promising evidence for sports recovery, since quality sleep is essential for athletic adaptation.

How Are Professional Sports Leagues Responding to CBD Research?

Major professional sports organizations have begun shifting their policies and investing in cannabis research. The National Football League (NFL) and its players union have taken a particularly active role. In 2022, they authorized $1 million in grants for studies examining marijuana's efficacy in managing football players' pain and providing neuroprotection from concussions. The league and union also funded research on CBD as a pain treatment alternative to opioids for players with concussions.

In 2024, the NFL reached an agreement with its players union to further reform its marijuana policies, significantly reducing fines for positive tests while increasing the allowable THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the intoxicating component of cannabis) threshold for players. Other leagues have followed suit:

• NBA: Removed marijuana from its banned substances list for players in 2023, and freed them to invest in and promote cannabis companies
• WNBA: Removed marijuana from its prohibited substances list in 2026 while establishing rules for how players can invest in and promote cannabis companies
• NCAA: Voted in 2024 to remove marijuana from its banned substances list for Division I players, building on a 2022 change that increased the allowable THC threshold

These policy changes reflect growing recognition that cannabis and CBD may have legitimate therapeutic applications for athletes, though significant research gaps remain.

What Are the Key Limitations and Research Gaps?

Despite promising findings, researchers stressed that additional evidence is necessary to confirm CBD's effects on athletic performance and recovery. Part of the reason for current gaps in clinical trials is due to national and international restrictions on access to cannabinoids, including CBD, and strict control of their use for research purposes.

The Costa Rican research team called for confirmatory analyses using randomized, placebo-controlled trials to test both acute and chronic effects of different CBD dosing regimens. These studies should consider fundamental aspects of sports, such as the variety of biological and situational conditions that contribute to fatigue, the characteristics of each discipline during training and competition, and individual athlete differences in tolerance and response to CBD intake.

"Given the relatively common use of cannabis and CBD among athletes, there is a clear need to improve scientific understanding of the effects of CBD use on athlete recovery and performance. More scientific advances are needed, primarily the execution of experimental trials, which enable a deeper understanding of both positive and negative critical results for the ultimate benefit of athlete recovery and performance," the researchers concluded.

Researchers at Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica

Steps to Understanding CBD's Role in Athletic Training

• Recognize Current Evidence: CBD has shown anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and anxiety-reducing properties in preliminary research, but most studies have not yet been conducted specifically on human athletes in controlled settings
• Understand Regulatory Status: While major sports leagues have relaxed cannabis policies, CBD remains federally controlled, and research access is limited by law, meaning athletes should verify their sport's specific rules before use
• Await Rigorous Clinical Trials: Researchers emphasize that randomized, placebo-controlled studies with various dosing regimens are needed to establish safe and effective protocols for athletes
• Consider Individual Factors: Any potential CBD use should account for individual tolerance, response, and how it might interact with other physical and nutritional aids an athlete is using

The growing interest in CBD among athletes reflects a broader shift in how professional sports organizations view cannabis. A recent study funded by the NFL found that interest in using marijuana for medical reasons is growing among athletes as more states enact legalization, but many feel they aren't getting adequate information about cannabis from their teams' and leagues' health officials due to ongoing stigma around the issue.

As research continues, the consensus among sports medicine experts and league officials appears to be moving toward evidence-based evaluation of CBD's potential benefits rather than blanket prohibition. However, until more rigorous human trials are completed, athletes and their healthcare providers should approach CBD use cautiously and stay informed about their sport's current policies and the evolving scientific evidence.