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Here are four reasons why more athletes should consume hemp products:
- Hemp may boost metabolism
- Hemp may enhance endurance
- Hemp may aid recovery
- Hemp can be a natural, effective pain treatment alternative
Hemp and athletes....a no brainer!
Hemp has been adopted by the world's best elite athletes who are looking for a natural competitive advantage.
In fact, here a list of some of the world’s top athletes that have adopted hemp products into their athletic lifestyle:
- NFL Quarterback, Joe Flacco
- Olympic Gold Medallist, Mo Farah
- NCAA Basketball's Legendary Coach, John Wooden
- MLB Pitcher, Joe Niekro
- Olympic Bronze Medallist, Nadzeya Ostapchuk
- MLB Pitcher, Greg Maddux
- NBA Champion, Shaquille O'Neal
- Olympic Gold Medallist, Tyson Gay
- Olympic Gold Medallist, Carl Lewis
Hemp has been used for thousands of years for its anti-inflammatory, anti-pain and anti-anxiety benefits.
Athletes who also use hemp products may see benefits in reduced muscle soreness, pain and recovery from injuries. Hemp is also an exceptionally nutritious seed. It has a perfectly balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids, which is rare in nature.
The oil pressed from hemp seed has been used as a healing remedy for centuries. And it isn't just nutritious—it also tastes good!
1. Metabolism and Hemp:
There has been preliminary research to suggest that hemp seeds may boost metabolism. This in turn, could help promote weight loss. In fact, hemp seeds contain the essential amino acid arginine, which produces nitric oxide in the body and can help promote heart health. Furthermore, in every 30 grams of hemp seeds, there are 9.46g of plant-based protein. As hemp seeds are also fibre rich, this also promotes satiety and in turn can help with controlling weight gain and improve metabolism.
2. Endurance and Hemp:
Emerging evidence suggests that hemp oil is fantastic for endurance athletes.
Hemp oil is over 80% in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and is an exceptionally rich source of the two essential fatty acids (EFAs) linoleic acid (18:2 omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 omega-3).
The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (n6/n3) in hemp seed oil is normally between 2:1 and 3:1, which is considered to be optimal for human health.
This means, hemp oil may help athletes reduce inflammation which could potentially increase and further improve their endurance and athletic performance.
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3. Recovery and Hemp:
Hemp isn't just for hippies anymore. It's now being used by athletes everywhere. Hemp is naturally hydrating and loaded with nourishing minerals (think: magnesium, potassium and iron), which makes it a great way to naturally support post-workout muscle recovery. It can also help your body produce collagen in order to keep tendons, ligaments and muscles flexible. In fact, pure hemp protein powder offers 40-50% highly digestible protein.
Unlike meat, hemp protein contains healthy fats and a whopping 20% fibre, which makes it a more complete food source to support your immune system and gut health. Hemp also contains edestin, which is a protein that closely resembles human blood plasma, possesses all essential amino acids and is very digestible. Additionally, edestin helps transport amino acids and carries oxygen throughout the body to support cell growth making hemp great for recovery and athletes.
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4. Hemp can be a natural, effective pain treatment alternative for athletes
More information is showing that hemp products can be an effective and natural pain treatment alternative. We’ve mentioned the wonderful anti-inflammatory benefits of hemp seed oil and now there are some companies that offer hemp seed oil infused with terpenes, which have a similar structure to cannabidiol (CBD). Combined with hemp seed oil they can have powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The wonderful thing about terpenes is that they occur in all plants naturally, not just cannabis. This means they are cheaper to extract and contain no THC. They are also perfectly legal to use.
Is hemp actually safe for athletes?
Hemp is not the same as marijuana. The Hemp plant has a much lower content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in fact, hemp has less than 0.3% THC while marijuana can have up to 15%. Hemp foods are full of health benefits, and contain little to no THC (the psycho-active compound in marijuana), which makes it impossible for hemp foods to make you high or test positive in a drug test.
What’s more, there are no known allergies to hemp seed and the crop is often grown without chemical sprays, making hemp great for the soil and great for athletes.
Hemp also provides antioxidants for athletes:
When you consume hemp, you are consuming a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they help to protect against certain diseases. It is believed that antioxidants help protect against heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
Conclusion:
Whilst more research is still required, it is evident that hemp foods offer an array of benefits. Especially for competitive athletes who are looking for a natural advantage to improve their performance, lifestyle, diet and recovery using hemp products.
References: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323037#nutritional-benefits https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10681-004-4811-6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7333482/