Use CBD for recovery

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Take this DIY approach.

CBD is emerging as a potent health-promoting compound. Still, misinformation abounds. To set the record straight, Furthermore has partnered with Papa & Barkley, the official CBD balm for targeted massages at EQX Body Lab, so you can optimize your CBD intake.

The gist:

Athletes are turning to CBD waters to speed recovery because of cannabidiol’s anti-inflammatory properties, but you’re better off making your own post-workout CBD “drink.”

Expert insight:

Most CBD waters don’t contain enough CBD to ease inflammation. And since your body only absorbs four to 20 percent of the amount you consume through beverages, you’re getting even less than you think, explains Mike T. Nelson, Ph.D., a Minneapolis-based exercise physiologist who researches CBD.

Meanwhile, like olive oil, the compound breaks down when exposed to light, adds Laura Lagano, RD, co-founder of the Holistic Cannabis Academy in Boulder, Colorado. If the water is packaged in a clear bottle, much of the CBD is likely destroyed by the time you drink it.

The bottom line:

Instead of drinking CBD water, drink unspiked H2O and place a quarter dropper (or 7.5 milligrams) of a high-quality, full-spectrum oil under your tongue, let it sit for 60 seconds, then swallow. Do this immediately after your workout, ideally with a high-fat snack like avocado or cheese to increase absorption.

More September 2019