With so many medicinal benefits, cannabidiol (CBD) is added to everything from water to clothing to pillows. Although the science behind the benefits of CBD is solid, the science that it is effective when added to things like clothing makes these types of CBD uses questionable. One method of CBD application is being marketed to athletes, and that is a CBD-infused sports tape. Let’s take a look at the facts.
As an athlete and certified personal trainer, I am very familiar with athletic tape, also known as kinesiology tape. Sporttape is known to improve blood circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system, and support muscles with the aim of improving recovery from injury or preventing injury. It relieves pain by reducing inflammation and by keeping muscle strain or sore muscles in place when active. For these reasons, it is very common in locker rooms of all sports.
CBD is also known to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, which makes it popular with athletes as well. It would make sense that the combination of CBD with sports tape should result in a pain relieving, anti-inflammatory combination. However, there is currently no scientific research to support the effectiveness of CBD when infused with sports tape. Without any definitive proof, I’m cautious in suggesting that CBD sports tape works, but there are still several different brands on the market that sell some type of CBD sports tape. Some of them even have high ratings from consumers, but the relief they feel could only come from the benefits of using sports tape itself, and not necessarily from CBD.
That being said, I’ve never tried CBD sports tape myself, but as a personal trainer advising clients, it’s all about the science of athletic performance and recovery. Until there is definitive research specifically on the effectiveness of CBD administered through sports tape, I cannot say for sure that it will work. I recommend trying sports tape, and if you go for one with CBD, that’s perfectly fine.