155. CBD is a Game Changer for Athletes: Performance and Recovery
Updated: 13 hours ago
Written By Donna Troy Cleary, Clinical Herbalist & Former Registered Nurse
I spent 13 years as a Registered Nurse at a Harvard teaching hospital. Today I'm a clinical herbalist, and my formulations draw on a hereditary Irish herbalism tradition documented to 1100 AD.
My Organic CBD Isolate Salve is made by hand in Brooklyn, with certified organic botanicals and third-party testing on every batch.
For Athletes Pushing Their Limits
Recovery is where performance is built. Whether you're dealing with muscle soreness after training, a lingering strain, or the slow rebuild after injury, what you put on your body matters as much as what you put in it. A growing number of athletes are adding THC-free CBD isolate to their recovery routine — not as a replacement for rest and treatment, but as a targeted botanical support tool. This pure form of Cannabidiol offers a non-intoxicating, botanical approach to supporting the body after physical exertion."
The Athlete's Struggle
Athletes frequently encounter muscle soreness, sprains, and even broken bones as part of their demanding routines. While rest and conventional treatments are important, sometimes chronic inflammation can become a roadblock to full recovery — as in the case of surgeries or repeat injuries. Many turn to various substances, technologies, and training methodologies, and sometimes the standard approaches fall short.
The Athlete's Body Under Pressure
Intense training creates micro-damage. That is how muscle builds. But when inflammation becomes persistent rather than productive, it becomes a roadblock. Athletes report that targeted topical support, like our CBD Salve — applied directly to the area — fits naturally into a recovery routine without systemic effects or drug-test concerns.
It's Not Just For Athletes
This salve is not only for athletes. Aches and inflammation show up in everyday life too, after a hard workout, a long day on your feet or an old injury.
My own experience
Around the time I was launching Spiral Herbal Remedies, I had my own experience with CBD salve. Two years earlier, I had broken my wrist, and I was still experiencing chronic pain and inflammation. It was so uncomfortable that I was considering a second surgery to remove the plate. CBD salve changed that. A physical therapist friend suggested I try it. I was skeptical — I am a trained clinician, and skepticism is part of the job. But I took their advice. You should have seen the look of shock on my face when the pain went away almost immediately.
I reapplied the salve whenever the pain returned — three to four times a day. Within a month, the swelling and pain were gone. Permanently. Full range of motion. No aching joint. Just relief, 2 years after surgery, 2 years after I had stopped expecting it. I knew then it would be a feature in our product line.
The best part of my job is watching people try our salve in the shop, seeing the look of that same look of surprise on their faces, and hearing their gratitude. I spent years learning how to safely make my products, and it shows.
Why Topical CBD
Our salve is applied directly to the skin, right where you want it. It works locally, at the site of application. Our salve combines 125mg (1 oz size) or 250mg (2 oz size) of 100% THC-free CBD isolate with five botanicals. When I first started making this salve, I decided to add the CBD to a body butter I was already making, so it also works as a skin salve. Chamomile, calendula, lavender, oat straw, and plantain are traditionally used in herbal practice to soothe and care for the skin. Now I use it whenever I feel discomfort.
Research suggests CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system's CB2 receptors, which are involved in the body's inflammatory response. We share this for informational purposes only — this product is not intended to treat or prevent any disease.
What the Research Shows
Beyond its interaction with CB2 receptors, research suggests CBD may influence how the nervous system processes signals related to discomfort — including its effects on endocannabinoid breakdown, glutamate activity, and adenosine receptors. Recent studies have examined topical CBD use in elite athletes with promising results.
In a small open-label pilot study of 20 former professional athletes with chronic lower leg pain, topical CBD used twice a day for six weeks was well tolerated, and those who completed the study reported lower pain and pain-related disability (Hall et al., 2023).
In another small randomized, placebo-controlled trial of people with nerve pain in their legs and feet, those who used a topical CBD oil had a significant reduction in intense pain, sharp pain, and cold and itchy sensations compared with placebo (Xu et al., 2020).
In a survey of 878 people with fibromyalgia who used CBD salve, 72% said they substituted it for pain medications, and most of them reduced or stopped those medications. Those who substituted reported larger improvements in pain than those who did not (Boehnke et al., 2021). Studies in people are still limited. Pain is also something only the person feeling it can describe, and what I hear from patients in my shop fits what these studies report. We share this for informational purposes only; this product is not intended to treat or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before use.
Drug Testing and Compliance
The World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its list of banned substances in 2018. Our 0.0% THC salve is verified by independent third-party lab testing on every batch. Certificate of Analysis is in the photo gallery. Athletes subject to testing use isolate specifically because it contains no THC — not trace amounts, not under the legal limit. Zero.
Purity You Can Verify
Every ingredient is certified organic. Every batch is third-party tested. Federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. No petroleum, no synthetics, no THC.
I make our CBD salve by hand, and you can order it online, pick it up in our Brooklyn shop, or add same-day delivery for $5 if you order by 4 pm.
Pair It
For full-body support, pair the salve with our Organic, THC-free CBD Oil taken sublingually before or after training. Held under the tongue rather than swallowed, our 3-drop dose delivers nearly the full 6mg directly into the bloodstream — compared to roughly 1mg from products that pass through the digestive system. Topical and internal approaches used together in herbal practice for comprehensive support.
Learn more about the Organic CBD Isolate Salve on the product page.
What People Are Saying
Check our 5-star Google Reviews — our customers' experiences speak for themselves.
References:
Xu DH et al. (2020). Curr Pharm Biotechnol. PMID 31793418.
Hall N et al. (2023). J Cannabis Res. PMID 36991501.
Boehnke KF et al. (2021). J Pain. PMID 33992787.
The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before use.
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