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CBD and Muscle Recovery: Evidence, Sport Rules, Safety

Several placebo-controlled trials have tested CBD after hard training. Here is what they measured and found, what anti-doping rules say, and the safety points to know.

By Helen CrossUpdated 10 min read

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Several placebo-controlled trials have tested CBD after hard exercise. In a 2021 trial, 16 strength-trained adults took 60 mg of CBD in a drink straight after a heavy squat session, and the researchers reported small differences in the muscle-damage markers creatine kinase and myoglobin, and in squat strength, 72 hours later (Isenmann et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab)). A 2024 systematic review (opens in a new tab) of seven studies concluded that the evidence supported a limited positive effect of CBD on some performance measures, such as VO2 and mean power. Results in other trials were mixed, and most studies so far were small. Dose and timing are still open research questions (Rojas-Valverde and Fallas-Campos, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).

If you compete under anti-doping rules, there is a second issue. CBD itself is permitted, but the other cannabinoids a CBD product can contain are not.

Key points

  • Six controlled trials of oral or topical CBD after exercise are summarised below. Each had between 13 and 28 completing participants.
  • A 2021 trial reported small differences in creatine kinase, myoglobin and squat strength at 72 hours after 60 mg of CBD. Its 2024 follow-up found lower myoglobin with CBD oil in the less advanced athletes. Results in the other trials were mixed, and the table lists each one.
  • A 2024 systematic review of seven studies concluded that the evidence supported a limited positive effect of CBD on some performance measures, such as VO2 and mean power. It did not reach the same conclusion for recovery after exercise.
  • WADA's 2026 Prohibited List excepts cannabidiol, but all other natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited in competition.

What trials of CBD for muscle recovery measured

Exercise scientists cannot see muscle repair directly, so these trials use stand-ins. Creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin are proteins that leak into the blood when muscle fibres are damaged. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is rated by participants on a scale. Strength and power are retested with a one-repetition maximum (1RM) lift or a countermovement jump, which is a standing vertical jump.

All six trials below were double-blind and compared CBD with a placebo. The 2024 cream trial also had a group that used no cream.

  • Cochrane-Snyman et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab)

    Who took part
    13 untrained men, eccentric arm exercise
    CBD form and dose
    150 mg oil after exercise, then at 24 and 48 hours
    What it found
    No difference from placebo on soreness, arm circumference, joint angle or peak torque

  • Isenmann et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab)

    Who took part
    16 strength-trained adults, heavy squat session
    CBD form and dose
    60 mg in a drink straight after training
    What it found
    Small differences in CK and myoglobin and in 1RM squat at 72 hours, none at 24 or 48 hours; no change in jump height

  • Crossland et al., 2022 (opens in a new tab)

    Who took part
    24 well-trained female collegiate athletes, 100 eccentric leg extensions
    CBD form and dose
    5 mg per kg body weight as a pill, 2 hours before, straight after and 10 hours after
    What it found
    No difference from placebo on inflammation, muscle damage, fatigue or strength

  • Isenmann et al., 2024 (opens in a new tab)

    Who took part
    17 well-trained athletes, six-day high-intensity block
    CBD form and dose
    60 mg oil or water-soluble CBD after each session
    What it found
    Lower myoglobin with the oil in the less advanced group only; no effect on performance or inflammatory markers

  • Pastina et al., 2024 (opens in a new tab)

    Who took part
    28 adults untrained in lower-body lifting
    CBD form and dose
    About 100 mg CBD cream on the thighs
    What it found
    No significant effect on soreness, pain threshold, jump or torque

  • Mendes et al., 2026 (opens in a new tab)

    Who took part
    15 active students, 100 drop jumps
    CBD form and dose
    2 g of 1% CBD gel on the thighs, repeated over 72 hours
    What it found
    No difference in soreness or myoglobin; the authors judged a difference in one strength test likely to be methodological

The 2021 Isenmann trial reported the clearest differences. The effect sizes were small (0.24 for CK, 0.21 for myoglobin), 16 of 21 recruits completed it, and it tested a single 60 mg dose. The authors wrote (opens in a new tab) that more data are needed before clearer statements can be made. Their 2024 follow-up (opens in a new tab) gave 60 mg after each session for six days. Myoglobin was lower with the oil in the less advanced group, and the authors summed up the overall result as no clear effects of either CBD product.

A 2025 trial in 25 trained runners looked at endurance rather than lifting. The runners took 50 mg or 300 mg of CBD, or a placebo, 1.5 hours before a treadmill session, and CK, myoglobin, perceived effort, pain and time to exhaustion were similar across the three (Sahinovic et al., 2025 (opens in a new tab)). The authors note their protocol was not designed to cause much muscle damage.

What reviews of the research found

A 2024 systematic review in Nutrients (opens in a new tab) screened 901 publications and included seven studies. The authors concluded that the evidence supported a limited positive effect of CBD on some performance measures, such as VO2 and mean power. They did not reach the same conclusion for recovery after exercise, and they called the strength results equivocal. Most participants in the studies were physically active members of the public rather than professional athletes.

A 2023 opinion article in Frontiers in Pharmacology (opens in a new tab) by sport scientists in Costa Rica discusses how CBD could affect performance and recovery. It lists what human trials have yet to answer: what dose matters, whether timing matters, how CBD interacts with other medicines, and how it compares with conventional medicines. None of the trials in this post made that last comparison.

Research on CBD and inflammation or joint pain mostly comes from outside sport. We cover it separately in what CBD and inflammation research actually tested and CBD and joint pain research.

CBD before or after a workout?

The trials used different schedules: straight after the session (Isenmann, 2021 (opens in a new tab)), before and after (Crossland, 2022 (opens in a new tab)), or 1.5 hours before (Sahinovic, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). None of them compared before with after directly, and the 2023 Frontiers article (opens in a new tab) lists timing as a question for future research.

Creams and gels: what topical CBD trials found

Two placebo-controlled trials have tested CBD applied to the skin after exercise: about 100 mg in a cream on the thighs (Pastina, 2024 (opens in a new tab)) and a 1% gel (Mendes, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). Neither reported a significant difference from placebo on soreness or the main recovery measures. In the 2026 gel study, the researchers tested blood from three participants at the end of the CBD phase and found no CBD in any of them. They note it is unclear whether CBD applied this way reaches the muscle or the bloodstream at all.

Is CBD banned in sport?

No. Cannabidiol is not prohibited, but almost every other cannabinoid is. WADA removed CBD from its list in 2018 (Isenmann et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab)). The 2026 Prohibited List (opens in a new tab), in force since 1 January 2026, prohibits all natural and synthetic cannabinoids in competition, with cannabidiol named as the exception.

The catch is what else is in the bottle. UK Anti-Doping (opens in a new tab) explains that THC has a urine reporting threshold of 150 ng/mL, while other prohibited cannabinoids have no threshold, so any detectable amount counts as an adverse finding. UKAD treats CBD products like any other supplement: use is at the athlete's own risk, and a contaminated product does not reduce the athlete's fault.

A 2025 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (opens in a new tab) shows how this plays out. Thirty-one healthy adults took a broad-spectrum CBD product (150 mg a day) for 10 weeks. No THC was found, but two WADA-prohibited cannabinoids, CBG and CBDV, were detected in 42% and 68% of urine samples before a 90-minute exercise bout, and in 74% and 84% after it. The authors advise athletes to avoid broad-spectrum CBD products. If you are unsure what that term means, see full-spectrum, broad-spectrum and isolate CBD.

Should athletes use third-party certified products?

Certification lowers the risk without removing it. USADA (opens in a new tab) says third-party certification reduces, but does not eliminate, the chance that a CBD product contains prohibited substances, and that the only way to have zero risk is not to use such products. UKAD (opens in a new tab) adds that labs testing CBD products for THC may not screen for other prohibited cannabinoids, so athletes should not rely on those results alone. For supplements in general, UKAD's supplement guidance (opens in a new tab) recommends batch-tested products and checking the batch number before use. It points athletes to the Informed Sport website to check whether a supplement has been batch-tested.

Is there a downside to taking CBD?

Yes, there are known side effects and open safety questions. The US FDA (opens in a new tab) lists drowsiness, diarrhoea or reduced appetite, and irritability as side effects, and warns that CBD can cause liver injury and interact with other medicines. Drowsiness matters if you drive home from training; see CBD and driving. For the full list, read CBD side effects and who should avoid CBD.

In its February 2026 statement (opens in a new tab) on CBD as a novel food, EFSA concluded that safety cannot be established for people under 25, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people taking medication. As of October 2026, no CBD novel food is authorised in the EU: the European Commission has closed a series of CBD applications during 2026 without adding CBD to the Union list of novel foods (opens in a new tab).

If you take painkillers, anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants after injuries, check which medicines need caution with CBD and CBD with muscle relaxers, and ask a doctor or pharmacist. Pain that keeps coming back after training needs assessment by a physiotherapist or doctor.

Other questions

What is the best CBD product for muscle recovery?

None of the trials above compared CBD products with each other. The forms and doses they tested varied widely, from 20 mg a day in a gel to 5 mg per kg in pills.

Is CBD better than ibuprofen for sore muscles?

None of the trials in this post compared the two, and the 2023 Frontiers article (opens in a new tab) lists comparison with conventional medicines as an open question. If you already take ibuprofen or other pain medicine, read CBD drug interactions before combining them.

Does CBD affect athletic performance?

The 2024 systematic review (opens in a new tab) concluded that the evidence supported a limited positive effect of CBD on some performance measures, such as VO2 and mean power. In the 2025 runners' trial, time to exhaustion was similar with 50 mg, 300 mg and placebo (Sahinovic et al., 2025 (opens in a new tab)). For research on rest, see CBD and sleep.

Sources

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