Topical application of cannabidiol for muscle recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage: a randomized, double-blinded pilot study

This study investigated the effects of a topical cannabidiol (CBD) gel compared to placebo on muscle function recovery, perceived muscle soreness, and blood marker of muscle damage following strenuous exercise designed to induce muscle damage. Fifteen physically active students (age: 21.4 ± 2.1 years; mass: 78.0 ± 9.5 kg; height: 181.7 ± 5.0 cm) participated in the study. To induce muscle damage, participants completed 10 sets of 10 drop jumps from a 0.6 m box, with 2 min of rest between sets. In a randomized crossover design, 2 g of either CBD gel or placebo gel were applied to the quadriceps and hamstrings immediately after exercise and over the following 72 h. Muscle function recovery was assessed by measuring isometric and concentric isokinetic peak torque of the knee extensors, plasma myoglobin (Myo) concentration, and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at 24-, 48-, and 72-h intervals. The two-way ANOVA revealed no significant interaction between time and condition for concentric isokinetic peak torque (p > 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the CBD and placebo conditions for plasma Myo concentrations or DOMS scores. A significant interaction was observed for isometric torque (p = 0.02), with moderate effect sizes favoring CBD over placebo from 24 to 72 h post-exercise (ES = 0.85–1.0). The topical application of CBD gel does not appear to accelerate the recovery of muscle function or to reduce DOMS following muscle-damaging exercise. B200-2020–120.