No matter which way you look at it, it’s legitimately difficult to be a professional athlete. Playing any sport at the professional level is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. It’s no surprise that athletes throughout the world are always looking for better ways to improve their body and mind.
In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency took a huge step in looking out for the best interests of athletes when they took hemp products off the banned substance list.
How Hemp May Help Athletic Performance
At the time of writing this article, I have been “in-season” for just about two months, and being able to use hemp oil products during my season for the first time has been incredible for both my body and my mind.
With the help of PhytoLogica products, my muscles and joints feel fresher each morning, and I am more relaxed than I ever have been while in season.
Check out these reasons PCR hemp oil has made such a huge impact on myself, and how the benefits I have experienced can likely transfer to your life as well!
Hemp Oil and Professional Basketball – The Physical Aspects
For those of you who know even the slightest about the benefits of hemp products, you probably know that two of the most common uses are for chronic pain and reducing inflammation throughout the body.
I first learned about the hemp products back in the fall of 2017, when I returned home from the beginning of my basketball season with a fractured spine. I didn’t undergo any surgery for my spine, but I was in incredible pain every single day for months while my back healed. I began using hemp products to deal with the chronic pain, and I quickly discovered they would become a vital part of my basketball career going forward.
The beginning of this season has been physically demanding—to say the least. Normal days include two, two-hour practices, and an additional weight lifting session two or three times per week. Outside of this, playing professional basketball means that I have to do extra work on my own time, even on off days.
Whether it is getting to the gym an hour early, staying late, or finding extra time in the weight room; there is seemingly never enough extra work I can do—even in the middle of a season.
The difference between playing basketball at the professional level and college or high school is immense since there is always someone working to take your job. I have noticed a couple of clear differences from using hemp products during my season that I wouldn’t have benefitted from otherwise.
The Hemp benefits for athletes
The first is that using PhytoLogica oil has helped me reduce the general soreness in my joints and muscles on a day to day basis. I normally take one dosage in the morning, which helps me wake up with a clear mind and a fresh body.
One daily dosage of between 15mg and 25mg of PhytoLogica hemp oil is enough to help my body feel fresh(er) consistently than I am sure it would otherwise! There are a lot of days when I wake up, and my first couple steps out of bed tell me I’m going to struggle in practice or just moving around my apartment.
Fortunately, I can always rely on hemp to make this feeling go away and help me have productive days when I otherwise would not!
The Hemp Difference
The next difference I notice is that I am sleeping much better than normal. Normally (although I shouldn’t say this is normal), I experience symptoms of overtraining for the bulk of my basketball season. Not only does this feeling of overtraining result in general tiredness, muscle fatigue, an increased chance of injury and other health problems, but it also affects my ability to sleep through the night.
When my body is “overtrained,” I have a hard time falling asleep, and I wake up at least three or four times throughout the night.
Nothing is worse than having 4 hours of practice during the day (not counting watching film and other time spent in the gym) and not even being able to sleep at night!
Hemp oil has the incredible ability to help regulate homeostasis (balance) within the body, and I am seeing the benefits of using it in-season even more than during the “off-season.”
Hemp and Traveling – Staying Healthy on a Ridiculous Schedule
Traveling for work is not an issue only for athletes; it is a problem for anyone who has a long commute to work multiple times each month. For some, the travel is a daily hour (or more) ride to work. For myself, it is flights and bus rides to games.
Traveling takes a toll on your joints, muscles, and mental state. It is mentally draining (unless your traveling for vacation), and physically stressful. Especially since we do a lot of traveling (this season I have multiple us rides over 6-hours long, and a few over 10-hours), I feel very fortunate I will have hemp to help me maintain my health!
I’ve already had one excellent experience with hemp products while traveling for an away game, which was 8-hours away. Unlike normal, when I would expect to get off the bus and feel as if I have “jelly-legs” and be worn out, I got off the bus feeling completely fine, and almost “fresh”! I slept well at night in our hotel, and I played a great game the next day.
Of course, hemp products are not the only reason I was prepared to play well on this day, but I am telling you that for a 100% fact I know they helped!
I am very confident that using hemp oil will help me stay healthier than ever during this season, and I am very happy that the World Anti-Doping Agency has allowed its use.
Hemp and Professional Basketball – Mental and Emotional Benefits
Although many people use hemp products for physical reasons, just as many use them for managing mental health issues and emotional problems. As a professional basketball player and a person with Tourette’s Syndromes, I deal with a multitude of these problems as well.
There are a lot of ups and downs in a basketball season, and as I said before, you are always dealing with the fact that there are millions of people around the world working to take your job at every moment. There’s never a moment to rest, and you’re always looking over your shoulder.
How Hemp may help a variety of conditions
Every day is anxiety-filled, and it has to be because if you are relaxed- there’s a good chance you will not reach the level you want.
However, unlike others, I deal with chronic motor tics and an overabundance of anxiety from my Tourette’s Syndrome. I’ve dealt with this issue my entire life, and it becomes better and worse seemingly on its own.
While I am in-season, my tics always seem to get worse. Whether it is because of the additional stress of trying to win games, the increased physical demands, or the fact that I am always drinking more caffeine than I normally would (to push my body a little extra), my tics always get worse.
I found out that hemp products were a huge help with controlling my motor tics within the first day of trying them for the first time, and I am incredibly happy I can use them while in-season now. Unlike my past seasons, I have noticed that I am not twitching nearly as much- even on days when I have to drink a lot of caffeine to get myself through the second or third practice of the day!
Not only are my tics more controlled, but I don’t feel as much anxiety. Life always seems to be much more controlled when I am consistently using hemp oil.
Concluding Thoughts | Hemp in Your Life
Although my life as a basketball player is different than most, I know I struggle with the same issues many others do. Physical pain, stress at work, and an overall feeling of an overwhelming life.
Hemp products work for a huge range of physical health issues, and researchers are consistently uncovering more issues they can help. If you deal with chronic pain, inflammation in your joints, or other physical health issues similar to these, I am confident PhytoLogica hemp products will provide you relief you haven’t found anywhere else.
For those of you who deal with stress at work, hemp products truly help with anxiety and similar issues. Not many people understand the many different mental and emotional effects of Tourette’s Syndrome, and I am confident if the PhytoLogica products work for me (which they do), they will provide you relief as well!
Hemp dosing
For those of you who are interested in the amount of hemp oil I take per day, my general routine is like this:
When I am using PhytoLogica products, I often only use a single dosage of 10mg-25mg in capsule or oil form during the morning. If I have a small injury (slightly sprained joint, muscle contusion, muscles soreness), I will add an addition dosage about two-hours before I go to sleep.
When I was dealing with the severe back injury last year that I mentioned previously, I took 3 doses in this range per day.
Everyone requires a different amount of hemp, and you will likely have to play around with the timing and dosages to determine what works best for you.
If you were looking for another reason to try hemp products for the first time, I hope my experiences show you that they can make a true difference in your life!
About Adam Kemp
Having played for the Detroit Pistons and other esteemed teams and leagues in the sport, Adam Kemp currently plays for the BC Beroe in the NBL. Kemp has always been passionate about fitness and health and often looks for ways he can share his knowledge and encourage others to be their best selves, on and off the court. Learn more about Adam here.
