Kratom is a herb famous for its incredible medicinal properties. The tree has gained immense popularity in the recent past, not only in the health and wellness sector but also in the sports and fitness industry.
But if you’ve just stumbled upon this word for the first time and are wondering how it can enhance your athletic prowess, this article is for you. The post shall delve deeper into how kratom helps athletes explode in sports. But first things first.
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What Is Kratom?
Kratom, also called Mitragyna speciosa, is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family, known for its potent opioid and stimulant properties. The tree is native to the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea.
Kratom extracts have been used to treat various medical ailments for hundreds of years. The herb is most noted for its positive effects on pain and anxiety. It may also help with fatigue, inflammation, and insomnia.
Kratom’s rich medicinal profile is why the herb is now a basic ingredient in many sports and fitness supplements.
Choosing the Best Kratom Supplements for Better Athletic Performance
The best way to enjoy kratom’s healing benefits is to select the right products as an athlete.
But what constitutes the best performance-enhancing kratom supplements?
For starters, begin by finding out the kratom strains the product contains. Note that kratom is available in numerous strains. Common ones include red vein kratom, white vein kratom, and green vein kratom.
As you might expect, each kratom strain produces its signature effects. For instance, you may consider kratom-based sports and fitness supplements formulated with kratom in canada if looking to enjoy the herb’s pain-relieving properties.
Red pain kratom is famous for its analgesic properties, which explains its popularity as a pain-relieving strain. The strain may also help with other conditions like anxiety and insomnia.
Supplier reputation is another crucial factor to consider when choosing the best kratom products for athletic performance. Although not always a thumb rule, it’s prudent to go for older suppliers instead of new industry entrants.
Benefits of Kratom for Athletic Performance
1. Kratom May Treat Pain
Pain relief is the main reason thousands of athletes are turning to kratom-based supplements.
Kratom contains plenty of alkaloids, such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine, which treat pain by impacting certain opioid receptors in the brain. These alkaloids exert their analgesic properties by mimicking the behavior of conventional opioid drugs, such as morphine and codeine.
Experts recommend kratom for pain relief as the herb presents minimal risks of addiction and dependency than popular opioid drugs. That’s because, unlike conventional opioids that exert their full dominance on opioid receptors in the brain, kratom only binds partially to these receptors. Kratom’s partial effects on opioid receptors produce lower risks of addiction and other side effects.
2. Kratom May Relieve Inflammation
Pain and inflammation generally occur side by side. That’s especially true for the soreness and swelling incurred during strenuous workouts or contact sports.
Fortunately, kratom has proven just as effective against inflammation for pain.
Kratom’s anti-inflammatory benefits are credited to two novelty compounds, namely Rhynchophylline and Epicatechin. These substances relieve inflammation by slowing down the activation of inflammatory proteins like chemokines and cytokines.
3. Kratom May Promote Blood Circulation
Kratom-based extracts are widely used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in countries where the tree grows indigenously. Like most libido-enhancing drugs, kratom treats ED by increasing blood flow to your sexual organs.
It turns out that athletes may also benefit from kratom’s vasodilatory benefits.
By ramping up blood circulation, kratom ensures that all your vital organs, particularly the heart and lungs, receive oxygenated blood and nutrients. This can help enhance your muscle endurance, subsequently increasing your athletic performance.
4. Kratom May Improve Your Mental Focus
Poor concentration is a leading cause of workout-induced accidents and reduced athletic performance. Low mental focus can result from several factors, including stress and anxiety.
Kratom is famous for its sedative properties. Consuming kratom-infused supplements may help to relieve stress and anxiety, thereby improving an athlete’s mental focus and overall performance.
However, it’s important to moderate your kratom intake when using the herb for improved focus. Too much kratom can leave you overly sedated and unable to carry through with your workouts.
5. Kratom May Aid Sleep
Every athlete deserves a good night’s sleep. It’s during sleep that the body self-repairs microscopic damages to muscle cells incurred during strenuous workouts and energy-draining contact sports.
However, sleep has a way of being elusive.
Since kratom contains sedating properties, the herb may also promote sleep by reducing sleep onset time.
6. Kratom May Boost Your Energy Levels
Kratom belongs in the same plant family as coffee. That alone speaks volumes about the herb’s energy-boosting potential.
Like coffee, kratom is a powerful stimulant that can increase physical and mental energy.
Studies have shown that kratom can boost energy levels by inducing mild euphoria. People in a state of euphoria tend to engage more enthusiastically in pleasure-inducing activities, including eating, having sex, and working out.
Summary
Kratom is undeniably one of the most effective performance-enhancing drugs. The herb boasts numerous therapeutic properties that may improve your athletic abilities.
But like any medicinal herb, kratom is most potent at relatively low doses.
Not only is kratom overdose ineffective. It may also leave you nursing several negative effects.
