Pain can be a huge enemy for athletes. One muscle pull and your entire training fall out of proportion, rendering you stuck to the bench for a week or more. Sometimes it is not the setback but the actual pain that makes an athlete more depressed.
Although there are several great pain killers in the market that are commonly used by athletes to treat pain but not all of them are as effective as they sound, especially when it comes to serious sports injuries. Therefore, athletes often need something strong that can help them relax and elevate their mood at the same time.
Out of all the herbal and pharmaceutical pain present in the market, Kratom is the one getting the spotlight at present. This popular herbal supplement helps reduce pain, help with anxiety and depression, and elevate mood. It has become quite popular among athletes these days because of its wide range of herbal benefits. But the question is, is it effective?
Today in this article, we are going to be discussing whether Kratom helps athletes burst out in sports or not. To reach a conclusion, you first need to understand what Kratom actually is, how it works, and how it helps athletes reach their full potential and manage pain during intense workout sessions.
What is Kratom?
You might have heard of Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as Kratom, an herbal supplement traditionally used in many South Asian countries to treat a number of medical conditions and get an additional energy boost. Derived from an evergreen tree, Kratom is known to contain compounds called alkaloids.
According to research, Kratom contains 35 different alkaloids, out of which mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine are the most commonly found and legally distributed around the USA and other countries. Although popularly used as a mild stimulant when used in low dosage, it can also have opioid-like effects when taken in high dosage.
Kratom is commonly distributed as an herbal supplement. FDA and DEA haven’t yet approved Kratom as a legal drug because, according to them, it is a drug of concern. But it is still commonly used as a pain-relieving herb by individuals all around the globe.
What Does Kratom Do?
Kratom works the same way as many opioids that are commonly supplied in the pharmacies. The herb contains certain compounds called mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine, which bind to the pain receptors in your body. They prevent the receptors from detecting pain, which ultimately helps reduce the perception of pain.
Since the compounds render your pain receptors useless, thus no pain signal is sent to your brain. Thus your mind doesn’t respond to the pain, making you think as if there is no pain in the first place to treat. Cool, right? Well, it is known to be quite effective, according to the years.
According to the studies conducted, individuals today are using Kratom to treat pain, elevate the mood, and treat depression, anxiety, stress, and other severe disorders that affect your brain. Furthermore, since it has the same effects as opioid but less effective, therefore, many use it to quit opioid drug addiction as well.
A number of studies have been conducted on the Kratom in the past couple of years, but there have been no proven studies that suggest whether the drug is safe to use for a prolonged period or not. A report published in the International Journal on Drug Policy in 2010 suggests that 130 Kratom users found the drug to be affordable, effective, easily available, and without any major side effects.
Furthermore, there are no studies at present that suggest the health side effects of the drugs specifically. Since it is an opioid, thus its side effects are linked to the side effects of the opioids sold in the markets. Even the best Kratom for pain has side effects, so you must use it carefully.
How Kratom Helps Athletes Burst Out In Sports?
When it comes to sports, painkillers aren’t as effective as they sound. Your everyday opioids such as Ibuprofen don’t help relieve muscle pain, joint inflammation, swelling, and pain after surgery. It is simply ineffective for extreme pain. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical painkiller comes with a number of side effects that affect the athletes’ performance in a negative manner.
This is where Kratom comes in and helps. Due to its pain-relieving properties, it directly hits the pain points in the athlete’s body and gives instant relief. The thing that makes Kratom stand out the pharmaceutical drugs is that it is a natural pain-killer without any proven long term side effects at present.
Furthermore, apart from relieving pain, it is known to offer a wide range of other health benefits such as muscle relaxation and uplifting of mood, which help enhance the athletes’ performance. Taking Kratom in a controlled dosage can have relaxing and pain-relieving effects without any major side effects that might affect the athletes’ performance.
According to the athletes who have been using Kratom for pain-relieving purposes, it is one of the best natural remedies they have found to overcome their day to day extensive workout pain. Furthermore, the natural opioid doesn’t affect their performance at all!
Commonly Known Risk and Side Effects of Kratom
Although Kratom has been proven to be safe by the users, scientists and professionals aren’t sure of whether it should be a legal drug for individuals to access easily. Since it is sold as a dietary supplement; thus, it is not regulated by the FDA or DEA. So there is no way of knowing where the ingredients on the package are the same as the ones inside the food item.
Furthermore, professionals believe that the use of Kratom can become addictive as well. Individuals who start using it on a daily basis might end up with severe side effects such as hallucinations and mood swings.
Plus, there are around 35 different alkaloids in Kratom. There are different strains of Kratom as well, so it is impossible to say which ones out of all are the best for pain reliving or safe to use in an overall sense. There is a lot yet to be discovered and proven about Kratom therefore; it might be unsafe to consume something you fully don’t understand.
According to research and studies conducted, here are the most common side effects that you should keep a lookout for even consuming Kratom regularly. Nausea and constipation and quite common, but here are the others that you might experience from time to time;
- Muscle tremors
- Itching
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Liver damage
Takeaways
Kratom is one of the most popular herbal remedies used by individuals around the globe to treat a number of medical conditions. From pain-relieving to anti-stress properties, Kratom comes in different strains that offer different human body benefits.
Whether you are an everyday gym enthusiast or an athlete, consuming Kratom to manage your pain can be quite helpful and affordable as well. But make sure to consult your doctor in case you have any medical conditions. Furthermore, make sure to take it in controlled quantities with regular intervals to avoid the chances of getting addicted.