CBD leggings: Are They the Future or a Fraud?

CBD oil seems to be in everything these days. From supplements to face creams to foods, the non-psychoactive counterpart of marijuana is now being sold in a collection of leggings and sports bras by activewear brand Acabada.

While CBD is very trendy right now, there is a lot of confusion around what it really is and just how related to marijuana the compound is. In short, this activewear will not get you high, but it might help your muscles relax.

“CBD... affects many different physiological pathways in the body. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and evidence suggests CBD may be useful in the treatment of neurological disorders,” said Dr. Leah Sera. Sera is the program director of the University of Maryland’s new master of science program for Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics, located at UMD’s Shady Grove campus.

For Acabada, the goal of infusing CBD into activewear is to utilize the anti-inflammatory and calming benefits CBD can provide, like relaxing muscles and reducing inflammation caused by exercise. The leggings are said to target specific muscle groups in the legs and to help reduce swelling that may occur after exercise.

Each piece of clothing is infused with up to 25 grams of CBD, according to Acabada’s website, though each piece has a varying amount of CBD in it, and there is no guarantee of its regulation.

In order to infuse CBD into the clothing, the oil droplets are first wrapped in a polymer coating that protects the droplets before they are released. These capsules are then added to the layers of fabric in the activewear. The CBD in the leggings is said to last through 40 wash cycles, according to Acabada’s website.

CBD is released from the activewear when the wearer begins to exercise and creates friction, causing the capsules to be released from the leggings.

As with any product sounding too good to be true and retailing at $180 (the collection ranges in prices from $125- $275), it’s okay to be skeptical. From reading the few reviews left by customers who have purchased leggings from the line, most customers seem very satisfied with the fit and aesthetic look of the leggings. Many of these customers also said they typically use a topical CBD cream after exercising to recover faster from sessions, so they were already familiar with using CBD with exercise.

While these reviews sound good, not everyone is a believer in the “powers” of CBD. The biggest issue surrounding CBD is just how little research has been done about it, therefore making it difficult to confirm the benefits.

“It is more likely that the supportive compression provides some benefits and not the applied substances,” said UMD kinesiology professor Jo Zimmerman.

“I had not heard of CBD-infused clothing before this, but right now CBD is being marketed as a product that can treat almost any symptom or disease. Generally, there’s not much evidence to support claims… and there isn’t any evidence right now that wearing CBD infused clothing can prevent muscle soreness when exercising,” said Sera.

Apart from the lack of research that has been done about CBD and how it affects the body, the majority of CBD products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “meaning that consumers can’t be sure whether a particular product is safe and effective,” said Sera.

Similarly, because CBD is not regulated by the FDA, there have been cases where CBD products have contained some amounts of THC, the psychoactive part of marijuana that produces a high for users. This isn’t altogether surprising, as they both come from the cannabis plant, but those looking to use CBD with their workouts probably aren’t trying to get a THC-induced high at that time.

Another concern about the effectiveness of the product is how users will be able to monitor just how much CBD will be released during their workouts. Without any way to determine when and how much CBD is released at a time, this potentially leads users to over exercise during workouts, because they can’t feel the body’s signals, such as muscle tightness and slight inflammation, telling them to stop, said UMD professor of kinesiology Dr. Steven Prior.

There is also controversy surrounding why someone would want their muscles to be relaxed while they’re exercising.

“I don’t see how it would help with getting bigger gains while working out,” said UMD professor of kinesiology Dr. Sarah Glancy.

Amongst the many who are skeptical about using CBD in leggings, there are some supporters, and there likely will be further research into this field.

“There is a lot of interest in the therapeutic uses of CBD, and many clinical trials are currently going on, including those exploring the usefulness of CBD products for pain and inflammation,” said Sera.

While the CBD component of the leggings is clearly debatable, these leggings are a cute line of activewear made of high quality form shaping material that seems to be well received by customers in the reviews section. So, whether you decide to spend the $180 and try these leggings out yourself or decide to stay far away, the future of CBD is certainly on the horizon and is steadily infiltrating the fashion industry.