Marguïa CBD Review

Have you ever heard of CBD? It’s something that has long been associated with recreational cannabis… In recent years, we’ve seen it increasingly used in the treatment of various disorders, from chronic pain to sleep problems and mental health issues. But, apparently, CBD could also be an interesting ally in the world of sport. We wanted to check this out for ourselves, to understand how it works on the body. The MARGUÏA CanBeDecisive laboratory offered us the opportunity to test the first two stages of their four-step program… The goal was to give ourselves every chance to perform at our best before exercise, to be at our maximum capacity during training… Let’s see how it works in practice!

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: All rights reserved

Marguïa is the story of four sports-mad cousins who decided to embark on a brand new adventure combining their passion and their need to perform. For Elie, Joseph, Raphaël, and Salomon, sport is essential, even vital. Whether they’re on a padel court or in front of their TV watching 60 laps of a Formula 1 Grand Prix, the result is the same: always the same thrills, the same vibrations, the same sensations. When the pandemic started, they set a rule: every week, Joseph and his brother Salomon would face Raphaël and his brother Elie on a court, no matter the sport. From a simple idea to avoid letting themselves go, a friendly yet real competition was born, putting “family honor” on the line each week. As the months went by, one observation became clear: none of them were really improving. Elie? The slightest thing distracted him. A fly passing by was enough to end the game. Joseph? A blatant lack of energy, especially during second halves. Raphaël? Hamstring pulls, cramps, muscle contractures during matches, he’d had them all. And Salomon? The word “calm” was never part of his vocabulary. Which explains the many dented locker doors! And it was after dozens of products tested in vain, physiotherapy sessions, and unsuccessful meditations that THE question was asked: why not create their own products since none effectively met each of their needs? After much discussion, analysis, and reflection, CBD naturally emerged as the obvious choice! The challenge was set, Marguia was born!

The virtues of CBD

Until now, like many, I had associated CBD with cannabidiol or recreational cannabis like marijuana, or weed. And so for me, it didn’t really have a place in our field, for us who read 3bikes.fr. Nevertheless, it was in the USA that I first understood that CBD also had many virtues in everyday life. And that, in addition, it did not cause side effects. Indeed, during a trip to California, I was able to verify that many therapists prescribed CBD for its analgesic, relaxing, anti-inflammatory effects, and also to improve sleep. But for sport, it was these four cousins who more recently made me discover that there were benefits…

Why use CBD in sport?

Whether we are professional, experienced, amateur, or occasional athletes, or whether it’s about achieving a performance, maintaining our fitness, or just having fun, sport can lead to different reactions in addition to the release of dopamine, which provides a feeling of well-being. Indeed, playing sports is also synonymous with muscle soreness, fatigue, muscle damage, and disturbing and sometimes painful traumas. And these situations can be unpleasant and even impact our desire and slow down our progress. And it is precisely in this situation that we wanted to check if the CBD spray offered by Marguïa could have its place in sport…

The two products tested

Marguïa’s range is divided into two parts… The first: before exercise. The second: after exercise. And what we were interested in checking in a first test was the pre-training part. Focus & Energy!

Focus is therefore the first step in the Marguïa program. To be taken between 30 and 60 minutes before the session. Its composition combines MCT oil enriched with phytocannabinoids (CBD: 5%), organic verbena rosemary and organic clove essential oils (THC: 0.0%). And the objective: to best prepare our body for the effort to come! As for usage tips: simply place three to four sprays under the tongue and wait one minute before swallowing. Simple precautions for use: keep out of reach of children and not recommended for pregnant women. And finally, storage: in a dry place at room temperature (20°C).

Energy is the second step in the Marguïa program. This time, to be taken just a few seconds before starting the session. It contains MCT oil enriched with phytocannabinoids (CBD: 10%), organic clove, organic peppermint, and organic Chinese cinnamon essential oils* (THC: 0.0%), which allow our body to be directly active and ensure maximum concentration throughout the training session that follows. As for usage and storage instructions, they are the same as for Focus.

What are the benefits?

Taking CBD before physical activity will help with mental preparation, whether before a training session or before D-day, meaning competition. Its action against anxiety and stress will promote concentration and help to forget pressure. Without a psychotropic effect (unlike marijuana), CBD allows you to clear your head to focus on a specific goal. This is also why the first spray is called Focus.

In addition to this anti-stress property, Marguïa’s second CBD – step 2 of the rocket – will provide an energy boost before practice. And this, without any side effects, unlike caffeine, for example, which increases nervousness and heart rate.

These two properties of CBD: Focus & Energy, can therefore help us better approach our competition or simply our training session, but also indirectly improve our performance. Moreover, with a clearer mind, it is easier to avoid certain injuries or falls due to inattention.

How do they work?

Whether for sport or simply for relaxation, CBD acts on the body in the same way. To do this, CBD molecules influence the receptors of the endocannabinoid system: CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors are found throughout the human body and regulate its essential functions. Thus, the activation of CB1 and/or CB2 can influence the body’s balance (homeostasis) and therefore:

• Decrease anxiety (CB1),
• Lower blood pressure (CB1),
• Manage appetite (CB2),
• Decrease inflammation (CB2),
• Reduce chronic pain (CB2),
• Etc.

A natural extract, CBD poses no risk to the athlete’s health: it is not psychotropic, for example, because it contains no or very little tetrahydrocannabinol (the authorized THC level in France is a maximum of 0.2%). Similarly, thanks to its action against pain and inflammation, it can be a natural alternative to opioids, which can be addictive (with the agreement of a healthcare professional after a complete examination).

What dosage?

There’s no real answer to this question. But we’ll follow the instructions of the four cousins. Indeed, it’s very subjective and in our opinion, there’s no standard CBD dose that can have the same result in two people. The absorption of CBD by the body will depend on many very individual and contextual factors.

In any case, in my opinion as a tester, it is preferable to start with a low dose or at spaced frequency and increase it little by little, day after day, until the desired effects are obtained. Thus, even if the average dosage in my research would be between 100 and 300 mg of CBD per day, for a novice consumer, I would tend to start slowly.

What does the law say?

One might think that CBD is prohibited in sports competitions, and this, since the prohibition of tetrahydrocannabinol (and thus cannabis) in 1998. However, it is legal in France, during competitions, but also outside of them. Indeed, in 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances in competition. On the other hand, other cannabinoids such as THC are still prohibited (psychotropic effect…) as WADA specifies on its website:

All prohibited substances in this class are specified substances. The substances of abuse in this section are: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). All natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited, e.g.:

• In cannabis (hashish, marijuana) and cannabis products
• Synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of THC
• Natural or synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols

Except:

• Cannabidiol

Thus, the 2018 Football World Cup in Russia was officially the first competition authorizing its use without risks for athletes…

Elites and CBD

Since CBD was removed from WADA’s list of illicit and/or doping products, many high-level professional athletes have been consuming it alongside their training. In team sports in the US, many have their spray in their bag, for example. But I also noticed that many UFC fighters use it for its pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory properties, but also its action on sleep quality and thus recovery. These are undoubtedly the main reasons for CBD’s popularization.

And for what interests us, dear readers of 3bikes.fr, I recently discovered that since Floyd Landis, many other cyclists have resorted to it and have validated the benefits of CBD in their field. Many triathletes too. Nevertheless, I fear that we still lack studies on this subject and that for now we must rely only on opinions and feelings.

Our opinion on CBD

It seems that the CBD offered by these four cousins does indeed have some beneficial effects at first glance. And especially on concentration. In any case, without discussion this time, it is true that Marguïa and the four sprays that make up the JOURNEY CBD OIL kit have received indirect support from several athletes across all sports. Nevertheless, our opinion at 3bikes.fr is that the effects of CBD, whether the Focus or Energy Spray – for what we tested – must be specific to each individual and that while it is true that we lack studies on the subject, we have managed to rule out the risks of trying it and that it may be worth forming your own opinion…

The next step, if the cousins agree for us to continue our experimentation at 3bikes.fr, will be to test the sprays that make up the last two stages of this four-step JOURNEY! Namely, CBD after the race or training.

=> SEE ALSO: All our Test/Nutrition/Supplements articles