The Verdict on Topical CBD for Soreness: Not So Fast

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in cannabis, thought to have beneficial effects on things like inflammation, anxiety, and sleep.

A recent study put CBD to the test as it pertains to muscle recovery and soreness. Researchers tested whether rubbing a CBD gel on sore muscles helps athletes recover faster after intense exercise. Fifteen physically active young men did 100 drop jumps (10 sets of 10) from a 60cm box to deliberately cause muscle soreness and damage. They chose this exercise because it's a heavy eccentric movement, which tends to cause more muscle damage than concentric movements.

They then applied either a CBD gel (20mg) or a placebo gel to their thighs and hamstrings immediately after exercise and over the next 3 days. This was a crossover study design, which means the participants were part of both the CBD group and the placebo group (after a two-week washout period).

The researchers measured perceived soreness and blood myoglobin levels. Myoglobin is a protein released into the blood as a result of muscle damage. So they took both a subjective and objective measure.

What they found was that the topical CBD gel had no significant impact on perceived soreness or myoglobin levels. This adds to a growing body of research showing CBD's benefits for exercise recovery are inconclusive at best, regardless of how it's taken. It doesn't necessarily mean CBD doesn't work, it's just that the research thus far has been mixed.

Some would argue that 20mg/day topically is on the low end and it's unclear if higher doses would work. There were also only 15 participants in the study, which is a pretty low amount.

We still don't fully understand how much CBD actually absorbs through the skin and reaches the target tissue. Future research with larger groups, higher doses, and better methods for tracking CBD absorption will be needed before we can say anything definitive. For now, tried-and-true recovery strategies like adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and active recovery remain your best bet.

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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 1:25 PM.