Link Nutrition In Conversation with fourfivecbd

We’ve caught up with professional rugby players and founders of the amazing CBD brand, fourfiveCBD George Kruis and Dom Day, to discuss the benefits of CBD on performance both on and off the field. 

1. Firstly we love your brand fourfivecbd! How did you find setting up this amazing CBD brand alongside a professional rugby career? Do you have any top tips for managing your time and ticking things off your to-do list to avoid being overwhelmed?

George: Thanks! It has been a challenge at some points for sure! There have been many “hurdles” we have had to jump over in the CBD space however within that we have learnt a great amount about ourselves and also the market. I would say both of us are not the most organised so the main challenge for me has been finding a way of making sure things are kept on top of. I mainly use lists and group platforms to keep track on short, medium and long term tasks. 

Dom: Thank you so much. It has been an intense period since we launched. To begin with it was extremely full on as most of the work was being done after training or during days off. As we have grown we have managed to also build our team who are excellent. Two key things that we have been able to do is not be afraid to ask for help when needed, we have a great network of very successful businessmen that we have met through rugby. The other is trusting the team and delegating, as I mentioned we have a great team here and we trust them fully to do the best work.

 

2. What is CBD for those in our community who are not familiar with the ingredient?

George: CBD is one of over a hundred cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. CBD is a non-psychoactive ingredient meaning that it cannot get you high unlike the other well-known cannabinoid, THC. 

 

3. What are the main benefits of CBD?

Dom: We are unable to make any claims towards our products as they are classed as food supplements but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence online supporting a wide range of health benefits towards cbd products.

 

4. Who would benefit from taking CBD and which form would be best to start with? What about strengths and dosages if somebody hasn’t used CBD before?

Dom: I think cbd can be for anyone, really. Fourfivecbd has a targeted market niche, which is the active market and we find most of our customers use our products for recovery purposes but people with all types of problems, whether it be major or minor, have felt cbd to help them. Again, there are so many impressive stories online that show what cbd can really do and has done already.

We always recommend first-time users starting with a lower strength, lower dosage and then building their way up. As with most food supplements, each individual reacts differently and it’s all about finding your sweet spot. Our oils and capsules have had similar feedback so I would suggest someone looking for a fast reacting option to go with our oils and someone looking for a slow, longer-lasting effect to go with our capsules.

George: Our cosmetic range is made up of muscle rub, balm and joint gel. We have found most of our customers to use the balm for skin irritations. Our muscle rub gives off a cooling sensation and our joint gel gives off a heating feel. Both the muscle rub and joint gel have been certified by BSCG. We have recently launched a cbd multivitamin effervescent that's filled with a wide range of good nutrients and vitamins that I have been using on a daily basis to start my day.

 

5. How does CBD actually affect the body and how long does it take to feel the effects of it?

George: CBD is known to react with the CB1 and CB2 receptors within the endocannabinoid system found inside the human body. This is the main regulatory system and is mainly located in your peripheral and central nervous system. What can I say, I’ve learnt a few things!

Dom: He’s got the brains, I’ve got the looks! CBD sometimes may work immediately however it can take 5-10 days to get your dosage correct. We recommend increasing your dosage if you haven’t started to feel anything within this period.

 

6. How did you originally start using CBD as part of your recovery? For people looking to incorporate the use of CBD into both their training and recovery plan, do you have any top tips?

Dom: I first tried CBD at the early stages of 2018, after WADA had just removed CBD off it’s banned substance list and I had just had an op on my knee. It was towards the end of my rugby career and I was looking for a more natural alternative solution to aid with the recovery of my knee. I find CBD along with a balanced range of supplements helps me support and maintain my active lifestyle. 

George: I had a similar situation where I had an op on my ankle a month after Dom had one on his knee and he came to me and recommended trying it. At first I was a sceptic but thought I would give it a bash and felt it really help with my sleep. In professional sport, we are always looking for marginal gains and I have felt fourfivecbd helps to achieve this.

 

7. We share your ethos of using high-quality ingredients in your CBD products, can you explain a little bit about the different types of CBD?

Dom: There are 3 types of products you can find on the market which is full spectrum, broad spectrum and cbd isolate. It all comes down to the extraction of the plant but essentially a full-spectrum product means it has all of the 114 or present. A broad-spectrum product means it has a range but not of the cannabinoids present and a cbd isolate means it has just the cbd compound present and none of the other cannabinoids. 

 

8. Are there any additional supplements that you include as part of your training programs to help support your body?

Dom: Yes we take a number of supplements to help us with training and just our general well-being. The core supplements we would use are vitamin D3, vitamin C, probiotic, fish oils and a multivitamin. You can also add to this protein and creatine and the key muscle building/maintenance products. But we believe that a proper diet is the most important thing when it comes to maintenance of muscle and body weight.

George: I would echo what Dom has said above. The main ones I take are the fish oils and multivitamin however we will go through different periods of intensity and therefore I may load and come off different supplements throughout the year. I also think nutrition through food is the key and then topping up in areas that you find hard to achieve daily amounts. 

 

9. You’re a professional rugby player, so keeping active is part of your job and a way of life. We know that staying active is beneficial for our health, but these days people have so little time. Are they any quick exercise plans or workout tips that might help people incorporate exercise into their daily routine?

George: There are plenty of short 15-20-minute workouts that are available on YouTube or free apps that help with this. I think it is important to get out and do something daily, whether it be a short walk, a hit session or to be playing some sport. With the current situation and what’s going on, I feel it's given people a lot of time to focus on their health and fitness again which is great and extremely important. 

 

10. As Men’s Health Awareness week is coming up,  we wanted to highlight the importance of discussing Men’s Health and in particular men’s mental health. It’s an increasingly important topic particularly in the current climate. Do you have any tips for managing stress and anxiety, especially when you’re super busy?

Dom: I always tried to cling onto the positives that happen, regardless of how small or big they may be. I’ve got a young family so I’m just enjoying being able to spend time with them. I would usually be able to do so. It is looking like we are coming towards the backend of the lockdown which is good but I am just taking my cbd and trying to stay as positive as possible.

George: I have found my training to be keeping me positive. We are very fortunate to have a business that has been able to make the best of a bad situation and keep us busy, but to anyone out there that is struggling I would recommend staying active and healthy during this time and hopefully this will all be over shortly.

Head over to fourfivecbd to find out more about their amazing CBD products and don't forget to check out the Limited Edition Immunity box, packing with a whole host of wellness goodies including Food Based Vitamin C Complex. 

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