CannaTape Sport is a kinesiology tape infused with CBD and other beneficial oils and vitamins formulated to ease aches and pains experienced by athletes and other active people. Hemp-extracted CBD is known for its anti-inflammatory properties; what makes CannaTape Sport unique is how the tape delivers the CBD, allowing it to reach the soft muscle tissue where the pain lives. “CannaTape Sport”, says company co-founder and CEO Sean Malloy, “improves upon long-established kinesiology tape therapy, providing a convenient and effective new pain-relief option.”
Malloy, a former athlete and current avid long-distance cyclist, is personally familiar with existing options for pain relief – and opportunities to improve on them. Prior to developing CannaTape Sport, he helped launch a successful line of CBD skin therapy products. His CannaTape Sport partner and co-founder, Sven Bergmann, also an avid skier and cycling enthusiast, has decades of experience developing and marketing highly regulated products for Fortune 500 companies, in the Fast Moving Category Goods (FMCG). With their combined experience in sports, CBD startups, and marketing, Malloy and Bergmann are emerging players in the CBD category. We sat down to ask them how their experiences shaped the launch of CannaTape Sport and why they’re so excited about its potential.
How does your background help you navigate and succeed in both the CBD and athletic fields?
Malloy: I’ve been involved in the CBD field for nearly 10 years. I was creative director of a CBD skincare company for the better part of the 2010s and became very familiar with the benefits of CBD. I began CannaTape Sport a few years after leaving the skincare business. As a cycling enthusiast and former athlete, I’m more than familiar with the aches and pains that athletic activity can bring. Whether it’s a sore shoulder or an aching knee, even a minor injury can become a major problem for an athlete. When you’re committed to a sport or activity and suddenly have to stop due to pain, it can be very frustrating. And let’s not forget the active people who depend on their bodies as part of their work, or simply walk or bike to work every day. For them, an injury can jeopardize their career and livelihood. So CannaTape Sport combines two areas I’m very passionate about – CBD, and how it can help active people live their best life.
What separates CannaTape Sport from other CBD-based products on the market?
Malloy: The main difference lies in the delivery of the CBD. We use a skin-penetrating transdermal formula to deliver our CBD formula and its healing effects down to the deep tissue where the inflammation and discomfort actually occurs. Other CBD products, like topical lotions or rub-on solutions, simply aren’t enough for active people – at least not in my book. Most of these products never penetrate the skin, instead remaining on the skin’s surface. There are two main problems with this: first, the healing abilities of CBD cannot be fully realized if it does not enter the bloodstream and reach the site of inflammation. And second, something as commonplace as sweat from strenuous activity or a tight-fitting shirt can rub it off.
Do competitive athletes have any concern about hemp-derived CBD in the product?
Bergmann: We know athletes who’ve written off CBD and its benefits because a CBD lotion they tried would disappear once they began to exercise. CannaTape Sport ensures that this doesn’t happen, as our CBD formula goes on, stays on and keeps working. Athletes attest to after that they switched to CannaTape Sport. We also know some athletes who’ve been hesitant to try CannaTape Sport or other CBD products due to a lack of understanding about the ingredient. We ensure that our formula is safe, effective, and legal. We proudly display our COA certificate prominently on our website for that very purpose. Because our CBD is all-natural and derived from hemp, it is THC-free and non-psychoactive, making it safe for athletes of any age. In addition, both the World Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency have specifically permitted hemp-derived CBD – like the CBD we use for CannaTape Sport.
Speaking of people who are using this product, who is your ideal customer?
Bergmann: CannaTape Sport is not for one specific type of athlete; in fact, they don’t necessarily have to be an elite athlete at all. Our tape benefits a wide array of individuals, from serious athletes, and the weekend warriors to simply helping people maintain an active lifestyle. Whether someone is lifting seven days a week in the gym, playing a casual tennis match on the weekend, or running stairs up and down all day, they can all benefit from the effects of our tape. The reason behind its versatility is quite simple: anyone can strain something during virtually any category of activity. Injuries, soreness or pain are, unfortunately, not restricted to one level or category of athletes, and neither is CannaTape Sport. If there is any type of soreness or pain, our tape with its transdermal CBD-formula will provide relief.
Most people considering this product will be familiar with kinesiology tape. Why did you choose it as your mode of delivery?
Malloy: You said it yourself: most people know what it is! Our product is really special because it hit a sweet spot between simple application and complex results. Most athletes are familiar with kinesiology tape; it really is a tried-and-true recovery product. And for those athletes who aren’t familiar with it, the CannaTape Sport website provides detailed instructions on how, where, and when to apply the tape. All that being said, a lot of athletes also know that sometimes, the tape isn’t enough. The stability and relief supplied by kinesiology tape does help, but for those deeper and persistent injuries, there just needs to be something more, an extra layer of relief. And as mentioned before, existing CBD lotions are not transdermal, and will wash or rub off. This is what prompted the thought process behind CannaTape Sport; we took two amazing products already used and beloved by many – kinesiology tape and CBD – and combined them to make them even better. Plus, the basic design of kinesiology tape lends itself to the transdermal CBD delivery because it’s proven to increase blood flow – it ensures that the CBD gets right to the soft tissue without coming off thanks its durable, yet skin-gentle, adhesive and stretchy material that mimics the skin.
Kinesiology tape is generally considered a short-term solution, yet you say CannaTape Sport’s tape provides long-term relief. Can you elaborate?
Malloy: Our tape really is a long-term solution to pain and inflammation, and it lies in the transdermal delivery of the CBD formula. The skin-penetration enhancers in our formula deliver the CBD right to where the blood vessels and pain receptors are found in the deep tissue. When the CBD is delivered to these deeper layers of the skin and enters the blood stream, it’s able to support the body’s natural healing processes and provide long-term relief. Traditional topical CBD products and Kinesiology tapes are alike in that they both provide short-term support by relieving pain on or near the surface of the skin. By combining them into one, we were able to create a long-term, highly effective solution with CannaTape Sport.
Is CannaTape Sport effective for short-term relief as well?
Moy: Absolutely! It’s important to remember that CannaTape Sport is still a kinesiology tape, and therefore it’s able to provide all the same short-term relief effects that an athlete would find in a traditional tape. Kinesiology tape stretches to the skin and supports the muscle that is causing the pain while also preventing the area from swelling. The main difference with CannaTape Sport is that it provides support well beyond that initial relief. We also included menthol and peppermint essential oils for improved short-term relief you can feel. These ingredients provide a cooling sensation to the area and provide relief instantly following application. As a bonus, menthol also increases blood flow. And since the skin is just as important as what’s underneath, CannaTape Sport also utilizes vitamin E and tea tree essential oil to support skin health.
We know that you’re an athlete and an advocate for CannaTape Sport’s abilities to relieve pain. Who else backs you up?
Bergmann: As active people ourselves, we know plenty of athletes who have used our tape and seen both the short- and long-term results it can deliver. That includes runners, cyclists, tennis players, cross-fit fanatics, triathletes and weekend warriors. Triathletes are a great example, our tape can be used to relieve the pain that can come from all three of their elements: running, cycling, and swimming. And it’s so durable it only needs to be applied shortly before the competition and will work throughout the entire event. It’s a truly versatile product for any level of activity or competition. We like to say that if CannaTape Sport can help people who compete in three sports in one day, it can help anyone.
At this point I’m convinced, and I’m sure more than a few readers will be too. How can we get our hands on CannaTape Sport?
Bergmann: Right now, our tape is available nationwide for sale on our website, CannaTapeSport.com. We are adding distributors, resellers and retail locations as quickly as we can and will call them out on our website as we do, so keep an eye out. You can expect to get between five to ten applications per roll, and the tape can easily be cut depending on how and where it’s applied.
Malloy: We’re excited for people to try it. Purchase a single roll as a trial, or buy a multi-role pack to get a roll for every athlete in your household. In our experience, the people who try it love it. We truly believe that CannaTape Sport will help athletes everywhere work harder, perform better, and recover faster.
Learn More
To request a sample of CannaTape Sport or to learn more the product, its ingredients, and the future of the brand, please contact:
CTS Brands, LLC
Makers of CannaTape Sport
Columbus, Ohio
info@cannatapesport.com
