Para-skiing and recovery: what adaptive camps teach us

These camps bring together, over a week, people who have come through a disabling accident, specialist instructors and adapted equipment. In France, the offering is organised around the Fédération Française Handisport (FFH), the Handisport network and private structures such as the École de Ski Français adaptive section. Para alpine skiing covers several disciplines: standing skiing (categories LW1 to LW9), sit-skiing (LW10 to LW12) and visually impaired skiing (B1 to B3).

Adaptive skiing combines effort, speed, the management of imbalance and a natural environment. Several studies in sports physiotherapy and rehabilitation psychology identify four contributions: restoration of the body schema, management of exertion pain by shifting attention, social connection through collective practice, and a return to a structuring outdoor routine. Adaptive skiing is not a therapy: it accompanies, within an approach that includes medical follow-up, rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

A day of adaptive skiing is demanding: transfers, constant core work, sustained cardiovascular effort. Recovery becomes a subject in its own right: hydration of at least 1.5-2 L of water a day, a protein intake of 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg to support muscle rebuilding, sleep targeting 7 to 9 hours, gentle stretching and self-massage on overloaded areas. Muscle-comfort topicals, such as hemp balms, often form part of this routine.

Since 1 January 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency has removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances, the only cannabinoid in that position. THC remains prohibited in competition. The real risk for a French athlete, including in para-sport, is not CBD itself but contamination by the residual THC of full-spectrum products. The federations that have taken a position recommend a CBD isolate certified free of THC, with a certificate of analysis from an independent laboratory. The French legal framework, set by the Conseil d'État on 29 December 2022, applies in the same way to an able-bodied athlete and a para-athlete.

The spirit of these camps, structuring a week of getting back into movement after a break, transfers to other situations: returning from a knee operation, coming off sick leave, resuming after childbirth or after burnout. Set a modest, tangible goal, schedule recovery the way you schedule effort, and practise in a group when possible: the presence of other people engaged in the same process supports consistency.

The Cour de cassation on 21 June 2023 held that the commercial legality of a CBD product does not exonerate the driver in the event of a positive saliva test for THC: avoid any full-spectrum product before getting back behind the wheel after a camp. Since June 2024, the ANSM has added HHC, H4CBD and THCP to the narcotics list. CBD is not a medicine; in the event of persistent pain or injury, consult a sports doctor or a specialist physiotherapist.

Is CBD prohibited in competition for French athletes?

No. Since 1 January 2018, CBD no longer appears on the WADA list or on the list applied by the AFLD. All other cannabinoids, including THC, remain prohibited in competition.

What is the risk for an athlete using a full-spectrum product?

A full-spectrum product contains, by construction, traces of THC, which can trigger a positive result during an anti-doping test. A CBD isolate with no detectable THC, backed by a recent certificate of analysis, remains the only reliable option.

Do adaptive ski camps exist in France?

Yes, organised by the Fédération Française Handisport, the École de Ski Français adaptive section and several voluntary-sector structures in the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central.

Is a medical certificate required to take part?

Yes, in the great majority of cases: a certificate of no contraindication drawn up by a doctor familiar with your condition, together with an assessment by the camp's lead instructor.

To explore the framework governing CBD among athletes, see our article on [sleep and sports recovery](/blog/sommeil-recuperation-sportive-cbd). For other recovery rituals, see [recovery after running](/blog/recuperation-apres-course-pied-rituels-cbd).