What Happens When Athletes Combine Smoking and Working Out

Trying to get into pique physical shape and smoking is extremely counterproductive. Athletes workout in order to improve their physical health, so that they can run faster, hit harder, or become leaner and more limber. But, after spending hours in the gym, lighting up is one of the worst things that you can do.

While athletes are often in tip-top physical shape, at least externally, internally those who smoke are doing all sorts of damages to their lungs, heart, bones, and other parts of the body.

So what happens when you combine smoking with physical activity? Here’s what you need to know.

How Smoking Affects Your Workouts

Smoking greatly hinders cardio performance. Each time you inhale tobacco smoke, you’re inhaling more than 7,000 chemicals, including nicotine and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream and is carried throughout the body, instead of oxygen-rich blood. This causes poor oxygen absorption, which has been linked to fatigue and muscle aches.

Athletes who smoke also experience reduced lung capacity. This means that they’re unable to inhale the oxygen that’s needed. Cigarette smoke restricts the airways and causes mucus to buildup. While these side effects may not be evident in everyday life, when working out, a smoker is more likely to experience shortness of breath and the inability to exercise for long periods of time.

For those who exercise for competitive purposes, smoking is a huge hindrance. Bodybuilders, sports players, and other athletes will experience negative results and setbacks because of smoking. Smoking impacts stamina, endurance, and overall performance, which makes it harder to reach your goals in the gym and when competing.

Smoking also has other effects, including:

• Decreased healing

• Increased resting heart rate

• Inability to absorb nutrients

Aside from immediate impacts when working out, smoking poses an increased risk of various diseases, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, lung disease, and cancer.

Is It Possible to be a Healthy Smoker?

We all know that smoking is bad for you, but is the habit less bad if you combine it with an extremely healthy activity, such as regular physical activity? While exercise may be able to mitigate some of the effects of smoking, the fact remains that smoking still does long-term damage to the body and increases the risk of all sorts of health conditions.

The bottom line is that quitting is the best thing for athletes and anyone who smokes. There’s no real difference between being an unhealthy athlete or a “healthier” smoker. Exercising and living an active lifestyle isn’t able to negate all of the negative side effects that smoking causes.

For example, smokers are at an increased risk of lung cancer. This is because tar coats the lungs and other chemicals in cigarettes impact lung capacity and the body’s ability to transport oxygen. However, some studies have found that people who are active are less likely to develop lung cancer when compared to those who were sedentary.

There’s no denying that exercise improves cardiovascular function as well as good cholesterol levels. But being a smoker and someone who exercises can negate the benefits that physical activity offers. Smoking is a deadly habit that impacts every organ and system in the body.

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

As an athlete, you want to do what’s best for your body now and long into the future. One of the best things you can do to protect yourself and to maximize your performance is to quit smoking. But, quitting isn’t easy, and for many smokers, it takes dozens of failures before finally being successful in quitting for good.

Many people opt to quit cold turkey because it seems like the easiest method. Simply not smoking is easy, right? Wrong! Smoking isn’t just a bad habit, it’s an addiction. Your brain is addicted to nicotine, and depriving it of the chemical completely will cause withdrawal symptoms that can be uncomfortable.

To increase your chances of quitting smoking successfully, create a smoking cessation plan. Consider nicotine replacement therapy, which allows your brain to get the nicotine it needs and eases the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Some of the most popular smoking alternative products include smokeless dip, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and e-cigarettes.

It’s also much easier to quit smoking when you’re able to identify and avoid your triggers while also being open and honest with yourself and those around you. There’s no shame in quitting smoking, but it does help to have people on your side who will be supportive in your quest to live a healthier life.

The good news is that when you do quit, you’ll experience so many benefits. You’ll have increased lung capacity and more energy than ever before. You’ll feel stronger and more energetic, which allows you to give your best. Quitting will make you a much better athlete, so now is the time to say goodbye to cigarettes.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTime