Posted by Admin
The impact of smoking on training
By virtue of their commitment to physical excellence, bodybuilders typically do not smoke as they tend to be well informed about what is healthy and what is not.
As far as smoking goes, it is well documented throughout the world as one of the most harmful things you can do to your body, yet people continue to smoke!
For the small minority of bodybuilders that do smoke, once it is spelt out to them how smoking can impact their performance it is usually all they need to start on the road to quitting. The reduction in performance, that is caused by smoking, leads to a tangible result of an inferior physique compared to other body builders.
So it makes sense to quit something that is damaging the progress you could make, and limiting your potential, as a bodybuilder.
Here are some important things to consider if you are a body builder who smokes:
Smoking causes irreparable damage to the human respiratory system which reduces how long a person can train and also the quality of their training. Smoking increases air way resistance due to tar content which is deposited in the lungs, airway and bronchial tubes and reduces how much oxygen is absorbed in the blood and therefore limits muscle performance.
This is due to the Carbon Monoxide in tobacco which has a higher affinity with haemoglobin (the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood) than oxygen itself. This means that the very cell inside the human body that is designed to carry oxygen is being taken up by Carbon Monoxide.
The finite number of haemoglobin cells in the body means that instantly less oxygen is getting to where it is needed and as a body builder you are severely disadvantaged.
Smoking also slows down lung function and growth, leaving a body builder who smokes literally gasping for air when they need it the most.
Also, due to the stimulation effect of nicotine, the heart-beat of a smoker is roughly 30% faster than that of a non-smoker. This means that a smoker is expending more energy in heart beats just to keep pace with a smoke-free competitor.
If what you have read is, like many before you, enough to kick start you on the road to quitting then you should look to find help anywhere you can. Local groups of like-minded people trying to quit are always a great source of encouragement.