What Effects Can Smoking Have on a Bodybuilder’s Life?

If there’s a list made by all the experienced bodybuilders asking the community to avoid having things in their daily lives, cigarettes are most likely to be among the top ranks. When all the bad effects of this seemingly tempting habit are considered, researchers have warned the bodybuilding community that it can affect more than their lungs, and have a great impact on their muscle growth as well.

It is a known fact that the nicotine present in cigarettes always triggers the addictive quality which makes it hard for a person to quit smoking. After learning the demerits of such practices when a bodybuilder tries to quit, they also go through a stressful time which further worsens their training and fitness performances.

How does smoking affect muscle growth?

A smoker’s heart-beat rates are recorded to be 30% more than those who do not smoke. It deliberately makes it harder for bodybuilders to thus continue their exercises for a longer period. Hence it limits their time for muscle growth through fitness regimes. Furthermore, nicotine can also intervene with the protein production of cells for muscle repairs as well as in suppressing genes that help in maintaining muscles.

Another important aspect that might affect muscle growth is the reduction of testosterone levels which are usually highly affected by continuous cigarette consumption. Furthermore, nicotine also increases cortisol levels which directly attacks muscle tissues and reduces performance.

However, that’s not all of the things wrong with cigarette consumption. As a bodybuilder who usually has to go through rigorous training, one needs to have a healthy lifestyle on all fronts, if not, it might affect one’s fitness regimes quite indirectly without them knowing about it.

Oxygen-starved physique due to excessive smoking

It has been prominently established that increased heart rate can also increase the blood pressure in one’s body. Not only that but according to Muscleblaze, it can in turn also lead to an oxygen-starved state during intense workout sessions. It was suggested, “As the blood flow decreases due to narrowed blood vessels, the working muscles don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood when it is needed the most during intense workouts, which means you can get into the anaerobic state (a state where your body starts producing lactic acid, the reason behind the burning sensation felt in the muscles) very easily, which leads to very low endurance.”

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Moreover, hemoglobin also binds the carbon monoxide inhaled from cigarettes which then reduces the flexibility of oxygen transport in different parts of the body. Again, cigarettes are known for impacting the lungs, and when that happens lungs cannot pull off their usual performances. These lead to the indirect hit on one’s endurance which restricts them from having their best intense workout sessions.

All these reasons are more than enough to indicate how a bodybuilder should avoid building up a smoking habit. In fact, smoking for a prolonged time can also make one’s blood sticky, making arteries narrower than required. But how should one quit smoking?

How bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts can have a great advantage in quitting cigarettes?

The first and foremost step should always be distancing oneself from cigarettes, and slowly putting it down. However, that is nowhere near the end of the process. The real struggle begins when someone stops smoking, and here’s when exercises and workout sessions might come handier than expected. Exercises and a rigorous training plan can help reduce the cravings and in turn help in the management of the withdrawals. Moreover, the process also includes the phase of an extremely anxious and stressful time which can have a larger impact on fitness. However, following a strict workout routine can also help in managing the stress level.

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It is quite essential for bodybuilders to keep their health in check because although their daily workout session might help them gain muscle and sculpt their physiques, things like smoking can also have a larger internal impact on their bodies. The IFBB Pro bodybuilder, Martin Fitzwater also reflected upon the matter that smoking and vaping can affect one’s respiratory health which can become a threat to one’s body in the longer run.

Hence, although smoking seems fun and tempting, most people would warn bodybuilders to keep their distance from it. Speculating and judging all the factors that can diminish the chances of one’s muscle growth and hence career improvement in fitness should be abstained. Most bodybuilding experts thus try to spread as much awareness regarding the matter as they can, yet the last decision stands as an individual choice made by the bodybuilders.

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